The jumble started slowly at first, then gradually became worse. Rene Howard’s once picture-perfect smile, the one her parents paid for during middle school, had nearly reversed itself.
“I thought now this is enough,” Howard said.
With that, the 51-year-old pharmacist and mother of two headed to see her son’s orthodontist, becoming part of a growing number of adults who are getting braces — some for a second round.
The 5-year-old trend doesn’t seem to be abating as higher-tech options such as Invisaligns have made orthodontics more appealing to older patients like Howard.
Not long ago, braces were considered just for kids, and a mouth full of metal came with a stigma attached for adults. That has diminished for the most part.
Here’s why.
Not only are giant metal braces, big steel wires and unsightly headgear a thing of the past, but patients can now opt for braces with clear ceramic brackets, brackets attached to the backsides of the teeth or skip brackets altogether and go for Invisalign, clear plastic trays that nudge the teeth into place.
Most patients, however, are like Howard. They want to look better.
“With the explosion of the Internet and so much social and other media now at our fingertips, adults are continually seeing beautiful smiles,” said Dr. Mark Johnston, a board-certified specialist in orthodontics for children and adults. “Advertisements are commonplace on cable, Internet and other media. Many of my adult patients feel it is time ‘to do something for them’ in addition to the many things done for their children.
“Others are more aware that their smile and bite can, and should, last a lifetime. And for the 50-year-old patient, they realize they have half of their life in front of them. ”
According to the American Association of Orthodontists, adults are seeking orthodontic treatment in record numbers. In a two-year period from 2010 to 2012, for instance, the number of adult patients increased 14 percent to a record high of 1,225,850 patients ages 18 and older.
“We are extremely proud of all of these individuals who decided that they could achieve a healthy, beautiful smile at any stage in life,” said Dr. Gayle Glenn, president of the American Association of Orthodontists.
The good news is that today’s wide variety of innovative treatment options can make the process of orthodontic treatment barely noticeable. This is clear by the number of celebrities, including Faith Hill, Miley Cyrus, Dwyane Wade and Kendall Jenner, now sporting orthodontics, Glenn said.
Nearly 30 percent of Johnston’s Marietta practice is adult patients, including some who are being treated at the same time as their grandchildren.
“If an adult is considered to be 21 years old, that would be my youngest adult, but I also have a number of patients who are in college as well,” Johnston said. “My oldest patients have been in their 70s. Still, I would say the largest increase of adult patients have been in the 40-55 age range.”
Johnston, who has been in practice since 1991, said he has always treated adults, but the spike is obvious.
“Historically, adult orthodontic patients have comprised about 20-25 percent of most orthodontic practices, but this number has increased to probably 25-28 percent in the last several years,” he said. “Of course, this number is just an average. Some practices may see more adult patients while others see less.”
Howard, who had metal braces from sixth to eighth grade, said it wasn’t until recently that her teeth began to shift so much that she didn’t like the way she looked.
“I don’t think it bothered anybody else,” she said. “It didn’t bother my kids. It didn’t bother my husband. It just bothered me.”
It wasn’t until she decided to go see Johnston, she said, that she realized both her top and bottom teeth were shifting.
“He asked me, ‘Do you want to fix the bottom or the top and bottom?’” she recalled.
Her answer was, “If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right.”
Like most adult patients, Howard opted for the Invisalign and for the the next 2 1/2 years wore the appliance. She completed treatment, she said, in October but will have to wear a retainer at night for the rest of her life.
“I’m happy I did it,” she said. “I’m done. I don’t intend to go through a third set.”
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