Bliss 32 Dental & Implant Centre
Metal, ceramic and clear aligner treatment to straighten teeth.
Orthodontic treatment moves teeth into a better position over months, using steady gentle pressure. Crowded, gappy, protruding or crossed-over teeth are the usual reasons, and the gain is not only appearance - teeth that meet correctly are easier to clean and wear more evenly.
Braces or aligners
Fixed braces are brackets bonded to the teeth joined by a wire, adjusted every few weeks. They handle the widest range of problems, including complex rotations and bite corrections, and they work without you having to remember anything.
Clear aligners are a series of removable transparent trays, each worn about two weeks. They are far less visible and are taken out to eat and brush, but they only work while they are in the mouth - twenty to twenty-two hours a day is what the plan assumes. If that is unrealistic for you, say so and we will recommend fixed braces instead.
Not every case can be treated with aligners. We will tell you honestly which options suit your bite rather than selling you the one you ask for.
How long
Most courses run twelve to twenty-four months. Simple alignment of the front teeth can be considerably quicker; a significant bite correction takes longer. You will get an estimate after the assessment, with X-rays and impressions.
What to expect
Teeth ache for a few days after fitting and after each adjustment - that ache is the movement happening. Ordinary painkillers manage it, and soft food for a day or two helps. With fixed braces, cleaning takes longer and sticky or hard food has to go; decay around brackets is the main thing that spoils a good result.
Retainers
Teeth drift back towards where they started, which is why a retainer afterwards is part of the treatment and not an optional extra. Expect to wear one nightly, long-term. A result kept is worth more than a result achieved.