Patients choose to seek treatment as adults for a variety of reasons. In fact, 1 of 4 people who seek orthodontic care are above the age of 18! This fact rests in the reality that there are significant orthodontic needs faced by adults. Firstly, many adults did not wear their orthodontic retainers as children, so their teeth shifted into undesirable positions. The unsightly appearance of teeth can affect the prospects that one has in life and is a principal reason that adults seek orthodontic care. Other reasons may be related to the function and maintenance of healthy teeth and a good bite. Orthodontic treatment can optimize the health and function of teeth by placing them in more favorable positions in the jaws and allowing teeth to come together in more natural ways. This is often facilitated through the resolution of crowding and other compensations that take place when the jaws are not ideally aligned.
Often times, adult patients are missing teeth due to caries, trauma, and loss of support from the bone and gums. Orthodontic treatment can be vital to save remaining teeth and place existing teeth in a way that improves their prognosis if further dental care is needed. Please call and schedule a consultation with Dr. Oviedo, so that he may work with your dentist to provide your best long-term result!