Adult Braces and Orthodontics in Northbrook, IL

Adults are a large and growing share of orthodontic patients, and the American Association of Orthodontists reports that nearly one in five is over twenty one. At Janzen & Chwa Orthodontics we treat adults with braces and clear aligners, planned around the realities of an adult mouth: finished jaw growth, existing dental work, and gum and bone health that has a history. The first consultation is complimentary.

Northbrook’s median age is just under fifty. Around here, adult orthodontics is not a niche, it is a large part of the practice. Some patients never had treatment as children. Others had braces at fourteen, lost the retainer at nineteen, and have watched the front teeth close ranks ever since. A third group is dealing with something that has become a problem rather than a preference: a bite that has started to wear unevenly, gums that are hard to clean, or jaw discomfort that traces back to how the teeth meet.

Why Adults Seek Treatment

  • Crowding that has worsened over the years and makes cleaning difficult
  • Gaps and spacing, sometimes after a tooth has been lost
  • A bite that does not meet properly, causing uneven wear on specific teeth
  • Jaw discomfort or muscle tension related to how the teeth come together
  • Relapse after childhood treatment
  • Preparing the mouth for restorative work, where teeth need repositioning before a crown, bridge or implant makes sense
  • Wanting a straight smile, which is a perfectly good reason on its own

Whatever brings you in, the underlying case is assessed the same way: what is the bite doing, what is it costing you, and what can be improved.

How Adult Treatment Differs from Teen Treatment

Growth is finished. In a growing child we can influence jaw position. In an adult we cannot, so a significant skeletal discrepancy is either camouflaged with tooth movement or corrected in coordination with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Our surgical orthodontics page explains when that comes up.

Gum and bone health matter more. Adults are likelier to have gum recession, bone loss or a history of periodontal disease. Teeth can still be moved in that situation, but the plan has to account for it, and we will coordinate with your dentist or periodontist before starting.

There is existing dental work. Crowns, bridges, implants and old fillings all change how a tooth can be moved. Implants in particular do not move at all, so they become fixed points to plan around rather than obstacles.

Wear has already happened. Years of grinding or an uneven bite leave marks. Sometimes orthodontics restores enough balance to protect what is left. Sometimes it sets the stage for restorative work to finish the job.

The schedule is different. Adults have jobs. Appointments every six to eight weeks, at 8:00 am or on a Saturday morning, are what make treatment practical rather than aspirational.

What Are the Options for Adults?

Clear aligners. A popular adult option, and for good reason. Removable, nearly invisible, and easy to fit around professional life. They suit crowding, spacing and mild to moderate bite issues. They depend on being worn twenty to twenty two hours a day.

Ceramic braces. Tooth-colored brackets, fixed in place, considerably less visible than metal at conversational distance. A strong option for adults with cases too complex for aligners who still want discretion.

Metal braces. Smaller and smoother than they used to be, and still the most efficient tool for complex correction. Some adults choose them precisely because they want the appliance working around the clock without depending on their own memory.

We will price both approaches at the consultation if you want to compare, and we quote on the complexity of the case rather than on the appliance, so the recommendation follows the case.

What Adult Treatment Involves

Treatment usually runs somewhere between twelve and twenty four months, with visits every six to eight weeks. Records are taken with a digital scan rather than impression trays, and you see a simulation of the projected result before treatment starts.

Afterwards, retainers, permanently. This matters more for adults than for anyone else, because adult teeth drift for the rest of your life and because most adults in treatment are here precisely because a retainer went missing the first time. One set is included in your fee. Wear it.

Is It Worth It as an Adult?

Honestly, it depends on what is wrong. If the bite is functioning well and the concern is a slightly rotated tooth that nobody else notices, we will tell you that treatment is optional and let you decide without pressure.

But if crowding is making your gums hard to keep healthy, if specific teeth are wearing down faster than the rest, or if a bad bite is loading your jaw joints unevenly, then treatment is a health decision with a long payback. The mouth you are protecting has to last several more decades.

Cost and Payment for Adult Treatment

Adult treatment is not priced higher because the patient is older. The fee follows the complexity of the case, exactly as it does for a teenager. Many adult cases are limited in scope and finish faster than patients expect.

Payment plans are interest free and arranged in house. Many dental plans restrict orthodontic benefits by age, so we verify yours before treatment starts and tell you in dollars what it will pay. FSA and HSA funds are accepted. Our guide to what braces cost and our payment plans page cover the detail.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adult Orthodontics

No. Teeth move at any age as long as the supporting bone and gums are healthy. We treat patients in their thirties, forties, fifties and beyond, and the biology works the same way in all of them.

Usually. Crowned teeth move normally, bridges may need planning around or temporarily sectioning, and implants do not move at all, so they become anchors in the plan. We review your existing work at the exam and coordinate with your dentist where needed.

Sometimes. When teeth meet unevenly, the muscles and joints compensate, and correcting the bite can relieve that. Jaw pain has several possible causes, though, so we evaluate rather than promise, and we will say plainly if we think orthodontics is not the answer.

Not by itself, but it changes the sequence. Periodontal health has to be stable before teeth are moved, so we coordinate with your dentist or periodontist first and plan tooth movement conservatively afterwards.

Book a Complimentary Adult Consultation

Come and find out what your case actually involves. The visit is free, no referral is required, and you will leave with a diagnosis, the options laid out and a written estimate. Call or text (847) 272-0600 or request an appointment online.