There are many things in life where people proudly proclaim that they are “too old” to deal with such a problem, or “not young enough” to start on a dream. While this is certainly true in some circumstances, it often leads to people giving themselves a way out of improving themselves when the opposite is true, such as with improving their oral health or getting straight teeth. By the time they reach age 65, up to 96% of Americans have some form of tooth decay. Part of this is from simply not establishing good brushing habits, but lots of it is because older people tend to have “natural” teeth that have not been improved by orthodontists or braces over the years. Instead of succumbing to old age and its detriments, you should be aware that you’re never too old to smile with straight teeth. Take a look at these tips to learn how older individuals can benefit from braces.
Better to Have Straight Teeth Naturally Than Dentures
Dentures may look like perfectly straight teeth, but they’re artificial. As soon as you have to clean them or take them out, you lose the supposed advantages that they give you. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s better to keep your real teeth and improve upon them than to have to rely on false teeth? If you still have all (or most of your teeth), this can be a reality that is easily achieved with braces for adults. Dental implants can fix a missing gap here or there, but there’s simply nothing like having a full set of your natural teeth that are straight and narrow in your mouth. When you smile, it will look so much more authentic and natural than anything else that you’ll be hard pressed to disagree.
Be an Inspiration or Role Model to Your Grandchildren
Braces are often stereotyped as for teenagers for a reason: the majority of braces go to adolescents and young adults. But perhaps you have grandchildren that are resisting braces or giving others a hard time for the trouble they’ll have to go through. What better way to inspire and motivate them than by showing your mouth full of wires and brackets? When they see that you’re willing to commit to straight teeth at such a late stage of life, we think they’ll smile and be inspired by your wit and courage. Who knows, you might even take a braces photo together!
Fix Old Aches and Issues
As an older person, you may have simply gotten used to aches and pains that you attribute to old age. But if your jaw has been popping for the last 30 years, did you know that this might simply be a teeth alignment issue? Old aches and pains that you’ve lived with forever can be corrected by braces, and you will wonder how you lived with them for so long. Better late than never, as they say!
Finally Become Your Best Self
All too often in life, we sit around waiting for “the perfect time” to become our best selves. But what if that time never comes and we’ve just sat around waiting for someone else to fix our problems, or finally give us the self-confidence to dare to live our dreams? Getting braces and finally having straight teeth can give you a kick in the butt that you need to finally become your best self. Because self-improvement often follows self-improvement, it’s only natural that as your teeth start to straighten and you flash a smile more, you’ll improve in other areas as well. Won’t it be wonderful to finally be on the path to becoming your best self with a mouth full of straight teeth and a remarkable smile?
Never Too Late to Smile
Hopefully by now you’ve seen that it truly is never too late to smile. No matter what your age, all older individuals benefit from braces and can be a big help to your oral health and self-esteem that can carry positive benefits by leaps and bounds. When you’re ready to achieve your best smile, be sure to contact Four Corners Orthodontics and Dental to get you on the road to straight teeth!