Is It Too Late to Straighten My Teeth as an Adult?

You can age out of some opportunities. It might be too late to take your shot as a professional athlete or teen pop star. But it’s never too late to work on yourself, especially if that work will help you feel happier, healthier, and more confident.

Straightening your teeth is a perfect example. Plenty of adults think that ship has sailed because they didn’t get braces as a teen. You probably don’t want to walk into work or lots of other places with a mouthful of metal. 

The great news is that you don’t have to. Thanks to Invisalign®, straightening your teeth can be a discreet, easy process. At Riverside Dental in Yonkers or Thornwood, New York, Gemini Master-Patel, DMD, offers this clear aligner treatment. If you’ve ever thought about getting a straighter smile, now’s the perfect time to take action.

Straightening your teeth the nearly invisible way

Historically, if you wanted straighter teeth, it meant adding a lot of metal to your mouth. Brackets were cemented to the front of your teeth to be guided by an archwire, gradually shifting your teeth into their desired positions.

Invisalign replaces all that metal with sets of clear plastic aligners. These aligners gently nudge your teeth into their desired position, achieving the same result as metal braces without the visibility. We even trim the aligners to your gum line to help them further fade from view. 

Invisalign works for a wide range of orthodontic issues, including generally misaligned teeth. If you have a severe bite problem, you might need additional treatment. Dr. Master-Patel can help you determine if you’re a candidate for Invisalign. If you are, it’s never too late to straighten your smile. 

What to expect with Invisalign

If Invisalign is right for you, Dr. Master-Patel starts the process by taking a scan of your mouth. This helps her create customized aligners to fit your mouth.

You wear your first set of aligners for 1–2 weeks before switching to the next set in your series. As you move through your aligners, your teeth shift into their ideal positions. 

Invisalign treatment works particularly well for adults because it’s flexible. You only need to wear your aligners for 20–22 hours a day. That means you can take them out to eat, give a presentation at work, go on a date, or anything else.

Also, because an orthodontist doesn’t need to manually adjust an archwire, Invisalign requires fewer trips to the dentist than traditional braces. If you already have a busy schedule, this type of treatment shouldn’t add much to it. 

There are plenty of reasons that tens of millions of adults have chosen to straighten their teeth with clear aligners like Invisalign. To explore this option for yourself, call our Riverside Dental office nearest you or book online today.