Teeth Straightening / Orthodontics

Orthodontics, also known as teeth straightening, helps to align crooked or crowded teeth to improve their function and your appearance.

Orthodontics can involve having braces fitted onto your teeth to gradually straighten them into the desired position, or wearing aligners, which are thin, clear, flexible plastic mouthguards that you can remove. You might think that only teenagers wear braces, but orthodontics can be suitable for anybody who’s looking to improve the appearance or function of their smile.

There are two main types of braces – fixed and removable.

• Fixed braces can be metal or clear and sit on your teeth and are attached with brackets and wires. They’re one of the most common types of braces because of their predictable and reliable results. As well as traditional metal fixed braces, other options include lingual braces and ceramic braces, which are fixed on your teeth but are less visible than traditional fixed braces.
• Removable, Near-invisible or clear braces are aligners (moulds) that attach to your teeth that can, over time, straighten your teeth. Since they’re clear, they’re nearly invisible, which means it’s not obvious that you’re straightening your teeth.
• Examples of clear aligners include Invisalign, which uses a series of virtually invisible, custom-made aligners that gradually straighten your teeth without using any metal wires or brackets.
• Removable braces are clear aligners which resemble retainers, which you can take in and out whenever you need to. Removable braces are more commonly used when treating the upper teeth only, as their capabilities are fairly limited compared to other braces.

Invisalign is a system for straightening teeth without the use of conventional braces.

The treatment consists of a series of nearly invisible, removable aligners that you change every two weeks for the next set of aligners. Each aligner is individually manufactured for your teeth, and only your teeth, and unlike fixed braces, there are no wires or brackets. As you replace each aligner your teeth move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position we have prescribed.

What’s more, a 3D treatment plan in virtual reality shows the series of movements your teeth will make over the course of your treatment. This allows you to see at the start how your teeth are expected to look at the end of treatment. Once this is agreed, it is used to manufacture the custom – made clear aligners.

Realigning teeth with removable aligners is not new. However, the computer technology used to design and construct a series of aligners with finite corrections is the clever part.

Invisalign is recommended for orthodontic solutions with mild to moderate spacing or crowding. They are virtually undetectable, easy to use and comfortable to wear. Invisalign is only available for private patients and is becoming popular with adults and older teenagers.

Get ready for something great. Start with your smile.

• Effective
  even before your Invisalign treatment is finished, you’ll begin enjoying the benefits of a better smile. Teeth alignment will start right from the beginning
• Comfortable
  Invisalign aligners are comfortable to wear as there are no metal wires or brackets that could potentially irritate your mouth or gums. Some may experience temporary, minor discomfort, at the beginning of each new treatment stage when they insert a new aligner
• Removable
  Invisalign aligners can be removed to eat, maintain good oral hygiene, and you may choose to remove them briefly for special occasions
• Clear
  Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible so hardly anyone will notice you’re straightening your teeth
• Customised
  Our Invisalign providers will take impressions of your teeth from which Align Technology produces your personal custom – made aligners

An Invisalign Treatment Plan that is made for you
Before a treatment plan can be created, your Invisalign Provider will take an impression of your teeth to check whether they can be straightened using the Invisalign System. Once confirmed, a detailed treatment plan will then be developed for you.

Smiling every step of the way
When you begin your Invisalign treatment, you will wear each set of custom-made aligners in two-week increments. As you progress through the series of aligners, your teeth will begin moving, little by little, gradually moving towards the projected final position.
During this time you will have occasional check-ups with your Invisalign Provider in order to monitor your progress and ensure you are comfortable with the treatment

Designed to fit your lifestyle
The time it takes to complete the treatment varies from person to person, depending on the complexity of each straightening issue. It is important to speak with your Invisalign Provider to determine how Invisalign best suits your situation and goals, and to agree the best way forward for you.

When performed by one of our expert dentists, orthodontics is certainly a safe procedure. The only thing to remember is that additional brushing is essential during treatment. That’s because the new brace makes it difficult to clean your teeth effectively by using normal brushing methods.

Will orthodontic treatment hurt?
Your appliance may feel slightly unusual at first and cause some discomfort. However, this will soon wane as you become more used to it.