Get the smile you deserve with orthodontic treatment! Correct crooked teeth and bite problems with braces or aligners, and enjoy a healthier, more attractive smile. Schedule your consultation today and take the first step towards a more confident you!
Orthodontic treatment is about improving the harmony of teeth and jaws. It helps in the correction of gaps between teeth, malalignment, and correction of jaw and facial irregularities, as well as jaw growth.
Age is not a barrier to orthodontic treatment. It’s to give a smile for life.
Traditional braces straighten teeth using a combination of brackets and wires affixed to your teeth. Your orthodontist may add elastic bands for additional force to assist in moving the teeth and correcting your bite.
They are most commonly made from stainless steel and attached to the teeth using tooth coloured filling material (composite resin).
An orthodontic wire (archwire) is tied (or ligated) into the bracket using coloured elastic rings, which can discolour in-between visits.
As the treatment progresses, the orthodontist will progress to thicker wires, which can place greater forces on the teeth.
They are available in both metal and ceramic.
Rather than using elastics to hold the orthodontic wire in place, these appliances have an integral clip mechanism that holds the wire, which allows the wire to slide more freely.
There is less likelihood of the appliance discolouring in between visits as no elastics are used to tie the wires, which is an added advantage.
Clear aligners are sets of clear, thin, plastic-like trays that are custom-formed to fit your mouth and sequentially apply the pressure required to move the teeth.
Aligners must be removed when you eat or drink and when brushing and flossing. The number of aligners and treatment times needed to correct misaligned teeth varies based on the individual’s orthodontic issues and the movements needed to correct them.
Retainers are essential in almost all cases to help prevent the teeth from moving once the braces are removed.
Retainers are important.
Almost every patient who has had orthodontic treatment needs to wear retainers. You should only go ahead with orthodontic brace treatment if you are also happy to wear retainers to keep the result at the end.
There are two reasons for wearing retainers:
Fixed appliances are the most commonly used appliances and are able to produce very precise tooth movement to achieve ideal results.
Treatment with fixed appliances usually starts once all the adult teeth have erupted and usually lasts for 18–24 months. All fixed appliance treatments are followed by retention.
Here’s a general outline:
Consultation and Diagnosis: 1-2 visits.
Brace Fitting/Placement: 1 visit.
Regular Adjustments: Every 4–6 weeks, depending on where you are in your treatment.
Treatment Duration: This varies between individuals but generally ranges from 12 to 24 months.
Retention Phase: Wearing a retainer for a certain period post-treatment.
Remember, each treatment plan is unique, and timelines can vary based on individual needs and complexities.
