Tooth Straightening

Straight teeth can often become crooked as you age due to changes in the structure of your mouth and in some cases people are born with crooked teeth. In the past the only option for patients needing teeth straightening was to have a fixed wire brace, fortunately there's now a number of cosmetic dental techniques which can be used to achieve the perfect smile.

Lingual braces

Lingual braces are used in much the same way as traditional orthodontic equipment. However there's one key cosmetic difference; the lack of the usual metal supports on the front of your teeth. In the past braces could only be fit in a certain position; right on the front of your teeth but due to improvements in dental technology this is no longer the case. The important difference with Lingual Braces is that they can be placed on the rear of your teeth, hiding the majority of the metal parts. This means that they can realign your teeth just as effectively as a traditional brace but without the aesthetic impact of a fixed wire brace. In order to have your lingual braces fit, your dentist will first need you to press your teeth into a mould in order to take an impression of them. This mould will then be sent off to a specialist laboratory where every bracket in your lingual brace is custom made so that they fit your teeth perfectly. In order to help the brackets remain in the correct shape they are usually set in wax and kept safely inside a plastic applicator. During your follow-up visit your dentist will transfer the brackets to the back of your teeth and cement them in place. It's usual to have several follow up visits with your dentist in order to monitor your progress. There's several advantages to using Lingual braces over their traditional counterparts. The main benefit is cosmetic, as Lingual braces aren't visible from the front which makes them an excellent option for patients who wish to avoid the highly-visible traditional braces. In addition to being completely invisible, your lingual braces will strengthen and realign your teeth in the same time frame as traditional braces.

Inman Aligner

The Inman aligner itself is similar in appearance to a regular gum shield but the casing which covers the teeth is completely transparent, minimising the aesthetic impact and making it hard to spot. The Inman Aligner uses a coiled spring which puts a firm but gentle pressure on your teeth in order to tip them in the right direction. Part of the Aligner also works behind your teeth, which creates a piston-like action. This works together with the bar running across the front of your teeth to gently squeeze your teeth into the desired position. Due to this unique system, the time it takes to correct any dental problems with the Inman aligner tends to be much shorter than the treatment period required in other kinds of invisible braces. Another important difference between the Inman Aligner and other types of brace is that you won't need to have an excessive amount of follow-up visits in order to adjust the equipment. This is due to the fact that the Inman Aligner is set up to automatically adjust itself, which reduces the need for follow up visits. It'll take you about a week to get used to wearing the Inman Aligner and you it's not uncommon to experience excessive salivating and it can affect your speech for over a week. You can opt not to wear the Aligner sometimes, however it's important to note that the more you wear your Inman Aligner, the quicker the results will become visible. And it's normally advised that you wear the aligner for at least 16 hours a day.

Damon Braces

Damon braces differ from traditional orthodontic solutions as they use a different style of arch and brackets which make use of low friction mechanics. The Damon brace system makes use of a slide mechanism which helps avoid several potential problems which could affect traditional braces such as binding and friction. This has several benefits including a much quicker treatment period and less follow up visits to your dentist. The slide method puts a gentler force onto your teeth, making the treatment a lot more comfortable but still maintaining the effective results which come with traditional braces. Damon braces are also 'self-ligating'. This means that, the elastics which provide tension (in order to gradually move the teeth) are replaced by the slide mechanism which can move teeth quicker and with less discomfort. Damon braces also have hygienic benefits, as they attract less plaque than the elastics used in traditional braces. The brace itself is made from a transparent ceramic material which has many advantages over traditional types of braces. In traditional methods, the metal brace is placed on the front surface of your teeth making it highly exposed and easy to spot. With a Damon brace, although still visible, the ceramic material doesn't stain easily and won't show signs of wear and tear typical with several other types of 'invisible' brace. Damon braces don't require cementing, instead they are are fixed using glue which minimises any discomfort during fitting. The procedure takes around an hour and begins with your dentist gluing the brackets onto your teeth. Wires will then be placed into the brackets and safely secured through the use of tiny clips.

6-Months smile

6-Month Smiles are a kind of highly discreet brace which makes use of very thin wires, coloured to match the same shade as your natural teeth. When using the 6-months smile brace the teeth are moved very gradually with low amounts of force, this means that effective results are delivered and the patient experiences minimal discomfort throughout the treatment period. The 6-Months method uses state of the art dental technology to maneuver your teeth quickly and effectively. 6-Month smiles can be safely used to treat a number of orthodontic issues such as over or underbite, teeth which stick out, gaps or crowding. To have the brace fitted your dentist will first perform a thorough examination by taking some photographs and X-rays of your teeth and looking at your smile in detail. You will then be fitted with the brace itself which is very hard to see unless up close and can perform the tooth correction in a fraction of the time. After you have been fitted with the 6-months braces you'll need to have follow up visits every month or so in order to monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed. Following treatment you will need to wear a retainer in order to prevent your teeth moving back to their former position which your dentist will assign you.

Invisalign

Invisalign is designed to minimise the aesthetic impact of wearing a brace by appearing discreetly as possible. It's very hard to tell if someone is wearing an Invisalign brace unless you're very close. Invisalign produces results similar to those of conventional braces, throughout the process teeth are gradually moved by a set of transparent plastic aligners. The brace itself is very thin meaning that it is very hard to spot and can be used in a variety of public or social situations. Invisalign patients also report that the brace is much more comfortable to wear than it's traditional counterparts. Another important difference between invisalign and conventional braces is that an invisalign brace is completely removable which puts a great deal of responsibility for the treatment on the patient themselves. The main drawback to this system is that treatment times and the cost involved may be drawn out as teeth may take longer to move into the correct position if the patient doesn't wear the Invisalign brace enough. To fit the brace, a mould is taken using dental putty as well as a number of photographs of your mouth from different angles. Using the mould, a 3D model of your teeth is created digitally at a specialist laboratory. You're aligners will be custom designed using this digital model and then sent back to your dentist who will then fit it for you. Despite the fact there's less follow up visits than with conventional braces, you'll still need to have follow up appointments in order to monitor your progress.

Veneers

Although they won't actually straighten your teeth, porcelain veneers can help project the appearance of perfectly straight teeth. The veneers themselves are placed over the front of your teeth and provide instantly straight-looking teeth. They've also been shown to improve the colour and shape of your natural teeth. In order to have the veneers fitted, some of your natural tooth structure will need to be shaved off in order to make room of the veneer.