Hey guys, Dr. Nate here at Thrive Dental and Orthodontics, and I want to talk to you about what age is the best to get braces; what is the youngest age, and what is the oldest age you can get orthodontics. I get people coming into the office all the time, and they’re in their 20s and 30s, and they are wondering if they’re too old to get braces.
I always chuckle because I think that’s funny. Maybe five or six years ago, I had the most senior patient I’ve ever done braces on, and he was 75 years old. So at 75 years old, we put metal braces on, and he had a pretty big deep bite and an overjet. The top teeth were sticking out, and we corrected that with just some braces and some rubber bands. The quick answer is you can get braces from the age of seven or so until at least your seventies and maybe eighties. I haven’t treated any 80-year-old patients, but in theory, that is possible.
What are some things you can do for kids that won’t work for adults?
Number one is expansion. You can do expansion slightly with some rubber bands and wires, but you can’t do nearly as much in adults as you can in kids. In kids, if they come in and they have a crossbite (the top teeth are too narrow), you put something called an expander in and have them expanded out. There are many different types of expanders, but they all work the same way. They’re just expanding out top teeth to make them match better with the bottom arch. Expanders are easy in kids, and there are potentially some innovative new ways we can do it in adults, but it is very, very cutting edge and difficult. The majority of the expansion can only be done for children. If you want to expand in adults, you need surgery, or some sort of implant, along with the expander device, to make it function in adults.
The second thing you can’t do in adults is that this will be pretty obvious, but you cannot modify growth. When a child comes in at six, seven, eight years old, nine years old, or ten years old, there are different appliances you can use to correct their jaw growth. If an adult comes in and has an underbite there is no good way to fix that without some type of surgery. It is way more manageable when you come in, and you’re still growing. You can put this appliance on and bring that top job forward to match with the bottom. So you are correcting the teeth, which is essential to get them nice and straight, but you’re also correcting the jaw bone if they grow. In adults, you cannot do that without some surgery.
What makes treating kids with braces easier than treating adults?
Number one, kids have most of their teeth. If they’re growing, they have some baby teeth. But in their teens, they mostly have all their teeth. So it’s easiest to get as good of a result as possible when they have all their teeth. Many adults do not have all their teeth. So you’re trying to do your best and modify your treatment to get it as best as possible. But it just doesn’t fit quite well when you’re missing teeth.
The second reason is the bone, and the teeth are more malleable in children. You can move teeth around more easily in kids than in adults. For instance, if a kid comes in with off midlines, you can wear rubber bands and get things modified pretty well to get it close to perfect. In adults, it just doesn’t work that way. It will be pretty good, but it’s hard to get the midlines and bite to line up perfectly in adults because everything is so much more solid.
What makes treating adults easier than treating kids?
Number one, adults are way more responsible. And why is that? My theory is that they’re paying for their braces. It is easier to tell an adult what to do, and they will usually listen.
As you know, you can’t miss appointments if you want to get them done as fast as possible. You need to do exactly what the orthodontist says, and you need to keep your teeth clean. Adults, in general, are way better at doing this than kids. So it is generally easier to treat kids than adults, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get a great result as an adult if you want to.
What is the minimum age you can get braces?
Well, for me, and then this is just my opinion, seven to eight years old is the earliest you can get braces. And why is that? I am looking for the front four teeth, or at least the front two teeth and the first molars. Those don’t come in until roughly six years old because we call those the six-year molars. So, that is pretty much the earliest you can get braces.
Straighten teeth at any age
There you have it. That is the youngest, and the oldest, you can get braces. Those are advantages of getting braces earlier than getting them as an adult. But remember, you can still get great results both ways.
Thanks for reading this! I’m Dr. Nate here at Thrive Dental and Orthodontics. If you have any questions or comments, please comment below. I’m trying my best to answer them as best as possible. I’m also posting videos on YouTube weekly so you can become the best, most informed patient possible. If you enjoyed this, please watch the YouTube version that goes along with it. Thank you!
