Orthodontic Services

Orthodontic treatment is used to straighten or move your teeth to improve their appearance or function. It can also help to keep your teeth and gums healthy by spreading the pressure of your bite out evenly. Straight teeth are easier to clean and are less vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease.

Orthodontic treatment usually involves wearing a brace on your teeth. This puts gentle pressure on specific teeth to move them into the right place. You will usually need to wear a brace for between six months and two years. During this time, will monitor you closely and make adjustments to the brace.

Sometimes, if there is not enough room in your mouth, you may need to have teeth taken out before starting orthodontic treatment. If your condition is very severe, you may need to have jaw surgery to correct your bite, but this is rare.

Orthodontic treatment is usually carried out during childhood, but adults can have it as well.

Our orthodontic services include:

Removable Braces: Removable braces are made of plastic and usually have wire clips and springs to move specific teeth. They are most commonly used to move your upper teeth. 

Fixed Braces: Fixed braces (sometimes called ‘train tracks’) cannot be removed from your teeth – except by your dentist when your treatment is finished. They are made of small brackets that are glued to your teeth with filling material and are joined together with a wire. Fixed braces are usually made of metal, but can also be made of plastic or ceramic. You may need to have small elastic bands attached to your brace – these are used to keep the wires in place and are often available in different colors. Fixed braces can be used on both your upper and lower teeth. In our practice, we use MBT prescription Straight wire fixed appliances.

Retainers: Retainers are braces that help your teeth stay in the correct place after your orthodontic treatment has finished. They can be removable or fixed. Without a retainer, your teeth will move back towards their original positions.

Aligners: are removable, plastic moulds that are used to move your teeth into place. They are made from clear plastic so are not very noticeable and aesthetically pleasing. You usually wear a set of aligners for two weeks before having them replaced with a new set. You need to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours a day.

Functional appliances: can only be used for children, particularly in their early teens. The appliances are used before fixed appliances to reduce the discrepancy between the upper and lower jaws and therefore the teeth. These appliances are also applicable for many patients with less severe problems. An example of a functional therapy that we commonly prescribe is wearing of Twin-Block appliance.