I meet many adults who, for whatever reason, never wore braces as a child or teen and now wish they had or are in need of them again as an adult. We all want to look our best, and we all know a great smile goes a long way. Yet, over and over again, I hear my patients say, “I want that perfect smile – I just don’t want to have to wear big shiny braces!” At my San Diego orthodontics practice, I offer several subtle options to help you achieve a straighter grin. The reasons for our aversion to braces vary from simple aesthetics to social anxiety to fear of discomfort. Many adults who rely on their ability to speak publicly are concerned that they will lose credibility or that braces will distract their listeners. Many adults feel that braces are a vestige of adolescence – they’re simply too old for braces. And all of us would love a quick fix to straight teeth instead of having braces at all. The truth is there’s no quick fix. In the same way that achieving physical fitness requires you to be diligent with diet and exercise, getting a picture-perfect smile takes some time and work as well. But the good news is: it’s not as bad as you might think, and often we can straighten teeth in as little as 6 months.

Clear Braces for Adults

Modern dentistry provides many ways to straighten your teeth, and the one I like to recommend to adults with an aversion to traditional braces are ceramic, or clear braces. Clear braces provide the same benefits of metal ones: they will straighten your teeth with time and care. The biggest advantage to clear braces is that they are much less noticeable! But the advantages don’t stop there. Many assume that ceramic braces are not as strong as metal ones. This couldn’t be further from the truth – ceramics are just as effective. Celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Faith Hill have relied on ceramic braces as adults to get their famous smiles. At the end of the day, being able to flash your perfectly straight pearly whites for the rest of your life is well worth the investment in braces, especially when they’re as subtle as ceramics! Give my office a call today to schedule a consultation and see if ceramic braces are right for you.

About the author: This post was written by Dr. George Georgaklis. Dr. George is a cosmetic and orthodontic dentist in San Diego, Ca. He loves to help his clients achieve optimal oral health.