Overview of Treatments

From crowded teeth to premature tooth loss, there are many reasons why orthodontic treatment may be recommended to a patient. Whether it is for medical or cosmetic purposes, at the Oatlands Referral Centre we can deal with every style of orthodontic treatment and have a wide range of options available. We can even offer preventative treatment and treat facial irregularities.

We use braces and aligners on both adults and children to realign both the jaws and the teeth so that, as well as the teeth looking aesthetically pleasing, they have better functionality, future dental problems are avoided and they are easier to clean and therefore less chance of cavities and decay.

Malocclusions, i.e. misaligned teeth, can be caused for genetic or external factors such as:

● Irregularly positioned or ectopic teeth
● Crowded or over-spaced teeth
● Cleft palate or cleft lip
● Either too many or too few teeth
● Accidents or injuries that have caused teeth to fall out or shift
● Thumb sucking
● Tongue thrusting from mouth breathing
● Premature loss of baby teeth
● Dental disease or other medical problems

As well as affecting the patient’s confidence, misaligned teeth can cause other issues such as lisps, excess wear to the bite surface and tooth decay from not being able to clean all sides of the tooth properly. Our orthodontic specialist undertakes a detailed assessment including taking moulds and x-rays where required before suggesting the best course of action for the patient.

Orthodontic treatment

We have a vast range of different braces to offer patients of all ages and circumstances. As well as determining whether or not a patient needs a brace, we also suggest options based on the severity of their problem.

Some of the braces we provide include:

● Invisalign
● Lingual-brackets
● Incognito
● Self-ligating
● Smartclip metal
● Clarity SL ceramic
● Tooth coloured braces
● Clarity
● Damon

Orthodontic treatment procedure

When you refer a patient to us for orthodontic treatment, they will be treated by our specialist orthodontist, Dr Sarah Burns. Dr Burns deals with many cases from simple cosmetic procedures to far more complicated ones. She conducts a thorough assessment before short-listing the most suitable treatment options for the patient which will also be fed back to you as the patient’s main practitioner.

As well as standard metal braces which are commonly used, Dr Burns also offers tooth-coloured brackets, which are much more subtle. Depending on the severity of the patient’s misalignment, she may be able to prescribe aligners such as the Invisalign System which are very discreet and straighten the teeth over a period of 1-2 years or the Damon System which lifts the smile as well as straightening the teeth.

At the Oatlands Referral Centre we believe that it’s never too late to improve your smile and treat plenty of adult patients as well as children as young as five. This being said, it is best to treat patients whilst they are young and the jaw bones are still developing and preventing any issues before they happen. Orthodontic treatments can produce fantastic results in older patients but the treatment time can be longer as the bones and tissues are denser.

If you would like to explore orthodontic options for your patient, contact us today and we can book them in for an assessment. We provide a written treatment plan as well as outlining all costs before undertaking any treatment.