Dental braces aren’t just for teenagers. In fact, many of our patients are adults. And, if you’re thinking about orthodontic treatment later in life, here’s something you may not know: Straightening your teeth can take years off your appearance.
Have we got your attention? To be honest, when treating adult patients, making them look younger isn’t something we think too much about. We’re not Hollywood makeover artists. However, there’s no doubt that a more youthful appearance is a nice bonus.
So, why do straighter teeth often make us look younger? Well, part of the reasons is that light sometimes doesn’t fall nicely on crowded or twisted teeth and can make them look darker or like some teeth are missing.
Braces also affect face structure.
How braces affect face structure
Your bone structure and facial tissues dictate the shape of your face. As the years roll by, our skin becomes less elastic, and our teeth can start to sink towards the tongue and look crooked. Also, because of reduced support, our lips and teeth can appear sunken.
Newly straightened teeth can allow your eyes to open wider and take away some age-related lines around your nose and face.
And, a new, more youthful appearance can have something of a snowball effect.
Look good, feel good
Perhaps the main reason orthodontic treatment can make you look younger is that having nice straight teeth makes you feel better about yourself. For example, before she got braces, one of our patients couldn’t put on lipstick because her teeth stuck out so much. Now, after treatment, she can wear as much ‘rouge’ as she pleases. Her life has changed. We have also noticed that after getting braces, many of our patients try other treatments, like teeth whitening and veneers. Suddenly, they feel like working on their appearance is worth the effort.
Being discrete
Okay. So, straight teeth can make you look younger. However, does that mean you must wear a mouthful of metal — ‘train tracks,’ as they have been called — to achieve more youthful looks?
Well, thankfully, no. These days, there are several types of braces that are almost invisible. Here are some of them:
- Invisalign® consists of almost invisible computer simulation-generated templates, which you change every one to two weeks. They are designed for comfort, and because you can remove them at any time, you can eat anything that you want.
- Lingual braces involve fitting brackets on the inner sides of the teeth and can correct most bite problems. They can also be customised to maximise comfort and efficiency.
- Ceramic braces have small gates that hold archwires in place, just like standard braces. Because they are made of translucent material, are less visible than standard braces — even Invisalign®.Book a Consultation today!
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