I’m seventy two years old and have always been embarrassed by my smile. Growing up, my parents could not afford braces. They worked hard, but such luxuries were still out of reach. Now, I’m way to old for a mouth full of metal and my skin is pretty paper thin so it cuts easily. Several of the young teenagers at my church are getting their teeth straightened with this thing called Invisalign. You can’t even tell there is anything on their teeth. I asked them about it and they said it doesn’t hurt. Am I too old to get this? I like the idea of getting my teeth straightened. There’s a widow in my book group and I’ve always wanted to smile at him and get his attention. This might give me the confidence.

Esther

Dear Esther,

First, let me say right off the bat that I think you are awesome! You chat with the teens at your church and have your eye on a fella. You ROCK. Second, you are emphatically NOT too old to get Invisalign. Though it is popular among teens, it was originally designed for adults. To put you even more at ease about your age and Invisalign, there is a study group (The Molis Group) who get together and discuss various cases and techniques. They did a survey of dentists in the group about the ages of their patients. There were several in their 80s. However, that is not an age limit. That was just from that particular group.

You are perfectly safe to get Invisalign as long as your teeth are healthy. There is a hidden benefit too, that may help you get the attention of that widow. The aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. Your dentist can provide you with teeth whitening gel that you use in the aligners at your convenience. By the time you are done with your orthodontic treatment, you will not only have straight teeth, but youthfully white ones too! You’ll look at least a decade younger.

You’ve got this!
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.