Los Angeles Orthodontist - Dental Braces
Los Angeles Orthodontic Offices
Beverly Hills
: (310) 278-9101
Encino: (818) 386-9595

 

Braces for Adults

What if I Already Had Braces?
What About My Lower Teeth?
Your Teeth and the Effect on Aesthetics
Closing the Gap Between Your Teeth
Clear Aligners or Invisalign Braces
Why Not Just Get Veneers?

Many adults never received orthodontic treatment as a child. Others have seen their previously straight teeth relapse over time. Whatever the reason, the number of adults who get braces is increasing every year. A consultation with your orthodontist is the best way to find out what treatment options are available.


What if I Already Had Braces?
If you had braces when you were younger and have now noticed that your teeth have drifted back out of alignment it probably means that your treatment will be much less lengthy. Some simple treatment plans might not even require braces; in fact, Dr Molayem has had a lot of success with treating patients with a retainer alone!

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What About My Lower Teeth?
As we get older our facial muscles tend to droop and we see more of our lower teeth than when we were younger. Many people find that their lower teeth are crowded and that there is not enough space in the arch to have them aligned. This problem can be solved by filing in between the teeth to create space and then moving the teeth with retainers. Your orthodontist can also make you whitening trays after your braces come off to perfect your smile.

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Your Teeth and the Effect on Aesthetics
Orthodontics is not only done to restore function, it is also a highly aesthetic treatment. Your facial profile is heavily influenced by the way your jaw and teeth support your cheeks and lip.

Braces for Adults
The position of your upper front teeth greatly influences the fullness of your lips because these teeth support your lips. The mandible, also known as your lower jawbone, is heavily influenced by the way your teeth come together. Remember, you might not need to undergo a procedure as invasive as plastic surgery to achieve a beautiful aesthetic result.

It is imperative that oral hygiene be maintained during any orthodontic treatment. We ask our patients to stay away from sweets, candy, and to maintain an overall healthy diet during orthodontic treatment in order to achieve the desired orthodontic results. As a side effect, many of out patients have noticed an improvement in their overall health and weight. This added benefit is gratis, naturally.

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Closing the Gap Between Your Teeth
A gap in between your teeth, also called a diastema, can be caused by several different factors. Your teeth may be too small for your arch. Your teeth may be flared out. You might have a prominent frenum attachment, which is a piece of tissue that connects your gums to your upper lip in between your two front teeth. Closing this gap can easily be done with braces or Invisalign. However sometimes your teeth might need to be veneered after orthodontic treatment to get the optimal aesthetic result.

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Clear Aligners or Invisalign Braces
Invisalign was designed with adults in mind. Many adults want to straighten their teeth but can't or don't want to wear traditional braces. If you are one of these people, you now have the ability to get your desired result by being treated with invisalign. Invisalign has some drawbacks: it requires patient cooperation to remember to wear the aligners and is limited in its ability to treat certain types of cases.  
Adult Braces

Many general dentists will offer Invisalign to their patients without having any prior experience in orthodontics or doing the proper cephalometric and radiographic analysis of the patient's bite. If you are going to go through a lengthy and expensive treatment such as Invisalign, it is best to do it with a licensed orthodontist who can properly analyze the patient's bite and also troubleshoot problems that may arise.

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Why Not Just Get Veneers?
Veneers are a great option for people who either do not like the size or shape of their teeth or for patients who have deep color staining on their teeth. The results are more immediate but there are drawbacks. First, aligning teeth is not only done for aesthetic reasons but is also done to restore function. When teeth are not in line they may bite in a way that causes chipping of the tooth and can lead to eventual loss of the tooth. Second, veneers typically need to be replaced every five to twenty years. When a tooth is prepared for a veneer some of the tooth is ground down to make space for the veneer and to bond the veneer to the tooth. Each time they are replaced more tooth structure must be removed to get the proper bond. While there are many cases in which veneers are the best solution for an aesthetic smile, there are also cases in which orthodontic treatment is absolutely the best decision.

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