New Patient FAQ

Orthodontics is the movement of teeth to correct a malocclusion. This means either your lips, teeth or jaws do not meet together properly, giving you a crowded, crooked or unbalanced look. An Orthodontist is a dentist with specialist training in diagnosing and treating these irregularities.

Crooked or crowded teeth can make cleaning very difficult which can lead to plaque build up, staining, cavities, bleeding gums and progressive gum disease. Misaligned jaws can cause abnormal wear of teeth and stress on the supporting structures.

Orthodontic treatment can correct the alignment of your teeth, preventing problems worsening and making it easier to clean them.

Everyone should be able to smile with confidence! Having misaligned teeth can affect self-esteem and leave some people hiding their smiles behind a hand, closed lips, or not smiling at all.

It very much depends on the complexity of each case and can range from between 6 -24 months.

Your appointments will be made between 4-8 week intervals depending on the stage and type of your treatment.

It is important that you continue your dental check-ups and hygienist for regular cleaning, during the orthodontic treatment.

Our mouths are sensitive to change so it will take you a few days to get used to your newly fitted braces.

Your teeth may feel uncomfortable due to the slight pressure, for which simple painkillers can be taken if necessary. You may also produce more saliva to begin with, but this will settle quickly.

If any part of your brace is causing continual soreness, we will advise you to contact us.

Whilst you are getting used to the braces, you may find certain words difficult to pronounce properly and some lisping, however these usually settle within a few days.

A removable brace can be taken out during sports to avoid loss or breakage. With a fixed orthodontic appliance, a sports guard should be worn, especially during contact sports. Either custom-made over your fixed braces, or a shop bought brace guard can be used.

Braces may affect wind instruments playing for the first few days of having your fixed braces fitted. A removable brace is easier to leave out whilst playing.

A removable brace can be taken out for eating and drinking, so you can still have a normal diet. However, once the brace is in your mouth, hot drinks can damage the brace and sugary foods can cause cavities.

With a fixed brace, eating the wrong foods can damage or break your brace and slow down treatment.
Hard foods should be avoided such as nuts, raw carrots and crusty bread & sticky foods avoided such as toffees and chewing gum. Cutting food into smaller pieces can really help.

It is very important you take great care of your teeth and brace during orthodontic treatment, by cleaning them after every meal.
We provide a special cleaning pack and show you how to use the inter-brace brushes, plaque disclosing tablets, brace relief wax and fluoride mouthwash.

This will help you to avoid problems such as decay, decalcification and delay in your treatment progress. If there is a problem with your brace, you should always contact Smile 101.