Not everyone has the luxury of being able to afford orthodontic care when they are young. The good news is that if your parents didn’t have the means when you were a kid to fix a crooked smile, an unaligned jaw or other orthodontic issue, it is never too late. 

There are a vast number of adults who are choosing to have orthodontic work done at an older age. If you are having any orthodontic problems, it might turn into more than just aesthetics. Orthodontic care is sometimes necessary to prevent oral issues that lead to serious consequences.

When considering which type of orthodontic treatment is best for you, your orthodontic professional has to take many things into consideration to choose the best option for your individual needs.


As you get older, bones no longer grow and then become harder. This makes it more difficult to move older teeth into alignment and also takes longer for the oral cavity to heal. If you have age-related issues (more specifically called biomedical limitations), such as a loss of bone mass or a gingivitis infection, your options for orthodontic care might be limited.

If you have an insufficient bite, or malocclusion, it is more difficult to solve when you are an adult. Often, there is not enough room in the mouth to move teeth around and if you have damaged or worn teeth due an imperfect bite, the wear can lead to tooth decay. Your orthodontist might refer to your conditions by calling them restorative issues, but it is just a term an orthodontist might use to talk about work that will help restore your teeth.


With orthodontic care, many older individuals require the extraction of one or more teeth. Although that might seem ideal because it allows more room in the mouth for teeth to move, the spaces left behind might not be ideal without having prosthetic bone placed. 

To fill the gaps, braces are usually applied. Unfortunately, the remaining adult teeth might not be able to take the pressure necessary to close the gaps that are left, which can pose even more oral issues for your orthodontist Winnipeg.

When compared to children, older individuals have a higher risk of encountering something called root absorption. When you have root absorption, your body mistakenly reabsorbs the tooth’s root, which leaves the tooth unanchored. 

Things like poor oral health, genetics and the characteristics of the teeth that a patient has all increase the risk of root absorption. Older people can also develop something called Temporomandibular Disorder. To lower your risk, you can have restorative procedures before orthodontic care.

When you are initiating orthodontic care as an adult, there are more psychological issues that can arise. Things like how an adult with braces is going to appear to peers might be a huge factor for professionals in the business world. A patient might also have unrealistically high expectations for treatment outcomes that just aren’t possible. Adults may also be less likely to follow directions than their younger cohorts. If a patient does not follow care instructions, it can lead to longer treatment periods and being less pleased with the results of orthodontic care. Lastly, adults tend to have more discomfort with orthodontic care because their teeth simply aren’t as malleable as they were when they were younger. This can ramp up anxiety.


More and more adults are opting to have orthodontic care later in life. It is becoming more and more acceptable for adults to have traditional braces, but some older individuals are still not comfortable with having them placed. 

If you are an adult who is considering orthodontic care, discuss your options with an orthodontic specialist to make sure you know exactly what to expect, not just from the treatment phase, but for the overall success of treatment in the future. That is the best way to be pleased with the results.