Orthodontics

There may a few reason why you would be considering orthodontic treatment for yourself or your child, some common ones are:

1. Crooked teeth can often be troubling for young children, especially adolescent.
2. The irregularity of your child’s teeth is starting to affect his/her bite, or if the teeth are protrusive, they seem to get injured during play or sports.
3. You’ve always wanted straight teeth and did not get the opportunity when you were younger.
4. Your irregular teeth are causing difficulties in cleaning, and increasing your risk of gum disease.
5. Your dentist may be considering extensive reconstruction of your heavily filled, worn or irregular teeth, and orthodontic pre-treatment may be indicated.

Wherease orthodontic treatment for children and adolescents is almost considered a rite of passage now, orthodontic treatment amongst adults is increasingly more common, and there is NO reason NOT to consider treatment for yourself.

Are we orthodontists?

No, none of our dentists are specialist orthodontists. Adrian is a general practitioner with a special focus on orthodontics and has received post-graduate training in orthodontics. Complex orthodontic cases are often assessed and refered to specialist orthodontists that Adrian works closely with. Simple orthodontic cases do not have to be treated by a specialist.

What should I expect from treatment?

Unlike treatment in adolescents, adult treatment may sometimes only involve front teeth, especially if treatment is primarily to prepare your teeth for more restorative work. Treatment may also take less time than you would expect, especially if only minor movements are required. However, in some cases, extensive movement of teeth would require more time than in a child or young adult, and you may have to be prepared to wear your braces for a longer period of time.

Is treatment painful?

When you intitially have your braces placed, you may get an ache from the teeth due to the tension of the wire. This also happens when new wires are placed and braces tightened. You may also get discomfort on your cheeks and lips due to rubbing against your new braces.

Will I have to have teeth taken out?

Teeth are sometimes taken out to make extra space to align crooked teeth, but not always. As much as possible extraction of teeth is usually avoided.

Are braces very visible?

We use self-ligating brackets at our practice, these brackets are smaller than standard brackets and do NOT require elastics to hold the wires in place. We can also use ceramic bodied brackets that are tooth colour to limit the visibility of your braces, tooth colour wires can also be used!

What are self-ligating brackets and why would you use them?

Traditional orthodontic brackets have grooves into which orthodontic wires are placed, these wires are then held in place by elastic ties. Self ligating brackets do not require elastic ties, the brackets come with a special clip that hold the wires securely in place. As there are no elastics used, these type of bracket/wire systems are known as low friction systems – the advantages are that smaller wires can be used to move teeth, which means less discomfort for you, the patient. There is some evidence that these systems are able to move teeth more efficiently and are useful for expansion of the dental arch in treating adult patients.

What would it cost for me to have a course of treatment?

This would depend on the type of case and type of movement needed, typical costs start at $6000 and some cases may cost as much as $9000. Before anything is done a complete consultation and record taking appointment is carried out, and then your dentist will discuss your case with you at another session. The initial consult costs $190.