It's Never Too Late For The Perfect Smile - Dr. Cram, Alberta

They turn you away at the kiddy roller coasters once you've surpassed the three-foot height limit. You have to leave school and start punching the career clock at some point. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy other privileges we usually associate with youth: nobody's stopping you from drawing a chalk dinosaur on the sidewalk - and it's never too late to straighten your teeth!

Many people think that if they didn't have braces in junior high, they've missed the only chance to straighten their teeth. But more and more, we see a strong trend in orthodontics: adults who realize the time is still ripe.

Chicago resident Sally Borla, retired and in her 50s, didn't dream she'd ever wear braces. After treatment, she couldn't imagine why she hadn't started earlier. "I'd always related braces to young people, but I guess I'm living proof that it doesn't matter how old a person is," Borla said. "When I look in the mirror, I can hardly believe that the smile looking back at me is mine."

And because orthodontics closes up spaces between teeth or eliminates crowding, patients have found it's easier to keep them clean. Michael Smith of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said he noticed fewer problems with tartar buildup since braces had realigned his teeth and jaws when he was in his late 20s. "I do believe my teeth will last a lot longer," said Smith, now in his 30s.

Maria Castro of Brandon, Florida, was 91 ("and a half," she'd add) when her braces came off. Castro said her smile was a source of pride until one of her teeth began to slip behind its neighbors when she was in her late 80s. When her family dentist told her that her teeth, gums and supporting bone were in good shape – and her son, an oral surgeon, concurred – she said, "Why not?"

Why not, indeed? One out of every five people in orthodontic treatment is over the age of eighteen. So if your teeth aren't as straight as you'd like, and you find yourself jealously eyeing your pre-teen's braces, give us a call at Red Deer Orthodontics. There's no age limit on the perfect smile!