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Our patients come to us for braces for several different reasons, including:
- Overcrowded teeth
- Crooked teeth
- Too much spacing between teeth
- Not enough spacing between teeth
- Upper front teeth that stick out
- Correction of an over or underbite
- Improvement of the cosmetic appearance of their smile
How Braces Work
Our dentists will talk to you about the state of your teeth, which braces treatments are available to you, and where your teeth can be moved. Essentially, braces use pressure to slowly move your teeth into a better position, giving you improved alignment over time. This process ensures the stability of your teeth; the pressure from the braces affects the bones in the mouth, causing both the teeth and their roots to move.
As your teeth migrate to their new positions, you will have to come back to see your dentist for adjustments to ensure they relocate properly with efficient results.
Do You Need Braces?
During a standard oral health visit at Admiral House, our dentists ask you how you feel about your teeth and if you have any concerns about their appearance.
We only recommend services that benefit our patients. We will suggest traditional braces or cosmetic braces for you if it will improve the health of your teeth or address your issues with how they look.
Orthodontic treatment is not just for children, we also offer adult braces in our Hertfordshire office. Our Admiral House dental team will let you know all of your options for treatment so you can choose what fits best for your budget, lifestyle, and aesthetic preference.
Before your dentist schedules your appointment to place your braces, they have to make sure that your mouth is healthy—treatment may be delayed if you have oral health issues like gum disease.
Cosmetic Braces
For braces that are barely-noticeable, cosmetic braces are an option for those who only require minor straightening to improve their smile’s appearance. Never underestimate the importance of a healthy smile for job interviews, first impressions and business meetings; it can be a valuable confidence booster.
The good news is that current dental technology makes the corrective process faster and more effective than ever before. Gone are the days when patients had to wear braces for several years! New methods can correct teeth in as little as six months with Six Month Smiles and Invisalign.
Which cosmetic braces treatment is right for you? To learn more about Invisalign and Six Month Smiles, and which treatment might best suit your situation and budget, contact Admiral House today.
Six Month Smiles
We are pleased to announce that we are the only local dental practice able to offer Six Month Smiles Cosmetic Braces Systems. This is a safe, effective, and rapid way to straighten your front teeth. Using the amazing Six Month Smile white/clear fixed brace system that permanently attaches to teeth, we can straighten your teeth efficiently in a fraction of the usual time. As the name suggests, many cases have an average treatment time of six months.
Six Month Smiles treatment is suitable for those with crooked, spaced, or misaligned teeth. This cosmetic dental treatment is for adults (those over the age of 16). For images of our work and the results we generate, please see our gallery of before and after treatments.
There are two types of Six Month Smiles treatment:
- Invisible aligners are made with Zendura® FLX™ material and work by flexing against your teeth to gently move them into a better location. These clear retainers are barely visible and the material gives you greater comfort during treatment.
- Clear braces use the same method as traditional braces but with a system that uses clear brackets and tooth-coloured wires to give a discreet appearance. This method moves your teeth gently and efficiently.
Traditional Braces
Traditional style braces are made of metal, ceramic, or plastic. It takes up to two hours to apply the braces to your teeth using brackets that attach with bonding glue, the archwire that connects your teeth, and elastic bands to keep it secure. Getting braces put in is pain-free, but the pressure can make your mouth feel tender or sore while you get used to wearing your new braces. This discomfort is only temporary until you get accustomed to how braces feel.
Traditional braces can take a few months to over two years to get the desired result. The time it takes depends on how much your teeth need to move. You will need to come back to the dental practice every six to eight weeks to see your dentist for adjustments and tightening to straighten your teeth on the planned schedule. Our dental team at our dentist in Berkhamsted will tell you how often you need adjustments for optimal straightening of your teeth.
Invisalign
Our dentists are certified to offer you Invisalign cosmetic braces. If this is a viable option for you, we will create a custom treatment plan for your teeth. Invisalign does not use wires and brackets, instead, you get a series of clear, custom see-through plastic aligners that you can remove momentarily to eat, drink, brush and floss.
We may need to place Smartforce® attachments on your teeth. These are small tooth-coloured shapes that give the aligners something to push against to create the force needed to straighten your teeth. The average treatment time for Invisalign cosmetic braces is 12 to 18 months.
Taking Care of Your Braces
Part of our job at Admiral House is to advise our patients on how to best care for their braces. We will show you some oral hygiene tricks to clean your teeth properly with braces. We need to see you for routine check-ups during your orthodontic treatment to get updates on your progress and make any necessary adjustments for the best possible result.
You need to take an active role in caring for your teeth so your braces can adjust them without taking on any new oral health issues.
Some things you can do to make sure your braces are cared for:
- Clean the surface and between your teeth every day. If you are not sure how we can give you guidance on how to do it properly. Overcrowded or crooked teeth need a bit more care for accurate cleaning.
- Come to each scheduled appointment. We use this time to check and adjust your braces to straighten your teeth in the least amount of time.
- Follow instructions on the types of food to avoid. Our team members will tell you to stay away from sugary foods and drinks and hard or sticky foods. These types of foods may damage your braces or get stuck and cause other oral health problems.
- Commit to your dental treatment. Part of a successful treatment hinges on a patient’s ability to follow the treatment plan as recommended by their Admiral House dentist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is best for braces?
The best thing about braces is that almost anyone can benefit from them! You can get braces in your teenage years, as long as you have all your adult teeth and there is no upper age limit, although there are some other criteria which your dentist will need to ensure you meet.
Thanks to modern dentistry, braces in Berkhamsted are no longer limited to metal brackets and colourful bands. Although this traditional type of brace is still highly popular, there are also now many other options to consider, including discreet aligners which have proven to be a hit with professionals and adults in general.
Are braces painful?
The process of having braces fitted should provide minimal pain at worst, although it can sometimes be a little uncomfortable depending on the type of brace you’re opting for. That said, it’s not uncommon to experience some mild discomfort in the following days after having a brace fitted as the teeth are adjusting to the new pressure being put on them.
You can take regular pain relief for this, and the pain should subside after around 1 week.
Can I get braces if I’m pregnant?
Yes absolutely! Whether you’re considering braces or already undergoing your treatment when you fall pregnant, this is completely fine. It is however important to tell your dentist if you’re pregnant, as it may change some of the approaches to your care.
Can I get braces with gum disease?
Braces in Berkhamsted shift the position of your teeth and reform the ligament and bone tissue, so if you’re suffering from gum disease, this type of treatment could potentially cause issues and impact the results you get. It’s important that your gums are as healthy as they can be before you undergo any type of orthodontic treatment, so it’s advisable that you see your dentist and hygienist before starting your orthodontic treatment. They will be able to examine your mouth and treat any issues before you get your braces so that the final result is as good as it can be.
BOOK A CONSULTATION TODAY
If you would like to make an appointment, please fill out the form below. Alternatively, you can call (01442) 863204 or email the practice at [email protected] and we will be pleased to arrange a convenient time for you.
