From fictional character Miranda Hobbs of sex and the city, to Hollywood superstar, Tom Cruise, to Berkeley, California chef, Ann Cooper, braces have become a hot item in adult dental care. 

What once was a right of passage for kids is now very grown up. 

According to the American Association of Orthodontics, nearly 5 million people in the United States and Canada wear braces and one in five patients is over 18.

According to the association, most people in their thirties are still looking for cosmetic improvements, but don't really need braces for medical reasons.

But as we get into our forties and fifties, the dentist may see a more valid need for braces.  

Even older people who've had orthodontic work in their teens may need them again to straighten their teeth to avoid gum disease or other problems.   

That’s because braces are only a dental facelift, and as we age, teeth usually begin to shift.

“It’s like wrinkles, there is no way around it- you are going to have teeth that are drifting," says Dr. Eduardo Gerlein of Gerlein Orthodontics.

For 57-year-old Mary Osterman, seeing her fourth-grade students improve their smiles made her think about her own teeth, so about a year ago, she decided to join her pupils and get braces. Not only would she have a prettier smile, but straighter teeth meant a better chance of keeping her own teeth.

"And I think if we go out of this world with our own teeth, all the better,” she says.

Mary’s orthodontist Dr. Gerlein treats anyone from kindergartners to seniors in their seventies. He says many older people want to improve their looks, while others begin to face dental problems and turn to orthodontics to fix them.

"Your teeth will actually work better, and they are going to be easier to clean and they are going to likely last longer,” he says