Am I too old to get braces?

I get this question all the time. I find that more and more, older patients are coming into my office and asking about orthodontic treatment. I always tell them the oldest patient I have had was 73 years old. She had gorgeous teeth but there was a little crowding she wanted resolved. Twelve months later she had that beautiful smile she always wanted. As our population gets older and oral hygiene becomes a pertinent issue, we find that patients are keeping a full complement of teeth. Braces are something that you do for yourself to achieve better esthetic and functional goals. It is never too late to achieve these goals.