Adult orthodontics

An adult is usually more patient and tolerant than a child. Brackets attached to the teeth are uncomfortable (to say the least) whether they are bonded internally or externally. Brackets pierce, disturb the tongue and/or cheeks and sometimes make eating and speech difficult.
On the other hand, treatment of adults also has advantages: adults have more motivation, because they pay for treatment and highly appreciate it . Adults are far more disciplined - and if told not to chew gum, not to eat with bites, but to cut the apple (or any other hard food) with a knife, or be pedantic about oral hygiene, they will strictly follow instructions, as opposed to children, who are not usually inclined to listen to orthodontists and/or their parents.
Disciplined? Perhaps. But nevertheless full of plaque! Adults who choose to undergo orthodontic treatment, like those who choose cosmetic surgery, are apprehensive of treatment results as well as their esthetic appearance during treatment.

Treatment  Restrictions                                                   
Are there any restrictions in treating adults?

In principle, adults can be treated with orthodontics at any age - the only restriction is the patient's health (and his ability to cooperate), and the state of health of his teeth (a mouth with infected gums cannot be treated and the infection should be treated first). Pregnant women may also be treated - although due to gum sensitivity during pregnancy, special strict oral hygiene must be observed.

Adult treatment, as with child treatment, still has certain limitations. Exertion of less pressure on teeth is possible, as more care must be taken to prevent any harm to the bone in which the teeth are embedded.
A child's bone is constantly regenerated (and this is also the reason that limb fractures heal much more easily in children), while in adults bone density has decreased, and therefore less strong pressure should be applied to prevent bone injury and tooth loss.
An additional restriction in adult treatment is that in children a protruding jaw can be "moved inwards" by pulling teeth. In adults, the most that can be done is push teeth in, to improve appearance, while a severely protruding jaw can only be moved by plastic surgery.
 
These are not very significant restrictions: when teeth move out, the dental arch, situated on the jaw-bone, moves with them. Therefore, if we turn the teeth inward, the dental arch will follow suit rendering a more esthetic result. Sometimes, when desiring rehabilitative treatment and prosthetics, teeth need straightening first, in order to restore the dental arch to its place, despite the knowledge that at the end of treatment no teeth will remain.
Fillings, crowns and other "additions" collected during a lifetime, should not disturb tooth straightening, and may even be of help. Mouth rehabilitation, as well as crowns or prostheses, may be used as an orthodontic anchor towards which teeth are pulled or from which they are pushed.

Forced Eruption                                                                    
When is it necessary to "pull" a tooth (outward) in adults?
Pulling a tooth is an orthodontic action intended to move a broken tooth under the gum line, or a tooth that was damaged by caries, while the margins of the healthy teeth are under the gum line.
By means of orthodontics, it is possible to "pull" the tooth outwards, causing its healthy part, which was embedded in the gums, to erupt, and then the tooth can be restored by a crown or any other rehabilitative method.
Tooth eruption is also used for pulling a tooth that is destined to be extracted and, by means of the orthodontic movement, it is possible to improve the gum contour and the supporting bone, for implant treatment or rehabilitation with a bridge.
Tooth eruption also serves to restore teeth appearance after yeas of wear as a result of which the face looks older. Applying orthodontic tooth eruption, it is possible to restore the lower third of the face, rendering a younger appearance to the patient's face.