Last Updated on August 10, 2026 by Dr. Adam Veit
Adult Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment is not just for teens. Today, many adults are choosing to improve their smiles and overall oral health. In fact, one in five orthodontic patients is over the age of 21. At Bright Orthodontics, Dr. Adam Veit provides personalized, modern treatment designed to fit your lifestyle while delivering long-lasting results.
Why Do Adults Consider Orthodontic Treatment?
Adults pursue orthodontic care for both health and aesthetic reasons. Whether you are starting treatment for the first time or correcting changes over time, orthodontics can make a meaningful difference.
Common reasons include:
- Improving confidence with a straighter smile
- Correcting crowding or spacing that can impact oral health
- Addressing bite issues such as overbite or underbite
- Reducing jaw discomfort or uneven pressure
- Preventing long-term dental concerns like wear or gum issues
Straight, properly aligned teeth support better oral health and overall comfort.
What Treatment Options Are Available for Adults?
Modern orthodontic treatment offers a variety of options that are designed to be effective while blending into your daily routine.
At Bright Orthodontics, treatment options may include:
- Invisalign clear aligners for a discreet, removable solution
- Clear or ceramic braces for a more subtle appearance
- Traditional metal braces for more complex cases
Dr. Veit will recommend the best option based on your goals, needs, and lifestyle.
Is Orthodontic Treatment Comfortable for Adults?
Most adults experience mild discomfort when starting treatment or after adjustments. This typically begins within the first 24 hours and fades within a few days.
With today’s advanced technology, orthodontic treatment is more comfortable than ever. Lighter forces and modern appliances help improve the overall experience.
How Long Does Adult Orthodontic Treatment Take?
Treatment time varies depending on the complexity of your case. Many adult treatments are completed within 12 to 24 months.
During your consultation, Dr. Veit will provide a clear timeline based on your specific needs and treatment goals.
Is Orthodontic Treatment Effective at Any Age?
Yes. As long as your teeth and gums are healthy, orthodontic treatment can be effective at nearly any age.
Dr. Veit works with adult patients of all ages to improve alignment, function, and overall smile aesthetics.
What Happens During the Consultation?
Your first visit includes a comprehensive evaluation to determine the best approach for your smile.
During the consultation, we will:
- Review your dental and medical history
- Examine your teeth, bite, and jaw alignment
- Take diagnostic records if needed
- Discuss your goals and treatment options
If treatment is recommended, we will explain:
- Your personalized treatment plan
- Estimated timeline
- Next steps to begin care
Start Your Smile Journey
It is never too late to improve your smile. At Bright Orthodontics, we understand that adults have unique needs and busy schedules, and we are committed to providing care that is convenient, comfortable, and effective.
Schedule your consultation today and take the first step toward a healthier, more confident smile.
Is It Too Late to Straighten Teeth as an Adult?
No. Teeth move by the same mechanism at fifty as at fifteen. The bone around each root remodels in response to steady pressure, and that process does not switch off with age.
What does change is growth. In a child we can guide how the jaws develop. In an adult the jaws are set, so a significant jaw discrepancy is corrected either by moving teeth to compensate or, in some cases, with surgical orthodontics planned alongside an oral surgeon. Most adult cases need neither, and are handled with braces or aligners exactly as a teenager’s would be.
Adult treatment also tends to take a little longer than the same movement in a growing patient. Not dramatically, but it is honest to say so.
Why Adults Come to Us
- Teeth that have crowded or shifted over the years, often the lower front ones
- A bite that never fit properly and has started to wear the teeth unevenly
- Treatment that was started as a teenager and never finished
- Teeth that drifted after braces because retainers stopped being worn
- Gaps that opened up after a tooth was lost
- Straightening ahead of restorative work, so a crown, bridge or implant can be placed where it belongs
- Simply wanting to like your own smile in photographs
That last one is a good enough reason on its own, and we would never treat it as a lesser one.
What Is Different About Treating Adults
Adults are not big teenagers, and a good plan reflects that.
Gum and bone health comes first. Teeth can only be moved through healthy bone. If there is active gum disease or bone loss, that gets treated and stabilized with your dentist or a periodontist before we start, and we work at gentler forces afterwards.
There is usually other dental work involved. Crowns, bridges, implants, veneers and heavily filled teeth all change how we plan. Implants in particular do not move, so they become fixed points we plan around rather than teeth we can shift.
Timing has to fit a working life. Nobody is coming in during a school lunch break. Appointments are short and spaced out, and we will tell you upfront which appointments genuinely cannot be rescheduled.
Discretion matters more. Plenty of our adult patients spend all day in front of other people, and that legitimately shapes which appliance we recommend.
Your Options
Everything we offer teenagers, we offer adults, and the choice tends to come down to visibility and lifestyle rather than clinical limits.
- Clear ceramic braces, tooth colored and hard to notice from across a table
- LightForce® custom braces, printed individually for each tooth and lower profile than a stock bracket
- Invisalign® clear aligners, removable and nearly invisible, which is the most popular adult choice for good reason
- Traditional silver braces, still the most capable option for a complicated case
All four are compared side by side on our types of braces page. Dr. Adam Veit is a Gold Invisalign Provider, and he will tell you honestly if your case is one where aligners would compromise the result.
Whatever you choose, treatment ends with retainers. That part is not optional at any age, and it is the reason a lot of adults are sitting in our chair for a second time.
Request an appointment at our Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Ripon or Berlin office. Our orthodontic financing page explains fees, insurance and monthly payment plans, including the discount that applies when a parent starts treatment alongside a child.
Come and Find Out What Your Case Needs
An exam takes about an hour and it answers the question you have been carrying around for years.
Request an appointment at Bright Orthodontics in Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Ripon or Berlin. To understand the mechanics before you come, read about braces.
Reviewed by Dr. Adam J. Veit, DDS, MS, a board-certified orthodontist and the treating doctor at all four Bright Orthodontics offices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about adult orthodontic treatment? Here are helpful answers to guide you.
Can I have braces if I already have crowns, bridges or implants?
Usually yes, with planning. Brackets bond to porcelain differently than to enamel, so we prepare those surfaces differently. Implants do not move at all, so we plan the case around them. Bring a list of what you have had done to your first appointment.
I had braces as a teenager and my teeth moved back. Can that be fixed?
Yes, and it is one of the most common adult cases we see. Relapse after treatment is almost always a retention problem rather than a treatment failure. Correcting it is often quicker than the original course, and this time the retainer plan is part of the conversation from the start.
Will braces or aligners affect how I speak at work?
Aligners cause a slight lisp for the first few days for some patients, and it settles as the tongue adapts. Fixed braces affect speech less than people expect. If you present or teach for a living, tell us, and we will time the start of treatment around anything critical.
My gums have not always been healthy. Does that rule me out?
Not by itself. It does mean the gums come first. We will want them stable and under control with your dentist before we begin, and then we move teeth more gently and watch them closely. Treating a bite that is damaging the gums can help in the long run.