I’m in my mid 40s and, due to many things, it’s too late for me. They won’t shift without falling out.

I had half my teeth extracted last year, currently waiting on tens of thousands of dollars worth of implant and bridge work. If my teeth had been aligned, I’d still have some bad ones replaced, but it would’ve been far simpler.

Do it OP.

I’m 43 and am doing Invisalign as we speak.

I had braces in my teens but my orthodontist was an escaped nazi scientist who reveled in cruelty. I completed the course, but it gave me a phobia of dental work so I kinda… avoided dentists after.

Long story short: Invisalign and modern orthodontics is a world away from the 90s. No more mallets to hammer bands into teeth, no more night braces, etc. 3d models, computer aided treatment, it’s all like magic.

Do it, you’ll be happy you did. If you want more deets hit me up

I had them as an adult. They were annoying but worth it once they were removed.

No one made a big deal about them. They could make my teeth sore when I first got them or had anything adjusted, but again - more of a minor annoyance than outright pain. Nothing to be afraid of and I’m glad I did it now.

I’m just going to comment on work life - the truth is, the older I get the less I care about things like appearance. Depends on the profession of course but for f.e. office work - people don’t care. Especially not if it’s for medicall purpose (they could even have a problem with HR). I meam look at the older colleagues, they themselves look like shit, they don’t care.

But I remember my mid 20s and I was exactly the same, now I look back and it’s a bit funny. It’l be good, go for the braces :)

Don’t be put off by the initial discomfort. It’ll feel weird at first.

Periodic tightenings are also slightly painful, but if you’re a weirdo like me then you’ll actually come to enjoy the feeling when it happens.

I had braces in my early 20s. Its not a big deal. Just be ready for it to feel like youve been hit in the face with a train.

50s and just spent a year in braces after dental surgery the year or so before screwed up my teeth. Now I am in my retainer. In all that time I cannot think of a single person who wasn’t excited for me or at least interested in the fact I was wearing braces to get my teeth aligned.

Braces on adults are common enough that most people don’t care. There are options like Invisalign, ceramic or clear braces, and lingual braces (brackets behind the teeth) that you can ask about. If you work somewhere with a strict dress code you might want to stick to clear and white colored rubber bands, too. Though outside of that, people still won’t care and colored rubber bands are cute.

I had the same thoughts when my dentist suggested it, but fortunately nowadays we have more choices for doing it.

I don’t know where you live and how much you can expend in it, but I’ve decided to use these removable invisible aligners (like Invisalign) and had no regrets. They’re faster to do their job, more trustable to get the alignment you need and, well, they’re not too visible as regular braces.

As other people said, correcting your teeth is something you will enjoy for the rest of your life. So, if you can afford invisible aligners and can follow their instructions (like using them for 20h per day, regularly brushing your teeth etc), I totally recommend going this way.

Besides what method you’ll choose, remember that everyone of them is temporary and you’ll be really happy with the results in the near future. I get the concern about what other people will think, but you should remember you’re doing something for you and to feel happier with yourself! :)

Adding to the chorus of older folks telling you do it. I’m 45 and currently in braces, for nearly two years now (about to get them off). As far as I can tell, not a single person has reacted negatively to them in any way.

I got some knockoff Invisalign from smile direct club, I wouldn’t recommend them because they’re undergoing a chapter 13 realignment or something but before 1850 bucks they did the job.

I have a much better smile, I don’t hide half of my teeth when I’m smiling, honestly it was one of the better decisions I’ve made.

I’m sure there’s some other company out there that can do just as good of a job, but ask your doctor if you’re a good candidate for Invisalign and if you are then go for it.

I’ve seen even people in their 40s using them. I don’t think that it’s a big deal, or that it’s too late for that.

I got braces for a second and third time as a result of jaw surgery both times in my 20s. Its not so bad.

The people that matter wont care and the people that care wont matter

My wife got hers last year and is turning 30 soon. No one cares, and any comments she gets are people liking the colors she picked.

Remember, 99% of people you encounter are so self involved they won’t notice or remember something you think is super noticeable.

Buy a water flosser, though, because you absolutely have to brush and floss twice a day when you have them.

There’s low level constant pain that’s not easily comparable to anything else, which gets worse the day after any adjustments are done. And make sure you get a retainer you can wear each night.

My mistake was not asking for an alternative retainer, and grinding teeth at night kept breaking my retainers until it got too expensive to keep getting new ones. Now I’ll have to get braces or Invisalign or something to redo the straightening.

Good news is, I can still eat better than I could before I got braces.

In other news, seeing the Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist about my sinuses ended up curing the grinding along with mouth breathing and swollen sinuses.