Adult Orthodontics

No. Orthodontics has no age limit. Provided your teeth and gums are healthy, treatment can be effective at any age. Teeth move by the same biological process throughout adulthood, and what governs it is the condition of the bone and gums holding them, not the year you were born.

One in five orthodontic patients today is an adult. Some have had crooked teeth all their lives and finally decided to deal with them. Others finished orthodontic treatment as teenagers and watched their teeth drift back. Plenty come in because a dentist pointed out wear, crowding, or gum trouble that traces back to the bite.

Dr. Najjar will evaluate your smile and recommend the best approach. That evaluation covers your gum and bone health, any dental work already in your mouth, and what you want changed, and if adult orthodontics is not the right answer for you, you will be told so.

There are three, and most adults do prefer a low-profile approach. They are not interchangeable, though, and the differences show up in daily life as well as in what each one can correct:

• Clear aligners are removable and nearly invisible. They come out for meals and for the moments you would rather nothing showed at all, though they only work while they are in.
• Bonded on and out of view, lingual braces (InBrace) sit completely hidden behind the teeth, so there is nothing to remember.
• Tooth-colored ceramic braces blend in far more than traditional metal, so they are the discreet choice when the case calls for fixed braces.

We'll work out together which one fits your lifestyle and goals. The complexity of the case narrows the field first, since some corrections are better served by braces than by trays, and after that it comes down to what you want other people to notice while your orthodontic treatment is under way.

Yes. Drifting in adulthood is very common, and it sometimes happens years after earlier orthodontic work. Teeth are not fixed in place. They sit in living bone, and gradual changes in the bone and gums, everyday chewing forces, and the natural tendency of teeth to creep forward can all nudge them out of line over a decade or two. The lower front teeth are usually where people notice it first.

Orthodontic treatment can move those teeth back into proper alignment, and a retainer afterward helps hold them in place. Coming back after teenage braces is a common reason adults start treatment, and Dr. Najjar can tell you at your consultation how involved yours is likely to be.

It is worth doing for more than appearance. Crowded and overlapping teeth are harder to clean thoroughly, which raises the risk of decay and gum disease, and a bite that has drifted out of balance can wear some teeth harder than others.

One thing is different. An adult's jawbone is finished growing. For most alignment and spacing issues that changes nothing at all, though select complex bite cases may be coordinated with an oral surgeon. With a teenager there is sometimes growth still happening that treatment can guide, which is part of why teen orthodontics is timed the way it is. As an adult there is no growth to borrow, so a jaw discrepancy is addressed directly.

The other differences have less to do with age than with the history in your mouth. Fillings, crowns, bridges, and implants are all built into the plan, since an implant is fixed in the bone and does not move the way a natural tooth does. If your gums need attention, that comes first; teeth are not moved through tissue that is still inflamed. Adults also tend to arrive knowing exactly what bothers them, which makes planning adult orthodontics a more direct conversation than it often is with a teenager. Dr. Najjar will explain exactly what your case involves, including anything that needs attention before treatment begins.

Many adults complete treatment in roughly 12 to 24 months, though the complexity of your case and the option you choose both matter. Closing a small gap or easing crowding in the front teeth is not the same job as correcting a bite, so the estimate you are given reflects the work in front of you. Your own habits move the number too. Clear aligners only work while they are being worn, so treatment stretches if trays spend the day in their case, and a broken bracket or a missed adjustment costs time that has to be made up.

You'll receive a realistic timeline at your consultation, along with a sense of how often you would need to come in. If your schedule is the reason you have put this off, say so at that visit so we can weigh it against the options open to you.

Often, yes. Many plans include some orthodontic coverage, and we offer flexible payment options on top of that. Adult coverage is where policies differ most, since some plans write their orthodontic benefit for dependent children only, and others cap it at a lifetime maximum, a set amount the plan will put toward treatment. None of that has to be guesswork on your part. We confirm what your own policy offers before you begin, and the clear estimate that comes out of it sets the number you would owe alongside the portion your plan should cover.

We are not tied to a short list of carriers. We accept most dental insurance, and we file your claims for you as a courtesy, which is one less errand in a working week. If your plan covers little of your adult orthodontic treatment, there is still a way forward. Our payment plans are run in house, and our financial coordinator will go through the options with you.

Your first visit is the consultation, and there is no charge for it. Book it wherever it fits your working week: Milwaukee, Greenfield, Beloit, or Roscoe. You will have the written estimate in hand before you commit to anything. Our financing page spells it out.

Yes. Teeth can gradually shift again once treatment ends, and a retainer holds your new alignment in place. This is not a formality tacked onto the end. The fibers and bone around each tooth need time to settle around its new position, and until they do, they are inclined to drift back toward where they started.

Most adults wear one full-time for a short stretch, then move to nighttime-only wear long-term. Which retainer you get depends on your case. The fixed kind is bonded behind the lower front teeth, works around the clock, and asks nothing of your memory, while removable Hawley and clear versions come out for cleaning, and some patients use a combination of the two. If your adult orthodontic treatment was undoing shifting that happened after teenage braces, consistent retainer wear afterward guards against a repeat. Learn more on our retainers page.