Orthodontic treatment involves the wearing of braces, either fixed or removable, which are used to straighten your teeth and correct your bite. Both children and adults can benefit from orthodontic treatment. This practice is not only concerned with the correction of teeth but also the facial profile.

Fixed Braces
These are the type of orthodontic brace most commonly seen and are also known as train tracks.  Individual brackets which are unique to that tooth are stuck onto the teeth in a precise location by your orthodontist; they are designed not to be removed until the end of treatment. The wires which form the track part of the brace are what move the teeth; they are changed at each appointment until the teeth are completely straight. Fixed braces come in two main types, aesthetic braces and metal braces

Aesthetic braces
If you don’t want to compromise on the result but are concerned about how you’ll look with braces, then these are the answer. They are the choice of many celebrities who do not want to compromise, take Tom Cruise for instance. The aesthetic braces we use are the most discreet braces available, they won’t stain or discolour over time, so you’ll look great throughout your treatment. If you want more information about these braces please visit either:
http://www.iceclearbraces.com or http://www.3m.com/us/healthcare/unitek/clarity/

These braces are usually associated with adults but increasingly teenagers are requesting these braces and it does seem that we are able to achieve exceptional results as this group of patients seem more motivated to comply when offered this type of brace.

Metal Braces
The major difference with these braces is the material they are made of and the aesthetic appearance as a result. We use top quality metal braces on our NHS patients and achieve very acceptable results.

Functional/Orthopaedic Braces
The most common functional appliance we use is the Twin Block Appliance. It is a two part removable brace which is custom made by a laboratory from measurements that we make. The brace encourages the patient to posture their lower jaw forward. Typically these are used in growing patients to correct the bite of the back teeth at the same time as tucking back prominent front teeth. They can in many cases also bring about a beneficial improvement in the facial profile where the patient has a small lower jaw.

Clearstep

These braces are the answer to the prayers of many patients where they want straight teeth but will not accept any compromise on aesthetics during treatment. This is a revolutionary new way to straighten teeth without braces using a series of nearly undetectable aligners instead of wires and brackets. The clear aligners move your teeth, week by week, millimetre by millimetre, to the desired position. Using 3D computer technology we design the aligners which then sit snugly over your teeth and unlike braces can be removed for eating, brushing and flossing. This treatment is particularly suitable for adults and most teenagers.

If you want more information about these braces please visit www.clearstep.co.uk

Removable Braces
Sometimes we need to use a removable brace instead of or in conjunction with a fixed appliance. A removable brace is custom made and consists of a plastic base with metal wire components, which are  used to secure the brace and move the teeth.

Retainers
Retainers are the appliances that keep your teeth straight at the end of treatment. This is a very important phase of treatment as without them your teeth could go slightly crooked again throughout growth and even in adulthood. As a general rule we recommend that teenagers wear their retainers until they finish growing as a minimum and that adults wear them pretty much indefinitely.

Retainers come in two general types. Removable Retainers look very much like a rugby player’s mouth guard only much thinner, almost identical in fact to an Invisalign aligner (see above). This type is usually worn just in bed at night. Fixed Retainers consist of a fine wire glued to the tongue side of the teeth; these are generally left in place for an extended period of time.

Retainers are a vital element of Orthodontic treatment and worth asking your Orthodontist about if you want further information.