Straighten up those crooked teeth and misaligned bites
At Greenhithe Dental Boutique, we can help you create a healthier mouth and a beautiful, confident smile!
Teeth straightening is one of those transformative treatments that people never regret. Often, our patients say they wished they’d done it earlier.
Book a no-obligation, FREE first orthodontic consultation (worth $180) with one of our team and be a step closer to your desired smile. We will examine your teeth and discuss treatment options, and help you make an informed choice for yourself or your child.
The Process
Planning starts with a personal consultation with our skilled clinicians in which they will talk with you about your concerns and what you hope to achieve.
In some cases, monitoring of your dental development and growth are reviewed before commencing treatment. We may need to take x-rays, photographs and models of your teeth to help us diagnose and plan treatment.
Once we’ve thoroughly examined your teeth and their condition, we’ll talk about treatment options. At Greenhithe Dental Boutique, we won’t start any treatment until you’re pleased with the plan and have had all of your questions answered.
In a nutshell, orthodontic treatment involves applying light and sustained forces on the teeth to move them into an ideal position. Treatment time varies but allow for around 18-24 months. We’ll need to see you at regular intervals to check on progress and make minor adjustments during this time.
Once treatment is complete, you’ll need to wear a retainer overnight for some time to help keep your teeth in their new position.
Types of braces
Removable Plates
Most commonly used in very young children who do not yet have their permanent teeth, but can be used for all ages, including adults. They are used to:
- Expand and create space in the jaws in cases of tooth crowding
- Correct crossbites
- Encourage forward growth of the lower jaw when required
Metal Braces
Made out of high-grade stainless steel or titanium, these are the most common type of braces that we use for children and teenagers and are the most durable braces available.
Metal braces come in two types – conventional, used with elastic bands, and self-ligating, which do not require elastic bands.
Invisible Clear Retainers
- Teeth straighten gradually in a matter of months.
- Aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth
- Best of all: most people won’t even know you’re straightening your teeth!
- Contain no metal brackets or wires and are removable for eating and tooth brushing, comfortable, and, best of all, invisible.
Unfortunately, Invisalign is not suitable for all patients as it cannot provide orthopaedic bone movement or jaw repositioning. Still, our orthodontic team will be able to advise if this treatment is appropriate for your case.
Orthodontics For Adults
Orthodontics not only improves your appearance and self-esteem but can also improve the health of your teeth, gums and jaws. Poorly aligned teeth are more difficult to clean, causing a greater risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and bone loss. A bad bite can also cause abnormal wear of the teeth and TMJ (jaw joint) problems.
More than 35% of our orthodontic patients are adults. The range of available treatments means we can custom-make an orthodontic plan for you that fits your lifestyle and budget. We have cosmetic options such as tooth-coloured (ceramic) braces and Invisalign. Straightening your teeth no longer involves a mouth full of ‘train tracks’.
Invisalign is combinable with other treatments such as tooth whitening, porcelain veneers, dental implants and amalgam filling replacement.
Enquire us for more information on Adult Orthodontics.
Orthodontics For Children
What is the ideal age for a child to start orthodontic treatment?
We believe the answer is about seven years of age, as we can start to identify if there might be orthodontic issues.
In a healthy situation, the children’s teeth should be spaced to allow room for the wider adult teeth to erupt. When the child bites together, all upper and lower teeth should meet, and the upper teeth should all sit in front of/outside the lower teeth. When the child swallows, all upper and lower teeth should meet. If a child’s teeth deviate from any of these norms, early orthodontic treatment may be required.
Orthodontic treatment is only effective when a child is willing to tolerate dental visits and orthodontic appliances. Although at Greenhithe Dental Boutique, we prefer to treat children as soon as orthodontic problems are identified, sometimes this is not feasible. In this circumstance, we monitor the child with regular visits until they are comfortable and happy to proceed.
- Proper jaw growth
- Improving appearance
- Improving the positioning of permanent teeth
- Comfort – wearing plates is far more comfortable than wearing braces
- Self-esteem
- Preventing more serious problems from developing
- Lower expenses than treatment in later years