Braces: It’s all in the Family!

Many people associate the orthodontist with children who need braces. But increasingly, adults are the patients too – either with their kids are on their own — to get the smile they’ve always wanted. In fact, according to the American Association of Orthodontists, one in five orthodontic patients is an adult.

 

“More than 30 percent of our patients are adults,” says Dr. John Phillips of PT Orthodontics, which has several locations in the metro area. “Honestly, when you get older, there are a lot of things you cannot change about your body, but you can definitely change your smile.”

 

Many parents opt for braces now because they weren’t able to get them as a kid, still remember when braces wearers were called “metal mouth” (and maybe they were one of those braces wearers); or they had had braces as a child and their teeth have since shifted or other dental health issues have come up. Plus, many orthodontists offer a discount for family members.

 

 

“They bring in their kids, and they see the results their children’s braces have, and they want that too,” says Dr. Deborah Sema of Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics. “And it doesn’t hurt that a lot of celebrities have braces, too.”

 

Dr. Olga Sanchez-Hernandez of McCalla Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry says braces can give adults a more confident smile, something they may not have thought they could have without wearing lots of hardware. “Braces have become more streamlined — they are smaller and less noticeable,” she says. “There are more options available, too.”
Sema’s patient Becky Orr of Hoover had braces at the same time her daughter, Abby, 13, did. “My jaw popped and my bottom teeth had shifted. Then, I got my top teeth fixed. Everything looks great. I have other friends who just got them, too.”

 

Some adults may have had braces as a child, when it once was believed that corrected teeth would stay that way, or they didn’t wear their retainer to keep the teeth aligned. They also remember how much they disliked it. But today’s braces are much more aesthetically pleasing, with many barely visible. “Usually when an adult comes in, they are concerned about braces showing a lot,” says Erica Lantrip, clinical assistant to Dr. David Sarver of Sarver Orthodontics in Vestavia Hills. “We can put brackets on the back side of the teeth. We now have fixed retainers so that the teeth can stay put.”

 

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Orthodontists say the biggest reason many adults seek braces is crooked or turned teeth, especially on the bottom, which is noticeable when they speak. “Some of the reasons adults get braces is as simple as changing their smile, straightening crooked teeth or that their bite is not functional,” Lantrip says.

 

Sema, along with other orthodontists, says many practices have whole families in braces. “It’s the thing to do for many families when parents realize they can afford to get the same results as their children.”

 

For some parents, braces mean better health, too. Tamara Hicks of Oak Grove, a PT Orthodontics patient, is in braces, as is her 13-year-old daughter Savannah. “My lower teeth were turning, I have bad TMJ (a painful condition in which the jaw is out of alignment) and an overbite,” she says. “I have been in braces two years, and it is the first time I have been able to actually close my mouth and completely bite down.”

 

Health — and being a good example for her children – motivated Mica Jackson of Wenonah to get braces. The mother of four children, her two teens needed them but they were a little afraid of what it would be like. So Jackson took the lead, deciding to get the smile she had always wanted – and to show her kids that it would be OK and totally worth it. Jackson and her family are Sema’s patients.

 

“I had my braces put on last year, and they should come off next year,” says Jackson, of Wenonah, whose husband also is thinking about it. “I’m 45 years old. I had a bad overbite and some teeth that had turned and it was noticeable. It has already made a difference.” Her 16-year-old son Jacobe wears braces now, and her 14-year-old daughter will next year.
Phillips says many adults get braces for periodontal health reasons, too. “It’s easier to keep the bones and gums straight and neat and avoid problems,” he says. “It’s often a domino effect — if one family member gets braces, another will — and well, usually dad is last.”

 

Sanchez-Hernandez says it is easier to take care of straight teeth, as well as being able to chew and avoid teeth wearing down unevenly. “They are less likely to become damaged over time,” she says.

 

Braces can have a positive effect that isn’t even thought of at first, Phillips says. “One of our moms just got her braces off she told me her oldest son had gotten engaged. She was so happy she would have her new smile for the wedding,” he says. “We have so many treatments available to give people of all ages a healthy smile.”

 

And if anyone wants proof of that, “I just removed braces on an 80-year-old patient of ours — it’s never too late!” Sema says. Many orthodontists offer a discount for family members, too.

 

Lori Chandler Pruitt is associate editor of Birmingham Parent.