Who Knew So Many Adults Wanted Braces?

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#1 Post by **shoshiaf** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:11 pm

As a 24-year-old woman, I am slightly above the mean age of people with braces. In fact, my boyfriend and the majority of my friends already flash white, straight, Hollywood smiles. Maybe I'm just being ignorant, but I've always thought that most people around my age have already had the whole braces experience.

That is why I cannot believe the amount of random people who have approached me to ask about my treatment since my ortho put these braces on a month ago. Just during the past week alone, I've been approached by a colleague at work who is also interested in orthodontics, and an acquaintance from my aerobics class who has recently been juggling the idea of braces for herself. Then, last night at my friend's 30th birthday party, his wife took me off to the side and told me that she would like to get braces, and began peppering me with questions about my orthodontist, my treatment, costs, etc.

Two things have really surprised me so far:

1. I had absolutely no idea that so many adults were thinking about getting braces!

2. For some reason, I had this preconceived notion that people would stop talking to me or "shun" me after I had the braces put on, however; it is quite the contrary! These bad boys are actually quite the conversation starter...Go Braces!!

...So is there anyone out there who has been treated differently since having their braces put on? I want to know what I'm in for here....

#2 Post by **LithpingLitha** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:40 pm

I'm almost two weeks in...and no negative treatment so far.
Friends have commented on how invisible the ceramics look and that they wish ceramics had been an option when they were braced as children.

#3 Post by **bbsadmin** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:29 am

I don't have any statistics on eveyone in the US in braces (I think even the AAO only has estimates, as well).

But....a poll of this website's readership in October showed that:

Most people are between ages 20-29
Second largest group was between 30-39

I think the average mean age of the ArchWired.com readership is about 32 years old, more or less.....

It would be interesting to find out how many more adults there are in braces in 2007 versus 1997. I'm sure it's a large jump, because Invisalign came out in the late 1990s.

If you haven't look at the Braces Poll Archives in a while, surf over there. The results for some questions are quite interesting.

http://www.archwired.com/Polls_Leadin.htm

-Lynn

#4 Post by **ema27** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:51 am

no-all positive experiences so far-i think as adults we feel a little silly wearing braces but others dont.its really not that big a deal to other people...And if it is then they arent very grown up are they..?
im the only brace wearer in our small village-some wore them as teenagers and some in their early twenties-it doesnt bother me in 19 months ill join the rest of them straight teeth people!!!!

Its funny though how many people you see that do need braces and it kinda makes you feel good that you are doing something about it!!Better late than never eh...

#5 Post by **shoshiaf** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:22 am

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Since I got braced, I am noticing all sorts of other adults who also have braces. Maybe my "braces radar" was turned off before I had them put on...I don't know!

Also, my ortho said that 25% of all orthodontics patients are adults, but I think the number is significantly higher than that!!

#6 Post by **shoshiaf** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:46 am

Yeah, you're right Denise. I'm amazed at the number of adults I see wearing braces on a daily basis.

I also wanted to point out an observation made by one of the staff members at my ortho's office. She said that more adults get braced at the beginning of the year than at any other time during the year. She thinks it has something to do with New Year's resolutions, however; I, for one, cannot say that my braces were the result of a New Year's resolution. It was just coincidence that I was braced in January!

#7 Post by **ame_malia** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:25 pm

I'd say that my ortho is mostly kids (from what I've seen in the waiting room), but there are also quite a few college students (me), but the only person I've seen that over the age of about 25 at my ortho's office is the receptionist. At the ortho my brother went to I only remember seeing kids around my brother's age 12-16-ish, but there were several orthos in that area, whereas mine is the only one in town, so maybe his ortho mainly treated kids, I dunno.

#8 Post by **Danielle** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 3:55 pm

I haven't noticed any difference in the way people treat me. As far as age goes at my Orthodontist's office there's a big frame with the before photos of every patient that has braces and I'd say about 60% are kids and the rest are adults... but that's just this one office. I never notice other adults when I go in for adjustments, but I don't see a lot of kids either... hmm.

#9 Post by **privatepilot** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:08 pm

I was 42 when my braces went on. When I see another adult we immediately have a topic for conversation. It's like we both are in the "Club". I thought the braces would be a big turn off for guys. I was totaly getting hit on by a guy and I thought "when I smile this guy is gonna run". I smiled and this guy asked for my number-no look of horror. I only have one year left (I hope) and in the time I have had braces on I got engaged so they are not really a relationship buster either.

#10 Post by **JenP** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:28 pm

I haven't had any negative reactions so far. The people who knew I was getting them have been really excited for me. People who didn't know I was getting them have noticed that I'm talking funny (I have tongue reminders that are giving me a nathty lithp), so in the middle of a conversation some have suddenly gone, "Holy cow! Did you get braces?"

Pretty much everyone has been really nice and sympathetic, remembering their own time in braces.