Metal braces
The best choice for difficult cases, and the cheapest. People can see them, but today’s brackets are much smaller than the ones you remember.
Orthodontics
Braces and clear aligners
Straightening teeth takes time. For most people it is eighteen months to three years. Choose your dentist carefully, and make sure you understand what you are agreeing to before you start.
Who this is for
Crowded or overlapping teeth. Gaps you would rather not have. A bite that does not close properly, which over the years wears teeth down unevenly and can cause jaw pain.
Most people think of teenagers, but about half of our braces patients are adults. Some never had treatment when they were younger. Others had it, then stopped wearing the retainer.
Your options
Four ways to straighten teeth
Which one suits you depends on how much your teeth need to move, how much you mind people seeing it, and cost. We will be straight with you about all four.
Ceramic braces
The same system, but with tooth-coloured brackets. Much harder to notice when you are talking to someone. Costs more and breaks more easily.
Clear aligners
Clear trays you take out to eat. Almost invisible. They only work if you wear them 20 to 22 hours a day, and they do not suit every case.
Retainers
You cannot skip these. Without a retainer your teeth slowly move back. We fit it at the end and you wear it at night, long term. This is the part people skip and later regret.
The process
What the next two years look like
Assessment
We check your teeth, take X-rays and photos, then work out what is possible and how long it will take.
Your plan
You get the options, the timeline and the full cost in writing. Take it home and think about it. Nobody will push you to decide in the chair.
Fitting
We fit the braces, or give you your first set of aligners. Expect a few sore days while your teeth settle.
Adjustments
Every four to eight weeks. Short visits, usually fifteen to twenty minutes.
Retention
Braces come off and the retainer goes in. Wear it at night to keep everything in place.
Common questions
Orthodontics, answered
Most cases take eighteen months to three years. Small crowding can finish sooner. Fixing a bite takes longer. At the first check we give you an honest estimate, not a hopeful one.
Braces are normally paid in instalments over the treatment, not all at once, which makes it easier for most families. At the first check you get the full price and the payment plan in writing, before you agree to anything. Send us a WhatsApp for the current starting prices.
Fitting them does not hurt. Your teeth feel sore for two or three days after fitting and after each adjustment. Soft food helps. After that most people forget the braces are there.
No. Teeth move at any age, as long as the gums and bone under them are healthy. We treat patients in their forties and fifties. Gum health matters, not your age.
If your case suits them, yes. Aligners work well for small and medium crowding. They struggle when teeth need to move a long way or turn. We will tell you honestly which one gives you the better result.
Treatment just takes longer. Send us a message and we will book you again. Try not to leave a gap of several months, but missing one visit is not a disaster.
First step
Book an assessment
One visit tells you what is possible, how long it will take, and what it costs. You do not have to decide anything after that.