Adult Orthodontics: The Ultimate Breakthrough Comprehensive Guide

Dr. Rodrigo F. Viecilli, DDS, PhD

Owner- Limestone Hills Orthodontics

Adjunct Associate Professor and Lecturer

Loma Linda and New York University

Adult orthodontics in Austin, TX is no longer just to fix crooked teeth or crowded teeth. Is it a good idea to pur on braces or Invisalign over the age of 35? Austin treatment affordable? More than ever. To wear traditional metal braces as an adult in Austin, unlike with a child, can be a stigma, especially with a metal mouth, but sometimes the lower cost of wearing adult braces can be worth it for a short period. It is also an investment in medium to long term life outcomes (0.5-1+years).

Additionally, a metal mouth is no longer necessary. Austin Invisalign is here to stay. Removable aligners. Invisalign cost is lower than ever, but the differentiation in skill to get your ideal result is also higher than ever. It may not be a good idea to choose a general dentist that never finished a single case in dental school as your Dr- a specialist usually is the best plan to not compromise or gums and bone support.

Go to an Orthodontist That is is Experienced in Adult Orthodontics

In adults, taking care of gum and bone support can be tricky during orthodontics. A general dentist may not be equipped with the latest technology and information and training. Your health is worth more than that. Don’t succumb to pressure and sales strategies from unscrupulous treatment coordinators.

The choice to wear traditional braces, metal braces, ceramic braces, braces for straight teeth, healthier smiles and improved oral hygiene can trigger amazing life transformations. It all depends on your lifestyle. And they are all easily maintainable, but all those options are only available usually at an orthodontics specialist.

Traditional Braces vs. Invisalign in Adult Orthodontics

This comprehensive guide explores the various facets of older age orthodontia, including traditional adult braces: metal clear, traditional metal braces, or ceramic clear braces, Invisalign clear plastic aligners other brands of metal brackets and clear aligners. And the importance of regular Dr visits to keep your orthodontic or Invisalign treatment optimum, c alignment synchrony without side effects.

General Dental Problems and Orthodontics

Adult orthodontic therapy encompasses several challenges such as periodontal problems, gum disease (gum inflammation or recession issues with sensitivities), missing teeth, jaw pain, issues with self-confidence and self-doubt about decision making. Crowns or implants that need to be finished. Don’t think twice. The orthodontist is the only one that can move your dentition and know the limits of it all.

So where do I start my journey to my best smile and facial appearance?

It all starts with a free orthodontic consultation, and we will guide you step by step to what you have to do to get the best facial and dental aesthetics possible. We can either do it by ourselves or involve a facial oral surgeon, then coordinate with the rest of dental specialists and dental practitioners.

By wary compromised treatments that do not optimize your occlusion and facial esthetics promoted by dentists that just want to sell you implants and crowns crown. It’s borderline unethical, unless you are fully informed of the compromises you might be facing. You are worthy to be exposed to the best dentistry can offer before you make your savings, plan and decision. Orthodontists and oral surgeons are the only ones that can move your bones and teeth wherever we want to make you look the best and have the most coordinated bite. End of story.

But So Many Guided me the Wrong Way

This is all aggravated by previous bad dental experiences that lead patients to lack trust in the provider, uncertainties about how their new smile should look like, abnormal wear of teeth because of grinding and locked jaw issues, and how important is their bite and how it plays with health and aesthetics.

Invisalign is often promoted as an all-in-one solution to jaw pain, but it is not that simple. We often dream of our best solution to our problems, but do we have the drive to make that dream happen?

All absolutely valid concerns and we are here to help you sort all of those out, one step at a time, even if multiple consultations are needed. I was an academician (professor at two of the top Universities in the Country, and still am, part time) for a long time. Make sure to check the credentials and how many peer reviewed publications your orthodontic care provider has before jumping into a 5+k treatment plan. Or a 20K+ plan from the dentist for full crown restorations. I have seen so many sad stories. Always consult an orthodontist before any major adult treatment!

Use your intelligence and consult multiple providers and watch which doctor will give you logical explanations, not emotional ones you just want to hear. “This will be easy, just a few implants here and there. Veneers. A quick smile in a few hours” what are the implications? Irreversible destruction of your teeth. No dental material is better for crooked teeth, or missing teeth, than your natural one, unless malformed, and never forget that no matter what a dentist says.

As to general dentists doing orthodontics, there are definitely some good ones out there, but it can be risky because their level of practical education in the specialty varies from almost nothing to very simple cases. The best orthodontist can adjust your natural teeth to their best position and suggest restorative work such as crown, implants and veneers, which are highly costly, only when needed. NO DENTAL ARTIFICAL MATERIAL IS BETTER THAN YOUR NATURAL TEETH IN A HEALTHY PERIODONTAL ENVIRONMENT.

Here, we will also discuss the pros and cons to the psychological, romantic, and professional implications of dramatic changes in appearance in adults that have lives with a compromised facial appearance and smile all their lives.

Pros of Later Age Orthodontia

Improved Aesthetics

One of the most prominent benefits of later orthodontics is the transformation it brings about in one’s smile. Straight, well-aligned teeth contribute significantly to an attractive smile, boosting self-confidence and self-esteem. This can trigger often a huge change in someone’s life, from healthy habits that lead to weight loss, psychological benefits and overall well-being. And all can be done without the stigma of metal braces and metal wires on your teeth. Invisalign, or generic aligners of multiple brands, which are much more affordable, are here also to make clear aligner treatment more affordable for adults. Many Invisalign patents that are not applicable to your case fell years ago and you can get huge savings by taking advantage of that without any perceivable clinical difference.

Enhanced Oral Health: Role of Orthodontics

Orthodontics also aims to aid in improving oral health by making teeth easier to clean, reducing the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. You want to improve dental health of your smile and your own family and friends smile today not tomorrow. Invisalign and clear aligners are the best at keeping oral health and hygiene optimum and orthodontic results optimum if you wear the aligners 22-24 hours a day, and they make it definitely easier to brush and floss.

Better Functionality

Misaligned teeth can cause functional and speech issues. Orthodontics align teeth correctly, enhancing eating and speaking comfort. It can reduce jaw and associated tissue pain, discomfort in the morning due to grinding or a locked jaw (especially in deep overbites) and minimizing the tooth decay and destruction due to these habits. Invisalign or brackets and wires as treatment options will tackle both issues, but how will you decide the path to your best smile? Talk to us. With Invisalign, you need to actively contribute to push your anterior teeth towards the gum during the day. With braces that’s a lot easier to accomplish because you can even do that when chewing with little occlusal pads we add to more anterior teeth. What option will you choose? I will tell you that braces are better at correcting deep bites which can lead to lower anterior crowding and jaw locking and grinding issues in the long run. Evidence is low, but my clinical experience sees it. If your front teeth overlap too much your lower jaw doesn’t have the freedom to grow fractions of a mm throughout life, and when teeth get crowded that gets blamed on wisdom teeth. Guess what?

Wisdom Teeth

Clinical trials show that if you extract your wisdom teeth the amount of extra lower crowding, you’ll get in life is the same that if you don’t, and that’s because most Caucasians have a deep bite disallowing their jaw to grow in harmony with the eruption of their teeth!! Deep bites are pretty much, functionally, the worst malocclusion you can get that I observed through 20 years of clinical experience. You definitely want to fix of your deep bite if you want to keep your teeth straight and TMJ healthy and wearing your retainers will not be as critical, but still necessary!

Aligners in Complex Malocclusions and Compromise

If you just want your front teeth straight and don’t care as much about your deep bite, go with aligners, but accept you may not get an amazing result. If you want an amazing result, get ceramic self-ligating braces and let us handle it. Figure out what you want and what you can do and accept. We want the best for you!

Best Overall Choice for Prevention of Future Dental Health Issues

By addressing issues like overcrowding, gaps, or misalignment of teeth and the bite, orthodontics can prevent future dental problems, ensuring long-term oral health.

Cons of Orthodontics in Adults

Longer Treatment Duration:

The orthodontic treatment process tends to be lengthier for adults than for children due to the maturity of the facial bones. The inflammatory response is slower, bone modeling is slower, bone density is higher leading to more work from bone resorbing cells to move teeth (up to menopause at least). You may need to fix cavities or any sources of infection before starting adult orthodontics.

Longer treatments with complex accessory devices such as clear aligners or Invisalign often imply a higher down payment if you want no interest financing.

Truth is that the financial industry knows the chances you will default on your payments. We offer no credit check no interest financing with a 600-down payment for brace and minimum 1000 for Invisalign or aligners, because that covers our costs at the least. Typically, if you want a better deal, you have to pay interest to a third-party company, unless you divide the amount in a very small amount of payment. Get it?

The financial industry is fair. We are here to talk with you and get the best deal you can get. Student with a great credit score? You may be able to finance with zero down for a long time through third party financing.

We offer zero interest financing through our practice management software system. But we can only do this with a downpayment.

Our no interest financing with no credit check is a chance for you to build your credit if you make your payments on time if you haven’t had one.

Understand the fairness of the financial system and lending before you can make a commitment and don’t do so at the expense of your credit worthiness. Only agree to something you can reliably pay. Truly a wise advice. It’s always when our financial institutions have to send our patients to collections because they don’t pay.

Don’t give up your regular dental visits

The American Association of Orthodontists, the entity that controls most valuable CE courses and the main Association of orthodontists, recommends continuous periodontal treatment monitoring and cleanings, and you should discuss with us (your orthodontist) when that’s optimum for your treatment and how often you have to go to the dentist for a cleaning.

We recommend pyrophosphate based toothpastes such as Colgate Total and anti-calculus mouth rinses and more rigorous brushing behind and in between your lower incisor and upper molar area if you are prone to forming calculus stones on your teeth.

Do not worry, we have seen many patients and will recognize the pattern of care that is best for you.

What about problematic issues that prevent reliable tooth movement such as grinding and clenching?

Some of these habits incapacitate the bone resorbing cells to organize to move your teeth in a certain direction, may have trouble having enough stability in tooth position to promote bone modeling that leads to tooth movement. Expert orthodontists have solutions to all these problems.

Dr. Viecilli in Austin TX has got your back.

Just ask his previous patients. We can get around tooth grinding with a combination of botox in the masseter muscles and bite pads proprioception therapies that allow your bite force to decrease, and cells to promote proper tooth movement in areas of the mouth where teeth do not touch and fix your malocclusion. Without treatment, grinding, clenching and bruxism and delay tooth movement. We have tools to deal with these issues.

Potential Discomfort:

While wear braces are not necessarily more uncomfortable for adults, metal braces can cause some discomfort, especially when first installed. Adults are less adaptable to foreign objects in their mouth. Even clear aligners can be irritable. Irritation does not happen only if adult patients wear metal brackets.

We often have to recommend sanding edges of aligners because adults believe INVISALIGN has to feel the same as nothing.

Zero discomfort is an unrealistic expectation. I have shared experiences with both Invisalign patients and braces patients and been a subject of teen and later orthodontics with braces and aligners myself. I can tell you all your concerns that are overwhelming and will make you sometimes want to call your orthodontist in the first two weeks will subside- patience is key.

Your tissues will adapt to either Invisalign or braces by the formation of keratin, sort of a callus in your mouth. And adaptation is often less tolerable for adults, so hold tight for those two weeks. Nothing that some Tylenol, light our curable wax or removable wax and relaxation cannot handle. We give you wax and tools to keep yourself comfortable while you develop keratinized tissue (calluses) that will make you comfortable throughout treatment and forget that aligners or braces are there.

We got you covered for regular breakages during business hours.

But keeping your appliances intact is your responsibility and extra charges may apply if you get your orthodontist back to the office outside of office hours. Follow our instructions on limitations for eating and everything will be fine. With Invisalign, there are rarely issues, but with braces some types of breakage can cause significant irritation.

Dietary Restrictions

Certain foods must be avoided when wearing braces to prevent damage to the appliances. I mean, don’t chew on ice and expect your appliances to not have any damage. Anything that is hard and chewy will have a chance to overcome the strength of the bracket glue or even deform your wires and appliances. You can easily maintain Invisalign attachments and food restrictions are much lower than braces.

Higher Visibility of Braces

Especially for older adults and teenagers, conventional braces can pose a social challenge due to their high visibility. We will work with you and interview you to make the best recommendation for you to achieve your best result in the fastest time and let you know what the compromises are if you choose conventional braces over another option. We will help you make an educated decision and not be surprised.

Psychological Benefits of Clear Braces or Orthodontics in Adults

A significant psychological benefit of the adult Austin patients: orthodontics is improved smile and patient self-image perception.

A straight, healthy smile can make individuals feel more confident in their appearance, positively impacting their self-esteem. This boost in confidence can translate into various aspects of life, including social interactions, professional relationships, and overall mental health, while wearing appliances that are virtually invisible.

This is scientifically proven. Individuals with better smiles and facial appearance get better outcomes in relationships and professional interactions. Is that fair? We don’t know. But it’s the data. Take advantage of it. Clear braces or Invisalign? Discuss the entire process with your provider.

After Dr. Viecilli became a Diplomate, this case was picked by the American Board of Orthodontists as one of the most innovatively and smartly treated in the year, and although the result is not as good as a surgical result would have been, the change in the patient appearance and smile says it all! The case was treated in only 22 months!! The patient was radiant and very thankful and allowed us all the use of images for educational purposed.

Impact on Personal Relationships

Physical attraction plays a crucial role in romantic relationships, and a beautiful smile with straight teeth is often considered a desirable trait. Adult orthodontics can enhance a person whose smile’s attractiveness, potentially improving their romantic prospects. Additionally, the confidence gained from a healthier smile can make individuals more comfortable in personal situations.

This effect can propagate in all aspects of an in individuals’ life, possibly resolving depression, motivating weight loss, believing that we CAN be better selves.

I have seen many patients and individuals completely change their lives and personalities throughout the entire treatment process in my career, sometimes dramatically. Sometimes excessive confidence can also be a negative.

Make sure to have psychological guidance throughout your appearance transformations if they are dramatic, because, although not the normal route, results can be detrimental. Think about winning the lottery, but in terms of appearance.

Professional Outcomes

A radiant, confident smile can also have professional benefits. First impressions matter in the professional world, and a stunning smile and teeth can contribute positively to these impressions.

Moreover, the increased self-image perception resulting from orthodontic treatment can improve job performance and interpersonal relationships at work. The Invisalign system allows you to correct your smile discreetly.

It is proven that individuals with teeth that project higher self-image perception and are more attractive are more likely to be picked, everything else being equal, in job interviews. Invest in your health and appearance as early as possible.

Conclusion

Many adults going through therapeutics, despite its challenges, experience so many benefits that extend beyond enhanced the mouth, and that is true anywhere in the world, not only in Austin. From improved aesthetics to boosted self-image perception and better professional and romantic outcomes, the orthodontic care advantages are manifold.

If you’re an adult considering orthodontic treatment, consult with a reputable orthodontist to explore the best treatment options for your needs. We at Limestone Hills Ortho will guide you with a friendly staff and work with you as a team to provide you the same affordable best guidance.

We are committed to take you take you to the best place you can be according to our 20 year old experience. Dr. Viecilli has trained hundreds of staff and orthodontists and treated thousands of patients. Trust us, even if sometimes it may go against your gut. You may be surprised at the results. We are on your side, always.

Click here to schedule a consultation with Dr. Viecilli in Austin. He will personally reserve at least 30 minutes of his time to discuss your diagnosis in 3D with our CT scan (3D x rays), discuss ideal aesthetic outcomes and possible compromises depending on the route you want to take to make sure you make the best decision.

In our office, we won’t let non-dentist staff take care of your treatment plan. The majority of your consultation will be with the doctor. We are a boutique practice, we have been treating more adults than ever, we do not want to expand, we want to grow to offer the best value, not the cheapest price, and we want to provide the best treatment at the best possible value for YOU. Book your appointment and free consultation with us here and find out for yourself. We look forward to meeting you.