A straight white smile makes you feel young, vibrant and confident. Yet so many people hide smiles they’re not happy with. You don’t have to be ashamed of your smile – orthodontics can give you the straight teeth and the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.

These days, straightening a young person’s teeth is standard practice. People recognize the importance of an attractive smile in developing self-confidence – but also in maintaining oral health by ensuring proper alignment. Plus, we live in an environment with so many options to make us look better – and feel better about ourselves. You can fix your eyes with laser surgery. Have your teeth whitened. So what’s stopping you from the dramatic improvement straight teeth can provide?

I have a lot of patients in my practice who would have benefited from braces when they were younger. But 20 or 30 years ago, orthodontics simply weren’t as common as they are today. Plus, many families simply didn’t have the budget for braces. Now I see a lot of parents coming in to have their kids’ teeth done – and they’re getting braces for themselves, too. It’s a second chance at great teeth, and more and more adults are taking advantage of the opportunity.

Another interesting trend – I also see a lot of women who have recently ended a relationship. They want to have their teeth straightened so they can freshen up their look, get a better smile, and finally do something that’s just for them.

If I have to put metal on my teeth, forget it.

Metal works, but if it doesn’t work for you, you don’t have to wear the “train track” style braces so many people associate with awkward teens. There may be other options that work better with your needs and lifestyle. These days, there are lots of different ways to improve your smile, including clear brackets (like train tracks, just transparent) and Invisalign, a unique system that straightens your teeth invisibly. Instead of tightening brackets and wires, you wear graduated appliances that slowly shift your teeth into the desired position.

And another benefit to having orthodontics in the 21^st century – you don’t have to worry about spending years wearing braces; techniques have come a long way in recent years. Options are gentler and more effective, with cosmetic approaches that work well for adult teeth. In most cases, we can get good results within a year.

My advice? Find a dentist or orthodontist who can work with you to get the outcome you want in a manner you’re comfortable with.

After all, it’s never too late to look great.

If you have questions about orthodontics, about choosing a dentist, or anything else in our blog, please feel free to contact us anytime at 905 637-5463 (KIND) or drop us an email at info@desiredsmiles.com . We’d love to hear from you.