Did you know medieval adults wore braces too (sort of)?

Makes me feel a little less weird about getting braces at 34, honestly. Like, if people were willing to wrap gold wire around their teeth back then, maybe my ceramic brackets aren’t so bad after all.

That’s a pretty wild image—imagine trying to floss with literal gold wires in your mouth. I’ve read a bit about ancient dental practices, and it’s kind of amazing (and maybe a little unsettling) how much people have always cared about their teeth, even without anesthesia or modern hygiene.

On the adult orthodontics front, I remember stumbling across something about Pierre Fauchard, the so-called “father of modern dentistry,” who was doing some pretty inventive stuff in the 18th century. He used what he called a “bandeau”—basically a horseshoe-shaped piece of metal—to expand dental arches. Not exactly Invisalign, but the concept isn’t too far off from palate expanders or retainers today. And adults were definitely getting these treatments, not just kids.

As for modern tech, I’m on aligners right now (mid-30s club here), and honestly the biggest surprise was how much 3D imaging and digital modeling goes into it. The orthodontist showed me this simulation of how my teeth would move week by week—kind of surreal seeing your own mouth as a time-lapse animation. Makes you realize how far things have come from gold wire and pliers.

One thing that still gets me is how slow the process is, even with all this tech. I get that bone remodeling takes time, but part of me hoped for some sci-fi instant fix by now. Maybe in another thousand years...

Anyway, you’re definitely not alone feeling a bit awkward about adult braces. Seems like it’s been a thing forever—at least we’re not DIY-ing it with precious metals.

It’s kind of wild to think about how much effort people put into dental “aesthetics” way before modern medicine. I always thought adult braces were a new thing, but yeah, Fauchard and his bandeau were pretty ahead of their time. I’ve seen illustrations and honestly, the contraptions look like something out of a steampunk novel—definitely not subtle.

I’m with you on the slow progress, even with all our tech. I figured with 3D scans and digital models, maybe things would move faster than they did in the 1700s, but bone biology just doesn’t care about our schedules. My ortho said even with all the planning, your body still needs months to adapt. Kind of humbling.

One thing that surprised me was how many adults are in the waiting room when I go for adjustments. I used to feel awkward, but now it just seems normal. Guess we’re all chasing that straight smile, whether it’s gold wire or clear aligners... at least we don’t have to worry about tetanus from medieval dental tools.

Honestly, I think the tech does help a ton, even if the bones are stubborn. My first round of braces decades ago was a nightmare—metal everywhere, wax stuck in my teeth, and no one knew what “clear aligners” even were. These days, at least it’s less medieval torture and more mild inconvenience. I’ll take slow progress over headgear any day...

These days, at least it’s less medieval torture and more mild inconvenience. I’ll take slow progress over headgear any day...

Headgear flashbacks are real—those things looked like medieval armor for your mouth. I still remember the elastic bands snapping at the worst moments. These days, at least you can get brackets that blend in, or even skip wires altogether. Honestly, I’ve seen adults rock braces way better than I ever managed as a teen. The tech is catching up, but teeth still love to do their own thing, no matter how old you are.