Teeth straightened in fifties?

[BiteToEat]

I’m in my mid fifties and have an opportunity to have braces. I have to have one tooth anyway, but could get four out, then real braces. Or Invisalign, with no extra teeth out.

Is this silly? Has anyone else had this done? Any advice??

I just can’t do that. I guess that’s my answer, I’ll keep my squint teeth

I decided not to go ahead with this because of the permanent retainers I was told I would need for the rest of my life. Are they not very uncomfortable to wear on a continual basis

OP, get them to show you what they mean by permanent retainers, mine are just clear mouth guard type things, not particularly intrusive, but I don't wear them every night, more like every second or third night. If you want your new straight teeth to stay in place, you have to hold them there somehow, whatever strategy you choose otherwise they continue to shift as we age. I had a brace when younger but no retainer and they just overcrowded again over the years. I don't think wearing a plastic brace every second night or so is a big deal, I don't have a permanent fixed one which I can understand you might not want.

@RunnerDown I don't know anyone with a permanent retainer (wire), I only know people who use removable plastic/moulded ones after Invisalign, which is what I use and find just fine, it's what my children also wear after their orthodontic treatment.

I'm thinking of this too - how much did Invisalign cost and how long did it take? How many sessions did that involve?

@loveyouradvice I used a dentist but you can do clear aligners online if your problem is very straightforward. Mine was not, and I ended up having to have then all remade again, which was included in the price so I was glad I went with a specialist dentist. It took 18 months I think, or less. It's more intrusive than you think it will be, it's not just popping some clear aligners in your mouth, they have to shift your teeth, so little 'pegs' are put on your teeth and new aligners used every couple of weeks and they are quite painful those first few days.

I am very glad I had it done though, I just smile in all my photos now which I didn't for my whole adult life.

I would also say go to visit a couple of orthodontists, look at all the options, the Damon braces also sound good. I was a great candidate for Invisalign as I'd already had braces earlier in life but with no retainer, they had moved significantly, so moving them back was easier as I had already had teeth removed. I would have had to have had even more removed for a fixed brace and losing more healthy teeth at this age wasn't for me, I wanted my jaw and teeth to stay the same, just to be straight again.

I had braces and here's my before and after, I am 58 and it was utterly life changing for me!

WOW! Your smile is absolutely gorgeous! What an amazing transformation 🤩

Depending on how uneven the teeth are veneers instead of braces can produce the same or better visual effects without the need for retainers or pain etc

A man I know in his 40s didn’t want braces as an adult, living in Dubai at the time got a new natural straight smile (nice looking, not dazzling toilet white type) with the help of veneers. If his wife(whose initiative it was tbh) hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known. I don’t know what his “before” was however, but she said it was pretty bad.

@Alisonjayne8 fab smile- I smile like that now in all photos, I'm so much happier even though my teeth are not 'perfect' or even terribly white (they don't bleach well, I'm too old and they are too yellow). They are straight enough and very healthy, so I'm happy with that.

I’m on tray 4 of Invisalign and I change trays every week. My teeth are moving just fine and tracking well. I’ll have a perfect smile in one year. I wear mine for 23 hours a day.

I eat twice a day and have been out for dinner and drinks with no problems - just brought a tooth brush with me and put them back in after the meal. You get a cute little case to put the aligners in during the meal.

@BiteToEat our mouth isn’t just about the teeth but the jaw and the bite too.

I get that you’re nervous about dentists, and wearing retainers at night seems like a big thing but honestly, wearing the aligners at night is no bother at all.

If you don’t like your dentist go to a orthodontist who will fix your bite too.

My advice is not to get any healthy teeth extracted, there’s plenty of space for them, they just need to align properly.

thanks all. I’ve decided not to go ahead as I cannot be doing with the aligners post treatment. I’d feel so unsexy going to bed with them in, and also hate things in my mouth 🙈 I guess my teeth will just have to do me now, despite my flirtation with a lovely straight smile