Adult treatment

At Charlottesville Orthodontics, we strive to provide expert orthodontic treatment to patients of all ages throughout the Charlottesville and Zion Crossroads areas. Our orthodontists and highly-trained team of orthodontic specialists work hard to treat every patient individually, designing personalized treatment plans to suit each patient’s unique orthodontic needs and lifestyle. While some might think braces are “just for kids,” the truth is that a healthy smile can be created at any age. An increasing number of adults are undergoing orthodontic treatment – over a quarter of our patients are adults and Dr. Weis and Dr. Patel believe, no matter your age, you deserve the smile you’ve always wanted!

It's never too late for orthodontic treatment

For adolescents, braces have become something of a rite of passage – but they’re gaining popularity amongst adults as well! More and more adults are discovering the benefits of orthodontic treatment, and it’s no wonder why. A new smile brings a boost in happiness, confidence, and self-esteem that radiates through every area of life, and modern advances in orthodontic technology have made treatment easier and more convenient than ever.

That said, there are a couple of crucial differences between adult treatment and orthodontic treatment earlier in life:

  • In adults, the bones have finished growing and developing. This means that, without more extensive forms of treatment, our orthodontists can’t make changes to the underlying bone structure, like they can with children.
  • Adults are far more susceptible to gum disease – so we’ll need to eliminate any signs of periodontal disease or gingivitis before beginning orthodontic treatment and be extra careful to keep the teeth clean and healthy during treatment.

  • Post-treatment care

    When you get your braces off, we know you’ll be excited. After all, this is the first day of your brand new smile! But while your teeth have moved positions, the bones, ligaments, and tissues supporting them have yet to adjust to their new alignment. To protect your smile for years to come, you’ll have to wear a retainer after treatment. We’ll fit you for a retainer at the appointment in which we take your braces off, and we’ll give you detailed instructions for wearing and caring for your retainer.