Many children, especially girls, feel very conscious of their appearance, and this can start at a surprisingly early age. Teasing about appearance and wardrobe can start at the very beginning of elementary school, and a physical handicap, or some other kind of distinctive feature, like glasses, braces or a limp often brings attention to children, which can result in bullying or negative attention.
Many people only realize that they may need braces when they are 14 or 15 years old after the second molars have erupted. This is a time when many people are quite hot-headed and are independent enough to say “no” to their parents, thus committing to perhaps one of the worst decisions of their lives.
Many times the bad decisions made then only start to become a real problem in the late 20s or early 30s. By this time the misalignment of teeth may have caused frequent tooth decay, halitosis, jaw pains, migraines, back pains, snaggleteeth, a lack of confidence or an increase in self-consciousness due to having an uneven smile, and this can cause problems in both the professional and the social sphere, holding the person back from reaching their true potential.
Does this sound like you, or anyone you know? We are here to tell you that you do not need to suffer because of the bad choices you made as a rebellious teen, and you do not need to just accept the fact that you will have bad teeth for the rest of your life.
Thanks to recent medical advances in the field of orthodontics, there are now solutions of many kinds available for adults who want to correct their teeth.
There are many different options available for those interested in getting braces in their adult life. You can choose between transparent brackets made from plastic, tooth-coloured ceramics, or sapphire crystals. These do all of the things that regular fixed braces do, but are discreet and aesthetically pleasing, almost invisible.
You can also get aligners, which are none other than plastic tooth guards that mould your teeth. These can only be used to correct a very limited array of dental problems, but they can help those who only want to change the appearance of their teeth. These aligners are removable, comfortable, and are gaining popularity.
The third and costliest option is to get lingual braces which means on the side of your teeth that face your tongue, so they remain completely hidden. Find out more about braces here.
