Braces

Braces are the most efficient and accurate way of moving teeth. They are fixed to the teeth for the duration of active orthodontic treatment.

Braces can be either metallic or tooth colored



Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are attached to the inside of the teeth and are sometimes requested by patients because they cannot be seen.

However, lingual braces are more difficult to manage than conventional braces



Functional Appliances

Functional appliances are devices used to correct a significant disharmony in the relationship between the upper and lower jaws. They work by influencing the growth and development of a growing patient.

The most common use of a functional appliance is to encourage the forward growth of a retrusive or "under-developed" lower jaw. The functional appliance holds the lower jaw forward over a period until the teeth, jaws and joints have "adapted" and the desired jaw position has been obtained.

Functional appliances align the jaws not the teeth, so they are usually used as a first stage of treatment (in a growing patient with a significant jaw disharmony) prior to the alignment of the teeth with fixed appliances (braces).



Sequential plastic aligners

A series of clear removable plastic aligners can be used to straighten your teeth without metal wires or brackets. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move, little by little, week by week, until they have straightened to the final position your orthodontist has prescribed.

Sequential plastic aligners can align teeth but, as yet, they cannot correct significant bite discrepancies.

Sequential plastic aligners are considerably more expensive than fixed appliances (braces) which remain the mo​st effective and controlled way of moving teeth.