Dental
Teeth straightening
At High Trees Clinic we offer a range of different ways to straighten your teeth:
Fixed Braces
Fixed braces are the traditional metal or ceramic braces that are fixed to each individual tooth and are linked with a metal wire.
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Your first appointment will be for an assessment to work out a treatment plan for you.
Sometimes teeth may need to be extracted (fully removed) in order to make space to be able to align the teeth perfectly. This would all be done prior to having the brace fitted.
Impressions will be taken of both your upper and lower teeth to make study models. This is a record of how your teeth look prior to starting the brace treatment.
After the assessment has been done and any necessary treatment then the brace can be fitted.
The fitting of the brace normally takes about an hour. Each individual bracket is cemented onto the front surface of each tooth. A metal wire is then attached and linked to all the brackets and held in place by clear or coloured elastics. Initially the teeth will feel as though they are under a lot of pressure and this may feel quite uncomfortable but this will ease within a few days. We advise taking painkillers for any pain or discomfort.
Regular appointments will be needed with the dentist in order to move the teeth and to prevent problems that could possibly cause you to have the braces longer than expected. Treatment times vary from person to person but this would all be discussed prior to starting the straightening treatment.
Retainers are essential at the end of any orthodontic treatment to prevent the teeth from moving out of line.
Clear Braces (Invisalign/ Clear Correct)
Clear braces are a discreet way to move the teeth. Rather than having the metal brackets fitted to your teeth like the traditional way, you will have a series of clear aligners which you will change every couple of weeks.
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Your first appointment will be for an assessment to work out an estimated treatment plan.
If you wish to have a more in-depth treatment plan with exact treatment times and costs then impressions and photos would be taken and sent off to the lab where the aligners are made. The lab will then make a series of aligners.
Sometimes small attachments are placed on the front surfaces of certain teeth to apply pressure to the teeth in order for them to be able to move and align correctly. The attachments aren’t noticeable and will be the same shade as your teeth but will need to stay in place for the duration of the treatment. These attachments would be placed on the fitting appointment. After they are placed then the first aligners will be fitted. Initially the teeth will feel as though they are under a lot of
pressure and this may feel quite uncomfortable but this will ease within a few days. We advise taking painkillers for any pain or discomfort.
The clear aligners are removable but must be worn at all times (or at least 22hours a day) apart from eating and drinking.
Regular appointments will be needed with the dentist in order to move the teeth and to prevent problems that could possibly cause you to have the braces longer than expected.