Assessment and Treatment Phases
The treatment provided at Dental Distinction is to ensure correct function and long-term optimal oral health is achieved and maintained.

During your initial assessment appointment we will evaluate your oral health, take study models and photos as well as detailed X-rays. At this appointment we can often provide you with a brief overview on what treatment will likely be required. A second appointment will be requires so we can discuss with you in detail the findings of your study models, photographic records and x-rays.

Orthodontic treatment will usually involve three treatment phases.

Phase 1
The first phase of treatment involves developing the jaw so it can comfortably accommodate all the emerging adult teeth. This stage of treatment takes 6 – 12 months and is done when both permanent and primary (baby) teeth are present

Most of the visible changes occur quickly during the first phase where irregular and malpositioned teeth are brought into alignment by archwires that are highly flexible and gentle in action. Appointments during this phase are required around every 8 weeks.

Phase 2
A slower stage in which stiffer stainless steel archwires are usually placed and your bite correction is achieved by the use of elastics. Good compliance is essential to keep treatment progressing. Appointments are usually scheduled every 4-6 weeks.

Phase 3
Individual tooth positioning is fine-tuned to produce an aesthetic and even looking smile and perfect bite function. Minor movements are often required by placing specific bends in the archwires during detailing. Elastic wear may be continued during this stage and archwires may be changed in preparation for the eventual removal of your braces.

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Retention and Retainers
The most important part of orthodontic treatment is maintaining the result. When teeth have been moved by orthodontic treatment, as you age these teeth have a natural tendency to crowd and overlap or even revert back to their original position. The only method to prevent this occurring is retainer wear. Initially full-time wear is required (apart from swimming/vigorous sport and eating) for 6-12 months. Following that period it is necessary to continue wearing your retainer every night for a further 6-12 months. Finally wear is reduced, to a few nights per week or fortnight.

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Clear Braces
Using orthodontics to assist you with your smile no longer has to be a solution for children. Many adults are using orthodontics to straighten teeth and give them that perfect smile. The great news is that the solution to achieve this perfect smile does not have to be the metal brackets that we are so used to associating with orthodontic care. Clear braces offer the same solution but with the benefit of adding an aesthetic edge.

Using a special ceramic material that blends with your smile, clear braces allow you to confidently continue on with your life without feeling self-conscious or worried about what your smile looks like.  Even thought your braces are attached to your teeth and clear, they do not stain or take on any colour properties of the food you eat. It is important that you maintain a diet appropriate to wearing clear braces and that you treat your clear braces just as you would metal braces.

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Children’s Treatment
Orthodontic treatment was predominantly prescribed for teenage patients, however it is becoming more common for children as young as 7 or 8 to undergo orthodontic care.

Not only does orthodontic care straighten your smile, it also corrects alignment problems between the teeth, jaw, head and neck, which may develop into other health complications later in life. Orthodontic treatment can also help prevent the abnormal or uneven wear of teeth caused by an irregular bite pattern.

One of the main advantages of beginning treatment at such a young age is because a child’s teeth and facial bone structure are still in the developmental stage; they are much easier to guide into their optimal position. This can often result in less treatment time, expense and may also mean less time in fixed braces or they may not be required at all.

By treating younger patients, often the need to remove an otherwise healthy adult tooth due to crowding or a small arch is reduced quite significantly.

The benefits of early treatment
Before adult teeth erupt, it may be possible to guide them into the correct positions. It's common, for example, for the upper or lower jaw to be too small to accommodate all of the teeth when they come through.  It used to be common to extract teeth when crowding occurred to resolve the problem. This would then be followed by fixed braces to move the remaining teeth into the desired position.
 
Early intervention takes advantage of the fact that a child's jaw is still growing. After assessing your child’s teeth and jaw we may decide to use techniques that expand the jaw, rather than extracting teeth in order that we make the desired room for the natural teeth coming through.

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Teenager Treatment
As a teenager it is quite common for fixed braces to be recommended to straighten teeth and alleviate crowding problems. In some cases, teenagers will actually choose to use orthodontic care to correct problems that result in unattractive profiles or mouth breathing issues. Whilst health is the main consideration for the parent, the teenager will often agree as the result will benefit their all important ‘image’.

There are many treatment types available that can be discussed for your teen, with options that are suitable for the different, individual needs of your child.

The treatment type and time can vary depending on the severity of the problem. On average, treatment time is usually one to three years, a small investment of time to provide a good foundation for a future with a beautiful, straight and healthy smile.

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Adult Treatment
It is important to understand that adults can have orthodontics too. This option is becoming very popular as more and more adults look for a treatment solution to correct their smile. Orthodontics has become an especially attractive option to not only assist in an aesthetic solution but also to improve the longevity of natural teeth and overall oral health.

As we get older, we all worry about our health and addressing issues of incorrect tooth alignment can be of great benefit in your later years.

Orthodontics may be recommended for use as a single treatment that will enhance your smile and the overall health of your mouth, however it may form part of an overall treatment plan that has been discussed with us as part of a rejuvenation solution.