What is orthodontic treatment ?
Orthodontic treatment is the use of braces, most commonly to straighten crooked teeth or to correct prominent upper front teeth. The type of brace chosen depends on the problems that have to be corrected.
There are three main types of brace:
Fixed braces
The teeth have small attachments glued to them.
Fixed braces fitted to upper and lower teeth look a bit like railway lines, so some people call them "train-track braces". Fixed braces are very good for correcting complex problems. These are commonly made of stainless steel, when used for children as they are easier to keep clean. Tooth coloured ceramic or acrylic appliances are also available, and are most often used for adults. They are much more aesthetic. We also use lingual fixed appliances, this is where the attachments are glued to the back of the teeth, very helpful for
straightening teeth for people in prominent positions. We also have the Invisalign system to straighten your teeth invisibly.
Removable braces
They can obviously be removed, but they must be worn full-time, apart from when they have to be cleaned.
Removable braces are good for correcting simple problems, such as moving a single tooth.
Functional braces
These are also removable but have to be worn full-time, except for cleaning. They are used to correct the
growth pattern of the
jaws. They can be used when one jaw is bigger than the other, to correct asymmetry. They can be used in conjunction with headgear to help jaws to grow correctly.
Invisalign
The newest and most invisible way to straighten your teeth. Instead of using fixed braces on your teeth, we can straighten your teeth with a series of
invisible retainers. You will have a series of photographs and x-rays taken and a set of very accurate impressions. These are then sent to California to the Invisalign facility. The impressions are scanned with lasers to make 3D images of your teeth which are then ‘straightened’ virtually on the computer, step by step. Once your dentist has agreed the treatment plan, the computer images will be transferred to the manufacturing point to make you a series of custom retainers. Each retainer is worn for approximately 2 weeks, and you will see your teeth gently align. Treatment times are similar to regular braces. This is a real boon to those in the public eye who want to have
straight teeth, but cannot bear the thought of having visible braces. You will need to have any fillings completed before we can then take the records for the invisalign orthodontic treatment. The
invisalign appliances are a series of clear aligners, which are worn to gently move the teeth into their new positions. You will need to wear them all the time, except for eating and cleaning. We will probably need to place some tiny attachments on the teeth to help the appliance to stay in position. These will be matched to your tooth colour so they will not be noticeable. Once the treatment has been completed you will wear the final set of aligners as retainers at night for at least a year. You may want to have a new set of retainers made yearly to
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