Everyday uses of adult orthodontics

Adults are now much more in favor of receiving orthodontic treatment than in the past. The baby boomer generation has a deep desire to keep their "youngness" and is willing to invest in such. Along with this attitude has come the ability to treat malocclusions and other clinical deficiencies with new products that decrease the treatment time. Nickel titanium wire has revolutionized the mechanics of treatment, so that often only one wire need be used throughout treatment, and the time of care has been reduced. Invisalign has resulted in higher acceptance rates for treatment that was passed up before. Although Invisalign has its limitations, for most basic alignment, it can provide a nice result. Patients who might come to an office for Invisalign can be open to braces if Invisalign will not correct their problem. In this article, several uses of adult orthodontics have been shown. It behooves the general practitioner to refer those cases that can benefit from the multiple uses of orthodontics. Should the GP desire to learn to perform any or all of the tooth movements necessary to create a more desired outcome, there are several marketed orthodontic courses that will provide the knowledge necessary. Finally, I encourage those who would enjoy treating patients with orthodontic needs. I have found it to be very rewarding to work toward a shared outcome that is often a less invasive treatment. Patients really enjoy the results.