Most kids growing up may not have had the opportunity to get braces. Their parents could not afford braces, or they just did not have dental insurance. If this describes your situation, you may be very tempted to get adult braces now. While that is well and good, you should be aware of a few things regarding adult braces, and really consider these things before you run ahead and ask an orthodontist to install adult braces:

You May Be in a Lot of Pain

Kids experience pain when they first get braces. That is normal, considering that the brackets and wires are attempting to force their teeth into perfect alignment and the teeth and jaws do not want to cooperate. However, kids get over the pain quickly because their growing bodies adjust to the forces at work in their mouths. Since adults are fully grown, your mouth will not be so willing or flexible to move your teeth and make room. Subsequently, you will experience more pain than if you had braces as a kid. 

The Process Takes Longer

Forcing an adult jaw and adult to teeth to move about and realign means that the process will take a lot longer than it does for kids. If your teeth are especially crooked and out of place, you may have braces six months to a year longer than children with the same dental abnormalities. This means that you may be in braces for two to three years, and then have to wear a retainer for another year to year and a half. If you feel that you are ready for that kind of commitment, then you can do this.

The Entire Cost for Your Treatment Is Out-of-Pocket

Adult braces are entirely cosmetic. You want to improve the look of your smile and the process is not meant to correct any health problem or notable speech impediment. As such, your dental insurance plan will not cover your braces, and most dental insurance plans never cover adult braces. You could be looking at an orthodontic bill of up to nine thousand dollars that all has to come from your own pocket.

Thankfully, there are affordable ways to manage this expense if you are bent and intent on adult braces. Payment plans and dental care credit cards can help. You could also start saving in advance to your procedure since most orthodontists notify you of the estimated cost a year in advance to the procedure.

Contact a dental office like Montano & Cardall Orthodontic Specialists for more information and assistance.