Number of Visits: 12 - 20 monthly visits
Completion Time: 1 - 2 years
Recovery period: One Day
Orthodontic treatment is suitable for anyone looking to improve the alignment of their crooked teeth. This is so you can improve your oral hygiene and bite. At Diestel & Partners we provide Orthodontics for both kids and adults. Early teens, around 12 years old or so, is the ideal time for one to consider orthodontic treatment.
Getting a Referral for the Appointment
Our Orthodontists prefers for the patient to get a referral before beginning the consultation. If you suspect that you may need braces then call our hotline to book an appointment and discuss your options in our clinic.
Consultation
You can expect this consultation, generally, to be around 30 mins. The orthodontist will examine and understand how braces will be help you or whether if necessary at all.
Dental X-Rays, Imaging and Scans
Next, we will take scans of the construction of your teeth.
Fitting the Braces
Expect to spend about 1 hour to fit the braces for your teeth. This will be one of the longest time required for the treatment.
Multiple Visits for Adjustments and Examination
Once all fitting is done, the orthodontist will examine the progress of your braces each month. This is to ensure that everything is going smoothly and the teeth is aligning properly.
Final Point
Fixed braces are removed once the entire treatment is completed. The duration of the treatment varies for each. Expect the typical treatment time to be anywhere from 18-24 months. Retainers are needed thereafter for many more years.
Different Types of Braces
Fixed Braces - Metal and Ceramic Braces
Fixed braces are the most common type of braces. The braces are attached to the teeth by square brackets which have a wire running through them.
In your monthly appointments, the orthodontist will adjust this wire during each visit to align your teeth into the correct position. There are two types of fixed braces, metal and ceramic braces.
Metal braces are made of high-grade stainless steel whereas the ceramic braces are of a translucent ceramic material. Both braces use the same components in terms of treatment, the ceramic is just a less noticeable treatment method than compared to the metal braces.
Removable Braces
This form of treatment is recommended for patients with mixed dentition, kids who still have some of their baby teeth and some permanent teeth as well, usually around the age of 7-10 years old. During this time, the patients jaw and teeth are still growing therefore it is easier to move the jaw and teeth in the correct position.
Functional appliances help guide a patients facial growth and development. An orthodontist may recommend the use of functional appliances for patients whose jaw growth needs to be corrected in order to align the jaw properly.
Use of functional appliances is ideal for children whose jaw bone and teeth are still developing and growing. There are two types of functional appliances, fixed and removable and within these two types there is various types that the orthodontist will use depending on what is required for each patient.
Retainers will be required after the Orthodontics treatment is complete. This is the final step. Retainers are given to the patient after the braces are removed, patients are instructed to wear the retainers in order to prevent the teeth from relapsing.
There are two types of retainers, fixed and removable. Fixed retainer is thin wire that is worn across the back of upper or lower front teeth. Removable retainers is usually a combination of a wire going across the front of the lower or upper teeth that is held in place with an acrylic material.