Decided to get adult orthodontic braces. Will people laugh

[JKDcot]

I am 42 and decided to get adult braces. They recommend the train track brackets stuck on my teeth. I want the treatment done but it will take 2 years or more.

i am worried I will be laughed at and feel super self conscious. Anyone else done it and it’s been ok? Does it affect your speech and eating?

PS Oldest customer at my orthodontist was 84! Isn't that fab?!

You are more likely to have more bone loss without straight teeth, as misaligned teeth put more stress on your teeth and gums. It's highly unlikely you would lose teeth, if you stay as you are your dental health is likely to get worse however.

Good points and I will go for the white / ceramic option so it’s less noticeable

If you have gum disease bear in mind train tracks are much harder to clean around so might worsen it, whereas with Invisalign obv they are removable so you can clean as normal.

If I noticed them, I'd just wish I'd done it when my teeth were healthy enough.

DH had train tracks for 3 years. He was 48 at the start. No-one laughed. Teeth looked amazing after. Go for it!

Hi Op, I had train tracks when I was 55 due to overbite. It’s the best thing I ever did to improve my appearance. I feel much more confident. Nobody seemed to notice much and definitely no one laughed

No one will laugh. My colleague had train tracks in her 60's, and I'm currently doing Invisalign at 51 and the most anyone has said is that they wished they were doing it too

I think it's quite common now, I've had friends who've had orthodontics in their 40s, and seen lots of adults with them. Not everyone can get it done when they're a kid, so people understand that others may have it done later.

I know it’s becoming increasingly common, but I still think it’s ridiculous and vain. Sorry, OP.

It's not vain or ridiculous it's a health issue. Broken teeth and misaligned bite cause gum recession and disease (which increases the likelihood of tooth loss) as well as causing an increase in grinding and chipping. People with an overbite find their lower face looks like it has collapsed as they get older because the bite is not in alignment.

** rather than broken teeth in the first sentence I meant to say non-straight.

I reckon train tracks would be fine, I think Invisalign really obvious to be honest, not very comfortable have to take on and off and it's a bit gross sometimes you can see saliva trapped in/on them but that might just be my experience of knowing someone with them.

I got braces at about that age. Nobody laughed, nobody stared. I was delighted with the results. Do it!

Have a look into lingual braces (eg incognito). They're fixed braces, so more suitable for complex work than Invisalign, but go behind the teeth rather than in front of them.

I had them - nobody knew unless I told them and I couldn't recommend them highly enough. They're more expensive than regular braces but you might think the extra money is worth it.

A lady in our office in her 60s decided after years of looking after everyone else, she was going to do something for herself and get her teeth fixed.

She wore train track braces for 2 years and her teeth after she got them removed were so lovely and it gave her loads more confidence.

Go for it.

Anyone who laughs at you is a knob.

After 2 years, you will have beautiful teeth, but they will still be a knob.

I had train tracks as an adult and also jaw surgery. No way Invisalign would have worked for me. I’m sure people noticed but was never an issue and it didn’t bother me after a while. I’m very glad I did it as teeth were getting worse and worse and they should now stay straight as I have a fixed retainer and also use removable one at night. (It is really important to use retainers long term after treatment. This was my mistake as a teenager and at that time retention was only recommended for a couple of years).

You can get train tracks on the back of your teeth but that wasn’t an option for me and I think it’s more expensive and harder to fit plus you’d probably need a specialist orthodontist.

I had them in my 30s. Only regret I only had the top teeth done, not the bottom. I had 9 months which extended to about 13 months.

No-one card or commented.

I have had a permanent retainer wire on the back of my teeth for 20 odd years.

I had fixed braces the treatment was just over 18 months quicker than I anticipated.
I paid extra for them to be ceramic so they were less obvious but honestly I should have saved myself the 500 pounds.
I didn't have any additional work like jaw being pulled back all i wanted was the huge gap to be pulled in. The results were better than I ever could have wished for.
I would have liked bottom set done aswell but I didn't want extra cost and they really aernt that noticeable.
Im 38 not one person laughed at me. Like many others people just said how they wish they had their teeth done.
I have a permanent fixed retainer at the back of my teeth.
I wont lie it was a bit of a sensory overload having them on and yes they were at times uncomfortable but I would do it all again to have my lovely teeth.

I did Invisalign and was told it would take the same amount of time but ended up taking twice as long as I thought. Wished I'd had the train tracks as they are much more reliable for a good result in a decent timeframe. I know lots of adults who have had them.

If you wfh and on video calls, I'd suggest you get a good monitor & webcam set up. This will give your face a good angle (top down) rather than a laptop camera which will focus on your lower half of the face. The top down will create distance and frame your face well which will minimise the impact of braces.
Don't let this hold you back. Go for it.

I got them aged 39 and had them on for maybe a year and a half? No-one laughed and my only regret was not doing this sooner. Invisalign wasn't a good option for me as my lower teeth are too crowded and it would've taken longer.

I spoke a little funny for about 2-3 days. I was the person most self conscious about the speech. Most people said they didn't notice until I pointed it out. It was sore at first but, again, I adapted within about a week or so.

When I got them off I got soooooo many compliments and I love my smile now. As others have said - adult braces are more and more common today! Do it! You won't regret it!

I had them in my early forties, nobody laughed, I don't think many adults react in that way. Only one person noticed at all without me mentioning it first, which I usually did when I was eating with anyone as it made eating a bit tricky. It took far less time than originally estimated (11 months) I am glad I did it.

I guess your dentist doesn’t offer Invisalign. Shop around and get a few consultations before deciding. The cost for me varied by about £500. You can use them for overbite.

Its not just about looks (to the poster above) it’s about dental care. If teeth overlap they get damaged and wear out. If you want your teeth to last into old age it’s worth the investment. You just end up spending the money in later life on repairs so it’s worth doing if you can