Orthodontics

What is Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontic treatment is used to improve the aesthetic appearance and alignment of crooked, protruding or crowded teeth and to correct a problematic bite.  

This can be achieved through treatment with traditional braces or invisible aligners. In most of the cases that teeth are straightened for primarily aesthetic reasons, our preference will typically be aligner treatment with Invisalign or Clear Correct.

Benefits of Orthodontic Treatment

• Creating a beautiful smile
  • Studies show that people with straight teeth may be perceived as having more attractive attributes than those with crooked teeth. Consequently, this may suggest an impact on self-esteem, happiness and professional success.
• Correction of teeth crowding or spacing
  • Crowded or spaced teeth may complicate teeth cleaning and can contribute in the long-term to the development gum disease. Over time, continuous growth of jaw bones may lead to further crowding of teeth with age.
• Correction of your bite
  • An uneven bite can lead to increased stresses on teeth and jaws, resulting in chipping, tooth fracture, muscle and join aches as well as causing teeth to become loose. Orthodontic alignment will usually allow for more even contacts between the upper and lower teeth.
• Reducing the chance of damage to prominent teeth
  • Studies show that in the UK, one in five children will experience traumatic dental injury to their permanent front teeth before leaving school. Unfortunately, prominent poorly aligned teeth have the highest risk of being damaged and lost later in life.
• Improving facial profile
  • In some cases, abnormal positioning of teeth and jaws can affect facial shape.

What age is appropriate for orthodontic treatment?

Patients of all ages may benefit.

The primary difference between treatment in children and adults is that children usually complete treatment a few months faster because their jawbones and teeth are still developing.

What will the Orthodontic Treatment mean for me?

While wearing braces or clear aligners, patients should expect regular visits to their dentist, usually every six to eight weeks to check progress, give extra rubber bands and aligners and/or adjust the orthodontic device so the teeth move in the right direction. 

Why have treatment with us?

We provide our patients with a bespoke treatment plan to position their teeth in the best aesthetic and functional position.

Often teeth straightening may form part of a larger comprehensive and multidisciplinary treatment plan incorporating other specialties to provide a patient with the perfect smile.

Positioning of teeth in the best possible location often provides the correct foundation for achieving an outstanding aesthetic end result.

We accomplish our goals by starting with the end in mind.

This means that we begin by help our patients to understand what is possible for their unique situation and what will be required in order to achieve optimum results.

How do I start my journey to the great smile?

Teeth alignment consultation in our practice has two steps – a free brief and non-committal discussion followed by a treatment planning appointment, which includes a fee.

First Appointment

• Photographs, radiographs and intra-oral scans (digital impressions) are taken and a discussion of what you might like to achieve.

Second Appointment

• Treatment options and smile design are discussed. As appropriate, a diagnostic mock up in your mouth (trial smile) may be conducted to try the new smile on before starting the treatment and to assist us in understanding how best to plan. This can also help to give an indication of what can realistically be achieved.

What happens after the orthodontic treatment?

It is highly recommended post-treatment that retainers continue to be worn each night as this should assist in keeping your mouth comfortable and maintaining straightness.

While some patients may be satisfied after alignment of their teeth, others may seek further multi-disciplinary processes in order to achieve the perfect smile.

Teeth whitening will brighten the shade of a smile and is free as part of all aligner treatments we offer.

In cases where teeth are worn, uneven or chipped, a patient can opt for additional restorative / aesthetic treatment such as composite bonding or ceramic veneers.

You can learn more about aesthetics, cosmetics, improvement of shapes, proportions and overall harmony of the smile by clicking here.

You can learn more about restorative dentistry and prosthodontics by clicking here.

In cases where gum exposure is too much or not enough, surgical procedures such as crown lengthening or recession coverage [see before / after image here] can be utilised to improve gum aesthetics.