Braces


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Hi. I was just trying to do a little research on orthodontia (braces) in adults. I am a 36 year old female about to begin orthodontia to treat a 10 millimeter overjet. I've been told that I'm a little unique, in that my back molars line up quite well while I have this big overjet. One evaluator told me that my upper teeth, rather than forming a nice horseshoe shape, are more in a "V" and that would be one aspect of the treatment, as well as changing the angle of both my upper and lower front teeth. (Uppers angle too far forward and lowers angle too far back.)

I guess my biggest question for you is not do I need orthodontia, but how important is it to go to an orthodontist who treats a lot of adults? One doctor I saw treats a fairly high percentage of adults while the other one (whom my son goes to and we have been pleased with) admits that only about 15% of his clients are adults. Should I trust one more than another?




	The key to answering your question lies in the the nature of your problem. If both orthodontists feel that your problem can be corrected with traditional braces,either one could handle the treatment regardless of the % of adults they traditionally treat. The practice with the higher % of adults may have an atmosphere that caters to adult needs, but the treatment should be similar. However, if the treatment requires a combination of both orthodontics and oral surgery to correct a jaw configuration problem, I would select the orthodontist with the most experience in working with these type problems. Richard F. Ceen Professor & Chair Department of Orthodontics

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