Orthodontics

While crooked teeth can make you feel self-conscious and impact how you interact with others, the condition can affect more than your emotional health. Misaligned or overlapping teeth can change the way you speak, smile, and move your mouth. While having crooked teeth isn’t a sign of poor health, leaving them unstraightened can affect the long-term well-being of your mouth and your entire body. 

When most people think about orthodontic treatment, they think of braces. But the fact is, that’s just one type of treatment an orthodontist provides. At Tower Dental we specialize in treatments that include clear Invisalign corrective orthodontic trays, lingual braces that fit behind your teeth, and clear ceramic braces for patients who don’t want traditional metal brackets. 

We also offer early orthodontic treatments (sometimes called interventional orthodontics). Many times, interventional treatment can shorten the amount of time your child will need to wear braces — and, sometimes, it can eliminate the need for braces entirely.

Orthodontics Mont Albert

 

How early should my child see an orthodontist?

We recommend that you should take your children for an initial office visit by their seventh birthday. That’s because by the time they're seven years old, their jaws have developed to the stage at which the orthodontist can begin to identify potential problems in their earliest stages. And since children's jaws and teeth still have plenty of growth ahead of them, it’s the ideal time to intervene and provide treatment that can guide that development. 

During your initial visit, our orthodontist in Balwyn will evaluate your child’s teeth and jaws, bite pattern, and other factors.

Some of the common conditions treated with early interventional orthodontics include:

• Overbites, underbites, and crossbites
• Crowding 
• Gaps and uneven spacing
• Bite problems, including teeth that don't line up
• Uneven jaw growth
• Thumb-sucking or pacifier use that may cause abnormal jaw growth later on

If your child needs treatment, our orthodontist will work closely with you and your child to explain your options so you understand the advantages of early care.

Types of early orthodontic treatment

At Tower Dental our Balwyn orthodontist offers an array of early orthodontic treatment options, each of which can be customized for your child's unique needs. Many alignment problems begin with overcrowding, a situation where essentially your child's mouth is just too small to accommodate all of the teeth in normal, straight alignment. When your child's jaw (upper, lower, or both) is small, it can also throw off the bite balance, resulting in long-term problems like uneven tooth wear, chronic headaches and jaw pain, or temporomandibular joint disorder. To treat overcrowding, our orthodontist might recommend an expander, which is a special appliance designed to help your child's jaws grow to accommodate the adult teeth when they come in.

If enlarging the jaw isn't the best option, our orthodontist may recommend extractions instead, including extractions of baby teeth, to make room for adult teeth that are ready to erupt. Other treatment options can include functional appliances to realign the upper and lower jaws or treatments to correct tongue-thrusting and other habits that can push teeth outward.

What to expect during your visit

Your child's first visit is simple and straightforward, but it's not uncommon for a child to be a little nervous. Before the appointment, make sure your child understands that there won't be any treatments performed; it's just a time for the orthodontist to do an evaluation. The visit is painless and doesn't involve needles or drills. During the visit, your child will sit in a dental chair while our orthodontist does an evaluation of your child’s teeth and the way he or she bites. They might also take X-rays and pictures. Once the evaluation is complete, they’ll sit down with you and your child to discuss their findings and go over their recommendations. And, of course, there will be plenty of time for you and your child to ask questions. 

Even if your child's teeth look straight now, they might still need orthodontic care to prevent issues that can arise once the adult teeth come in. Having early orthodontic care at Tower Dental is one of the best things you can do to set your child up for a lifetime of healthy teeth and a beautiful smile. To find out if your child could benefit from early orthodontic treatment, contact us today.

Orthodontics Surrey Hills

 

Orthodontics is not just limited to children, in fact more and more adults are opting in for teeth straightening procedures as people make the decision later in life.

With all kinds of different technologies now on the market, braces are more effective and discreet than ever. But working out which is the right type for you can be overwhelming. It’s important you know how much different types of adult braces cost so you can choose a solution that works for you in terms of both aesthetics and budget.

 

There are three main reasons why your dentist or orthodontist may recommend you have dental braces fitted:

• Your teeth are crooked, crowded or protruding and need to be straightened
• You have gaps between your teeth that need to be closed
• You have a malocclusion (e.g. overbite or underbite), meaning your upper and lower teeth don’t meet properly and this is affecting your bite

If these problems are left untreated they can lead to:

• Difficulty eating
• Difficulty cleaning teeth properly, resulting in further dental problems
• Increased chance of damage to prominent teeth
• Headaches from jaw and muscle strain
• Speech impediments
• Self-consciousness with the appearance of teeth

 

At Tower Dental in Balwyn we offer the latest in aesthetic braces so that you can remain confident during your treatment. Your choices include conventional stainless metal braces, aesthetic braces using crystal clear sapphire brackets, or almost invisible clear aligner braces.

Orthodontics Hawthorn

 

 Clear Fixed Braces

Tooth coloured cosmetic braces work in a similar manner to traditional metal braces. They are tooth coloured and blend in with your natural teeth.

There are different systems available. Clarity and Inovation C are examples of the bracket system we use. Inovation C is a “self-ligating’ variety of tooth coloured braces, which do not use elastic bands to hold the wire in place. These are much easier to keep clean and significantly, discolouration is not a problem with this type of brace. In certain types of bites we may not be able to use tooth coloured braces on your bottom teeth due to risk of tooth wear, we will always discuss this with you at your initial appointment.

 Invisalign

 If you have teeth that are crowded, too far apart or have shifted since wearing conventional braces, invisalign® at Tower Dental may give you a new reason to smile!

Because it is nearly invisible almost no one can tell you are wearing invisalign®, so you can smile more during as well as after your treatment. You can remove invisalign® so you can eat and drink what you like, and studies have shown that it can be better for your dental hygiene during treatment. With no metal or sharp edges, invisalign® is comfortable to wear and does not cause allergies.

The convenience and ease of use have made it the choice of over half a million people, giving hundreds of thousands of people amazing new smiles.

How does it work?

Using the latest advances in 3-D computer technology, invisalign® uses your dentist’s instructions to create a series of custom made removable mouth trays (aligners). These aligners apply a controlled amount of force to your teeth, causing them to move. Each aligner is slightly different, moving your teeth gradually into the desired position. 

How long will Invisalign® take?

Invisalign® only works while you wear the aligners. We recommend they are worn full time day and night (min 22–24 hours).

Each aligner is worn for 2 weeks, (before moving onto the next in the series), moving your teeth millimetre by millimetre, week by week, until you reach your desired result.

Treatment length will vary depending on your case, but the average invisalign® treatment is nine to eighteen months.

During treatment you should visit your Balwyn orthodonist, until it is determined that your treatment is complete.

Once active treatment is complete, there may be some fine tuning to create that perfect smile.

Orthodontics Camberwell

 

Metal braces

If you think there is only one type of metal teeth brace, you’re in for a surprise. Yes, traditional fixed braces are still around, and are probably the best option if you want cheap metal braces. But there are other styles to consider, which offer different benefits.

Even plain old metal fixed braces have come a long way from the ‘train tracks’ you or your parents may have experienced at school. They have become lighter, smaller and less noticeable as technology has improved.

Having these braces fitted takes 1-2 hours. The process itself shouldn’t hurt but it’s normal for teeth to feel sore after the initial fitting, and after each adjustment.

Treatment using a conventional fixed appliance usually takes 18-24 months. During this time you’ll be at increased risk of tooth decay so it’s important to take good care of your teeth and clean your braces carefully.

What are metal braces made of?

The metal brackets used in fixed metal braces are usually made from high-grade stainless steel, sometimes combined with titanium. These brackets are attached to each tooth and a flexible metal wire, made from stainless steel and other metals, is threaded through each one.

Small rubber bands or metal ties are used to secure the wire. By tightening the wire in different places, orthodontists can manoeuvre teeth into the desired position.

Other components of metal teeth braces may include:

• Larger rubber bands or chains used to connect different teeth (from top to bottom) and pull them in certain directions
• Metal bands (orthodontic bands) placed around some molars to help with straightening
• Some kind of headgear that must to be worn at night to aid treatment (usually only when significant correction is required)

A major advantage is that metal fixed braces cost less than most other styles.

Orthodontics  Kew

Our wide choice of treatments means you can choose braces that suit your teeth, your budget and your lifestyle. Why not book an appointment to see our Orthodontist in Balwyn today?

Dental Payment Plans

To help make treatment more affordable we offer a range of flexible payment plans. Book your appointment today.

Find out how orthodontics can help you look your best with the benefits of better oral health and physical well-being. 

Schedule an appointment online or call our office on 03 9817 7144 to arrange a personal consultation today.