You had braces at 13. Your parents paid for them, and you wore the retainer, mostly. Now your bottom teeth are crowding again, and you catch yourself smiling with your mouth closed on video calls.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and you’re not too old. Plenty of adults are fixing something that didn’t hold the first time or something nobody caught back then.
This guide walks through the signs that an adult needs braces, why adult cases call for a different kind of plan, and how your options compare. You’ll also learn what to expect from a consultation for braces in Century City.
Key Takeaways
- Teeth can move at any age when the gums and bone around them are healthy.
- Common signs include crowding that returns after childhood braces, worn or chipped teeth, jaw clicking or aching, and a dentist who needs space for new work.
- A strong adult plan accounts for the face, bite, jaw joints, and airway, not just straight teeth.
- Dr. David Alpan personally designs every treatment plan and has created more than 25,000 of them.
- Options include Invisalign, LightForce custom 3D-printed braces, metal or gold braces, clear braces, and behind-the-teeth braces.
- Annual retention visits for life help protect your result long after treatment ends.
Braces Aren’t Just a Teenage Rite of Passage
Look, the old picture of braces is a middle schooler with a mouth full of metal. That picture is out of date. Teeth respond to gentle, steady pressure at any age, as long as the gums and bone holding them are healthy.
The American Association of Orthodontists is clear that age alone doesn’t rule out treatment. What changes for adults is the planning.
An adult mouth often has crowns, fillings, worn edges, or some gum recession. The jaw has also finished growing. So the plan has to work with what’s already there, not against it.
Is Your Bite Trying to Tell You Something?
Most adults don’t wake up one morning and decide they need braces. Small things pile up instead. Here are the signals worth paying attention to.
Your Childhood Braces Didn’t Hold
This is the story we hear most. Teeth keep shifting throughout life, especially the lower front teeth, and a retainer worn “most nights” for a year or two often isn’t enough to stop them.
If you’re thinking, “I already paid for this once,” that frustration is fair. But here’s what matters: relapse usually points to a retention problem, not a hopeless case.
Your Teeth Are Wearing Down or Chipping
A bite that doesn’t meet evenly puts extra force on certain teeth. Over the years, that can show up as flat edges, small chips, or front teeth that look shorter than they used to. Your dentist may spot it before you do.
Your Jaw Clicks, Pops, or Aches
Jaw clicking, morning tightness, and headaches can have many causes. Your bite can be one of them. Dr. Alpan wrote his master’s thesis on the TMJ and treats facial-pain patients, which is uncommon in orthodontics.
That background means your jaw joints get a real look before any plan is set. The goal is a bite that works with your joints, not one that ignores them.
You Snore or Wake Up Tired
Snoring and poor sleep aren’t orthodontic diagnoses. Only a physician and a sleep study can diagnose sleep apnea. Still, arch width and jaw position can affect the airway.
That’s why Dr. Alpan, who has thousands of hours of airway and sleep apnea training, evaluates the airway as part of planning. When something needs a closer look, he coordinates with your physician.
Your Dentist Needs Room to Work
Sometimes the nudge comes from your dentist. Moving teeth first can create the right space for an implant, crown, or veneer. It can also make crowded areas easier to clean.
Why Adult Cases Need a Different Kind of Plan
Here’s the thing. Straightening teeth is the easy part. Keeping them straight, keeping the bite comfortable, and keeping the face in balance is where adult orthodontics gets hard.
At Alpan Orthodontics, the philosophy is simple: “We treat the smile, the bite, the face, the TMJ and the airway, because everything is connected.” That idea shapes every decision, from which appliance fits to how the case finishes.
Starting With the Face, Not the Teeth
Dr. Alpan begins by studying how your teeth, lips, gums, and jaw sit together. Then he plans tooth movement around that picture. The goal is a smile that fits your face today and still looks right ten years from now.
His approach traces back to his mentor, Dr. Bob Boyd, a periodontist and orthodontist who served as a chairman at University of the Pacific. For adults, that gum-grounded training matters. Healthy gums and bone are what keep moved teeth stable.
Why Pulling Teeth Is Rarely the Answer
Some adults are told they’ll need permanent teeth removed to make room. Dr. Alpan avoids extractions in about 99% of cases. Pulling permanent teeth can shrink the arch and narrow the airway, and for most adults, that’s the wrong trade for the face and long-term health.
Instead, a plan may use expansion, careful tooth positioning, or tiny temporary anchors called TADs to create space. When a jaw itself is out of position, surgical orthodontics is an option he’ll explain plainly, including whether you actually need it.
Which Adult Braces Fit Your Century City Life?
Maybe you work in one of the towers along Avenue of the Stars. Maybe you’re in front of clients all week, or on camera for a living. Either way, you want treatment that fits your days. Here’s how the main options compare.
| Option | How Visible? | Often a Good Fit For | Same-Day Start? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invisalign clear aligners | Nearly invisible | Adults who want removable trays, including many complex cases | No. Aligners are custom-made after a digital scan. |
| LightForce custom 3D-printed braces | Brackets on the front of the teeth | Adults who want braces designed for each individual tooth | No. Brackets are custom-made after a scan. |
| Clear (white) braces | Blend in with your teeth | Adults who want fixed braces that are less noticeable | Ask during your consult. |
| Metal or gold braces | Visible | Adults who want the most traditional, durable option | Often, yes, once your plan is set and your dentist clears any pending work. |
| Behind-the-teeth (lingual) braces | Hidden from view | Adults who want fixed braces that no one sees | No. Brackets are custom-made. |
A table can’t make the choice for you, though. The right appliance depends on your bite, your jaw joints, and your airway. Dr. Alpan will tell you plainly which one can actually do the job for your case.
Invisalign for Adults Told “Too Complicated”
Dr. Alpan has treated with Invisalign for adults and teens since 1999, the year it launched. That makes him LA’s original Invisalign provider. He’s an Invisalign Diamond+ Provider and has trained more than 12,000 doctors on it worldwide.
He also helped found the Treatment Planning Service that Align Technology acquired, which grew into ClinCheck Assist. He can treat most cases with Invisalign, including many that other doctors turn away.
LightForce Braces Built Around Your Teeth
LightForce custom 3D-printed braces are designed for your specific teeth instead of pulled from a standard kit. That’s a real advantage. But the appliance is only half the story.
What makes them perform is the plan behind them. Face first, bite balanced, and a finish that’s shaped with care rather than rushed.
Metal, Gold, Clear, and Hidden Braces
Traditional braces still do excellent work. Metal braces bring a bonus, too: once Dr. Alpan presents your plan and your dentist signs off on any pending dental work, the team can often place them at the same visit, even on just the front six teeth.
Clear braces blend in with your natural tooth color. Behind-the-teeth braces sit on the tongue side, so nobody at the conference table knows you’re wearing them.
Busy professionals often ask about speed. Dr. Alpan was an early clinical leader for several treatment-acceleration tools, which can help shorten treatment on average for the right candidates.
What Happens After the Braces Come Off?
For adults who’ve relapsed before, this part matters most. A retainer plus a couple of follow-up visits is the norm in orthodontics. And that norm is often how teeth drift back.
At Alpan Orthodontics, you’re seen four or five times in your first year after treatment, then once a year for the rest of your life. Some patients fly in from out of state to keep those visits.
The finish gets real attention as well. Your bite is adjusted, the biting edges of your front teeth are shaped, and gums can be contoured with a soft-tissue laser. When teeth are off in size, shape, or color, cosmetic or restorative work can complete the look.
Finding Us on Santa Monica Boulevard
Our Century City office sits at 10231 Santa Monica Blvd C, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Patients come in from Beverly Hills, Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Rancho Park, Culver City, and across West LA.
Century City was built on former film studio backlot land and is now one of the Westside’s busiest business districts. That’s a lot of professionals and a lot of adults quietly wondering about their smile.
Get directions and read patient reviews on our Google Business Profile. For hours and office details, visit our Century City orthodontist page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Am I too old for braces?
A: No. Teeth can move at any age as long as the gums and bone supporting them are healthy. The real question isn’t age. It’s whether your plan accounts for your gums, bite, jaw joints, and airway, which is how Dr. Alpan builds every adult case at our Century City office.
Q: I had braces as a kid and my teeth moved back. Can I fix it?
A: Usually, yes. Relapse is common when retention stops after a year or two. Dr. Alpan, who has personally designed more than 25,000 treatment plans, builds re-treatment around long-term stability, then follows it with annual retention visits for life.
Q: Can adults straighten their teeth without having teeth pulled?
A: In most cases, yes. Dr. Alpan avoids extractions in about 99% of cases because removing permanent teeth can shrink the arch and narrow the airway. Space is usually created through expansion, careful positioning, or temporary anchorage devices instead.
Q: Who designs my treatment plan at the Century City office?
A: Dr. David Alpan personally designs every treatment plan, including the face evaluation, bite, airway, sequencing, and retention. The orthodontic team he trained carries out your visits. He helped found the Invisalign Treatment Planning Service and has trained more than 12,000 doctors worldwide.
Your Second Opinion Starts With a Real Plan
Adults need braces for all kinds of reasons: teeth that drifted after childhood treatment, a bite that’s wearing teeth down, a jaw that clicks, or a dentist who needs room to work. Age isn’t the barrier. A shortsighted plan is.
At Alpan Orthodontics, your plan comes from Dr. Alpan himself, starts at the face, avoids extractions whenever possible, and protects your result with retention visits for life.
Ready for answers? Schedule a consultation at our Century City office. Comprehensive consultations take time, and we book accordingly. You’ll leave understanding your plan, not just holding a quote.