Should I Get Braces? Again? (photo)

Question

Hi I am 36 years old and wore braces for 2 years from 11 till 13. After, I didn't wear my retainer long enough and grew all 4 of my wisdom teeth in that I later had pulled. I am the kind of person that smiles at everyone but at the same time am self conscience about my smile. If you were me would you get braces or would you just stop worrying about it?

Brad Lockhart, DDS · Answer

I would absolutely get orthodontic treatment again, only this time I would have it done correctly. The first time you had braces you may have ended up with straight teeth, but you never addressed the much more serious (and aesthetically important) issue of your jaw to jaw discrepancy problem. I'm guessing that the first orthodontist extracted four bicuspid teeth before doing the orthodontic treatment, that obviously didn't work out well.

	What you need to do now is develop your upper jaw so that your lower jaw can also be developed and MOVED FORWARD. 

	Look at the strain in your mentalis muscle (the muscle in your chin) just to be able to close your mouth. This strain puts tremendous pressure on your teeth and causes them to move. 

	You should also be evaluated for a potential sleep breathing disorder because a very high percentage of people with your type of problem also can't breathe adequately, especially while they are sleeping. 

	You will require myofunctional therapy to retrain muscles, your tongue, breathing and swallowing so you can use the structures that God gave you (muscles, lips, tongue, etc.) to help maintain your muscles, bone and teeth in harmony.

	Developing your upper and lower arches and moving your lower jaw forward can all be done with comfortable, easy-to-use removable appliances; EVEN IN "NON-GROWING" ADULTS.

	To find a doctor who can help you, look for epigenetic orthodontics or face focused orthodontics.

	Good luck!

Should I Get Braces? Again? (photo)

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Should I Get Braces? Again? (photo)

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Everything you need to know about Braces

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.