10.02.2026
Adults in orthodontics: late is not too late
The share of adult patients has risen markedly in recent years. The biological process is the same as in a child: pressure on the tooth, remodelling of the bone, movement. What is missing is jaw growth – changes to the position of the jaws are therefore only possible surgically in adults.
On the other hand, the starting position is often more complicated: existing crowns and bridges, missing teeth, bone that has receded after periodontitis. Each of these points must be clarified before the treatment, not afterwards.
Particularly often, orthodontics in adults is part of a larger plan: teeth are uprighted so that a bridge can carry its load, or a gap is opened so that an implant has room. This coordination between the disciplines decides the result.
For adults, statutory health insurance pays only in narrowly defined cases, such as severe jaw misalignments requiring surgical repositioning. In all other cases the treatment is a private service.