At 40, I Start Orthodontic Treatment. [Orthodontics #1]

Hello. I am Dr. Compass.
I work as a physician while raising two children.

Everyone, I have a question for you.

Are you confident in your smile?

There aren't many people who can answer "Yes!" to this question, are there?
Isn't there something that bothers you?
Especially when you reach the around-40 generation like me, I think you'll find that there are more things that bother you than when you were younger.

Before I knew it, I was 40

No, really, that's how you turn 40. As a human being.
To those younger than me reading this article, I want to tell you with all my might.
"Before you know it, you'll be 40."

Let me get back to the topic.
I have visited an orthodontist twice in the past because I was concerned about my teeth alignment.
1st time: Late 20s (over 10 years ago)
2nd time: Early 30s (6 years ago)

The first time, I was at an age where I was thinking about marriage, so I resisted wearing wire braces for two or three years and couldn't take the plunge.
The second time, I had just given birth to my first child and was thinking about a second, so the hurdle of overcoming the pain and inconvenience of orthodontics while simultaneously dealing with physical changes like pregnancy morning sickness was too high.

Orthodontics is necessary precisely because of my age

As I have gotten older, the nature of my concerns has changed.
"You can't do orthodontics unless you're young, right?"
That's what I thought.
However, that is wrong.
Even as you age, your teeth are alive. They move.
I felt that there are the following benefits to aligning your teeth early.

1. Aesthetics

Of course, "wanting to improve my appearance" is the primary motivation.
I feel that when you turn 40, "cleanliness" becomes more important than ever.
Even with the same clothes, makeup, and hairstyle, as you age, you tend to look less polished and a bit unkempt.
I feel that I need to be more careful than ever to project "translucency" and "cleanliness."
And I feel that "beautiful teeth" account for a significant portion of what contributes to that "cleanliness."

2. Teeth alignment will continue to worsen

Your current teeth alignment is not fixed forever.
If your teeth alignment is bad, it puts a burden on some part of your mouth, and that burden will continue to worsen your teeth alignment and bite.
In fact, in my case, an "open bite" that was not in my data from 6 years ago had progressed.
(I will discuss "open bite" in detail in the latter half of the article.)
Along with that, it was putting a burden on my molars and causing periodontal disease.
Furthermore, if your bite is not solid, your cheek muscles are not used, which can easily lead to sagging of the face.
So, it affects visual beauty from a functional aspect as well.

3. Old age

Do you know about the "8020 movement"?
It is a preventive dentistry concept that says, "Let's keep 20 or more teeth even when we reach 80."
Keeping your own teeth has many benefits beyond just being able to eat healthily forever.

Pneumonia
Maintaining a healthy oral cavity significantly affects the risk of "pneumonia," a common cause of death, especially "aspiration pneumonia."
If the oral environment is poor, bacteria in the mouth multiply, and aspirating that saliva makes it easier to develop pneumonia.

Dementia
Also, research results have shown that chewing firmly with your own teeth maintains stimulation to the brain, which leads to the prevention of dementia.

Even from my experience in the clinical field, I have the impression that elderly people who walk firmly on their own and eat well have their own teeth firmly in place.

Discovering Clear Aligner Therapy

For that reason, I felt that there was significant meaning in undergoing orthodontic treatment even at the age of 40.
However, I had been told previously that wire orthodontics would require drilling something like a screw (an anchor screw) into my upper jawbone to apply force to pull my front teeth back, and I couldn't bring myself to commit because I thought, "That's a major procedure and it's scary..."

At that time, I met a YouTuber who was 40, had gray hair, but looked youthful with glowing skin and sparkling teeth.
She mentioned that she was currently undergoing her second round of orthodontic treatment at 40, and the method was [Clear Aligner Therapy].

If you use social media, you might have seen it in advertisements.
It is a type of correction completely different from wire orthodontics, and it entered the market from the United States.
I became interested in a clear aligner treatment called [Invisalign], which has a proven track record in the United States, a country that places more importance on dental aesthetics than Japan.

The Third Time's the Charm

And so, this is my third attempt.
I searched for dentists near my home with a track record in Invisalign treatment, compared prices, and then visited two clinics.
Many orthodontic clinics offer free initial consultations.
Since orthodontics involves a long-term, multi-year relationship with the clinic and the treatment costs are high, I think it is important to find a dentist you feel you can say, "I want to do it here!"

(*I plan to write a separate, detailed article on how to choose an Invisalign clinic, information I researched, points to keep in mind when visiting, and questions you should ask. If you are interested, please follow me and stay tuned.)

Dentist's Diagnosis

I was prepared for it, but my mouth was in an even worse state than I had imagined.

My bite is terrible

Compared to data from six years ago, the dentist said, "An open bite has appeared."

I am on the verge of periodontal disease

Because my bite is bad, excessive burden is placed on my back teeth, and partly due to that influence, my back teeth are on the verge of periodontal disease.
I was surprised to find out that I have periodontal disease, which I thought was a disease for the elderly!

Three cavities

If your teeth are misaligned, you can't brush them thoroughly, right?
I hadn't gone for a regular checkup in about a year, so I had developed cavities.
I had anticipated this, but three of them... (crying)

They conveyed the above points clearly with a gentle demeanor.
I was shocked, but I felt I could trust them because of their sincere approach in telling me exactly what needed to be fixed.

Determination

So, I have decided to undergo orthodontic treatment using [Invisalign].
First, I need to treat my cavities, so I haven't actually started yet.
Once the cavity treatment is finished, the plan is to perform imaging tests such as CT scans and X-rays to develop a specific treatment plan.
It seems likely that I will also need a few teeth extracted.

I have been researching the features and precautions of clear aligner therapy extensively, so I would like to share what I've learned in future posts.

I have a feeling that this [Starting Orthodontics at 40] series will continue.
I'm sure there are others like me who haven't been able to take the first step for various reasons until now.
Please follow me and keep an eye on my progress.

Thank you for reading.