Why Do You Put Off Orthodontic Treatment? The Reason People Regret Not Doing It in Their 20s in Their 40s

Hello,

I am Dr. Park Yeol, a specialist in orthodontics who has been providing orthodontic care near Gangnam Station for more than 20 years. 😊

“Looking back, I wish I had gotten orthodontic treatment earlier.”

Why people regret not getting orthodontic treatment in their 20s

Among my patients, there are truly many who say,

“If I had known, I would have gotten orthodontic treatment sooner…”

Especially those who start orthodontic treatment in their 30s and 40s say this almost without exception.

Before starting treatment, people worry a lot.

Some get it done when they are young,

some in their 20s,

but there are also many who spend their entire 20s only worrying about it and do not start orthodontic treatment until they are in their 40s.

But after completing about two years of treatment in their 30s or 40s, they always say the same thing.

“I wish I had gotten orthodontic treatment when I was younger. I could have enjoyed a much prettier time, so I regret it.”

Reasons people hesitate to get orthodontic treatment

1️⃣

Fear of pain from tooth extraction

2️⃣

Worry about whether there will be lifelong problems even after extracting healthy teeth

3️⃣

Anxiety that tightening the wires will make it impossible to eat

4️⃣

Feeling burdened by the fact that braces are visible

For these reasons, many people hesitate for years and eventually decide to begin orthodontic treatment. But once treatment actually starts, after just 1–2 months, they say this:

“It's not as painful as I thought.. I shouldn't have put it off.”

A real patient story

Not long ago, I treated a woman in her early 40s. She had protruding canines on both sides and underwent orthodontic treatment, and after it was beautifully completed, she said this:

“I wanted to get orthodontic treatment in middle school and high school, but my parents said, ‘Your protruding teeth are cute. Why would you go out of your way to extract healthy teeth and do that?’ so I couldn't do it. When I was in college and then got a job, I felt envious watching people around me change through orthodontic treatment, but for various reasons I kept putting it off, and in the end I started in my 40s.

After the treatment ended, the patient was very satisfied.

“If I had gotten orthodontic treatment in my 20s, I could have enjoyed my prettier years more and taken more photos, so it's such a shame.”

In her 20s, she could not even smile because of her protruding canines, but now she can smile brightly, so she said she regretted the time she had postponed it.

Orthodontics is not simply about the arrangement of teeth

What changes through orthodontic treatment is not just the shape of the teeth.

When the teeth become aligned, the shape of the mouth changes.
As the muscles around the mouth relax, facial expressions become much more natural.
The impression when smiling becomes brighter, and confidence is restored.

Many patients are surprised after seeing the results of orthodontic treatment, saying, “I didn't know it would change this much.”

Orthodontics is a long journey, but it is a worthwhile choice

Orthodontics usually takes more than two years. There are uncomfortable moments during treatment, but on the day the braces come off, everyone feels deeply moved.

At the words, “Thank you for all your hard work.”

a few people even tear up.

Don't delay any longer

If you are thinking about orthodontic treatment, first get consultations from a few specialists. Of course, there are rare cases in which orthodontic treatment is not strongly recommended, but in most cases, good results can be expected through orthodontics. If you choose a good clinic and begin orthodontic treatment, you will be able to smile more brightly and beautifully in your younger years, and even as you get older, you will still have a healthy, confident smile. 😃

A helpful video to watch together 🎞️

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I am Dr. Park Yeol, your lifelong family dentist🩺

Based on 20 years of experience, I share trustworthy dental information. 😃