BRACE YOURSELF... What you need to know

◆ Teeth shift with age due to lack of collagen in the gums, and braces can help with the resulting crookedness, overcrowding or widening of the space between teeth. They can also improve an overbite, underbite, jaw alignment and grinding of teeth, all of which impact on the health of teeth and could lead to tooth decay, gum disease and headaches.

◆ There are two main types of braces. Clear, removable aligners resemble a slim, discreet mouthguard. Traditionally, a moulding is taken to create an exact fit, however, many leading dentists now prefer a 3D scanner called Clincheck, which is more accurate, quicker and digitally enables you to see the shift in your teeth. These cost from £3,000 for a series of seven to 14 realigners. For pronounced alignment issues, the more visible ceramic and metal fixed braces are recommended. These use a ‘passive’ slide, self-ligating mechanism that allows for easier, regular tightening and cost from £2,500.

◆ There’s a time commitment to be aware of, as you’ll need to revisit the orthodontist for resetting and tightening every four to eight weeks.

◆ Discuss honestly with your dentist what best fits with your lifestyle. To find a specialist orthodontist you can trust, ask a friend or check out the General Dental Council (gdc-uk.org) for a list.

◆ You can’t floss, so invest in the Waterpik Water Flosser (£46, amazon.co.uk), which deep cleans when you can’t get between your teeth.

◆ Once the brackets are finally removed, a lingual brace may be attached to the back of your teeth to ensure they don’t shift back over time. This is invisible.

◆ You’re never too old to start caring for teeth you have. If you’re thinking about it, do it. Jo Glanville-blackburn is the founder of jogbliving.com