Braces over 30

C., I have a friend who just got her braces off a couple of years ago (at age 37). She had gold braces!! I would have never thought about it but her dentist told her about them...they were smaller in scale that the traditional silver ones and they were much less overbearing when she smiled. They looked "softer" in her mouth. I decided that if I ever had to get braces that's the route I would go, I thought they were beautiful...invisiline takes too long.

I had traditional braces as a kid and in my mid 20s my bottom teeth moved a little so I had invisaline. My opinion would be to opt for traditional braces and if you are concerned about the appearance, get the ceramic brackets on top so it doesn't show as much. I was disappointed with the invisaline because it was so much like a retainer- it felt having plastic in my mouth, it changed my speaking pronunciation and I always felt like my breath smelled funny no matter how much I brushed or kept the appliance clean- and in the end after all of that, I never got full correction of the problem anyway. Even if you have a mouth full of metal for a while, I think the end result will be more of what you hoped for. Good Luck!

Im a Dental Assistant and I worked some time in an ortho office. Invisalign is more for people who dont need a lot work in their mouths and the traditional braces are for those who need a lot of work, they have a wire so they can do more work. If all you need is a little then invisalign is the way to go, they are clean trays just like bleach trays and you cant see them and they dont hurt like braces. All you do is go in every so foten to get new trays they dont take as long I think it might just depend on your progress Im not to sure the Dentist always worked with those patients the Assistants only worked with the braces. Talk with your Dentist and see what is the best option for you and go from there. You can get braces or invisalign at any age. Braces are also fine to get usually your Dentist can tell you the length the process will take, most people have the traditional braces.
I had braces in 6th grade and retainers for a long time but I have been bad and havnet been wearing my lower one for quite awhile now and they are slowly sifting so I was thinking about invisalign as well and Im 28 so age doesnt matter. Good luck on your decission! L.

Hi C.,
I had braces put on at age 38!! It was my 40th. Birthday present to myself. I had very high eyeteeth, and went through a lot of teasing when I was young, but my mom couldn't afford braces. So I just lived with it. When I was 38 my dentist talked me into it, and I have NEVER regretted it. I had the traditional braces, along with having two teeth extracted. My Orthodontist promised me that he could have them off by my 40th. Birthday, and he did. Two of my children had them on at the same time that I did. I followed everything my Ortho told me to do to the letter, my children did not. Therefore, they had theirs on much longer than I did. Ya know, it was uncomfortable.....but so worth it! Good luck with your decision. CK

I got braces at age 24 and had them for 18mo. I got traditional braces and really did not have a problem w/wearing them. I was a slight bit vain about it so I decided (as did one of my friends before me) to get clear brackets on the top and regular on the bottom. This made them slightly less noticable and that made me happy! I really did the clear because I was getting married at wasn't sure if they would be off in time or not and we were taking engagment pictures etc. They came off before the wedding which was good and overall I'm happy that I got them this way just incase they would have been on longer. However, the clear brackets cost $300 more (that would be $600 total if you do top and bottom, which is why I just did top) and if I recall they break easier but I never had a problem w/that. Good luck, I am very happy w/my decision to get braces as an adult and I love my straight teeth!

I had traditional braces for 3 years (from age 22-25yrs). I would suggest asking for the porcelin (white) brackets on the anterior teeth, then they are hardly noticeable, most people thought I was just wearing a retainer because all they could see was the wire.
I have had many friends and patients do invisaline, you have to be very disaplined and wear them if they are going to work, kind of like making sure kids wear their retainer, it can't work unless you wear them. That is a pro for traditional braces, once you have them put on, you yourself can't take them off.
Like I said I've had many patient's do orhto and many, MANY adults do ortho....go for it, you won't regret it.

J. (dental hygenist)

I have an invisalign-like clear aligner and have been fairly happy with the results and they really are invisible. People don't know I have them unless I tell them. I have been wearing them for about a year and am almost done with the process. I really only had 2 teeth that needed to be moved and it was a minor correction, so I probably wouldn't have even bothered with traditional braces. I am an actress and although having a "perfect" smile will hopefully pay off in the end, I also don't want to have down-time because of visible wires.

In my case, my orthodontist said that the Invisalign brand/process was not necessary because I needed so few and he sends the impressions out to a lab that makes them independently. This also made the cost pretty low. I would recommend asking your orthodontist about this type of option and also which method he/she thinks is best for your particular situation. Also, doesn't hurt to get a consult from another orthodontist to seek their recommendation and prices (especially if cost is a big factor in your decision).

My husband had invisalign and loved them! He had serious alignment issues and they worked beautifully plus he was able to wear them without being self-conscious during business meetings. We'd recommend them!

id like more information on what you chose and stuff!

I got braces at 35 y.o. My orthodontist told me that there is a better correction with traditional braces and that with the invisaline he could only quote me an 80% correction and I didn't have a severe problem (I only have to wear my braces for a year). I put porcelain on the top and the traditional silver on the bottom and have been very happy with them. Good luck!

I too had traditional braces for the first time at 28. For me the traditional ones were cheaper and I had such crooked teeth that the invisaline wouldn't help. Right after I had them put on I found out that I was pregnant with my first child. Needless to say, after two pregnancies and two moves I finally got them off after 4 1/2 years. With the pregnancies, moves and very crooked teeth I had some set backs with them. I'm sure you would not need them on as long as I had them on. When they came off and still to this day, I can't believe what I see in the mirror. Yes, the traditional braces can look funny and be annoying but they are worth it. I even was carded so many times for buying alcohol because I looked younger with them on:) When I was wearing my braces I have seen many other adults wearing braces as well. Since having them off my breathing is better, my bite is better and the appearance looks great. So don't worry if they will help it is worth it. Good luck with your decision.

I had the Invisalign braces a few years ago, and I liked them. I felt that they were less painful than the traditional ones I had way back in 6th grade. They didn't take that long, either -- nine months, and I was done.

I got myself braces at the age of 28(7 years ago) My Orthodontist was(is)a great guy and he recommended that becasue I wasn't the traditional patient(12-16 years old) that if I felt uncomfortable with the 'brace face' look, I had the option of doing the clear on the top but recommended the traditional metal on the bottom(thats where most of my isses were) It's what I opted for, and I loved it! I don't think that the invisalign was avaliable at the time, but I know I would have still went the route I did. I would go in for weekly adjustments-they take off the rubber bands that hold the aligning wire on, make any adjustments they needed to and put new rubber bands in. Just becasue I could-cost was included and I loved being able to make sure they stayed much cleaner that way. After they were taken off, he did make a retainer for me that is what I would imagine the invisalign to be, a clear tray that is a mold of your teeth, but it took some getting used to, I would forget to put it in, you can't eat with it and it does stain of you do forget. I didn't care for it too much. With the braces it was just something that was there after a while, you didn't have to think about it.
Hope this helps your decision.

i had braces at 21 and i had the regular ones. they were fine and would get those again. the invisible ones just make your face look weird and it's hard for people to figure out why. your braces would be off in a year and a half to two years. go for it, you won't regret it.

Congrats C.! I'm 51 and just got braces this past January. For over 30 yrs my overbite and buck teeth have bothered me and I thought "why not" ... it's about time I do something for myself! I couldn't be happier!!! My grandchildren ask me why - I say because I want to look pretty. I can't wait for them to come off though. I chose to just have braces on my upper teeth as those are the ones that have been a bother to me. It cut the cost in half - and I should have them off in another 6 months. The best thing is that my dental insurance gives a $1000 ortho pay so that even cut the cost more! I don't even mind smiling for pictures which that was something I didn't like to do before I got braces on.

One of the gals at the ortho office has braces and she's probably in her early 40's or so. My doc even says I'm not the oldest of his ortho patients either .... so there are lots of us around. I say go for it :-)

Keep Smiling,
D.

My mom was 60 when she got her braces! I was so proud of her. She went the traditional route.. She said she felt like a teenager, and at 60? why not? It took about 2 years for what she needed done. She has the most beautiful smile. :)It matches the rest of her.

I had braces put on when I was 30 years old and I am SO glad I did it!! I have never regretted it, even in the day or two after I had the spacers put in and my mouth was very sore. It was the best thing I ever did. I was very conscientious about my smile before, and now I get comments on how nice my teeth look all the time. I did the traditional braces but had clear ones instead of metal. I felt this was a compromise between traditional metal and invisaline. I would strongly recommend doing it. You will be so happy with the results!!!!