Orthodontics

What is orthodontics?

Orthodontics is the dental speciality which focuses on the diagnosis & treatment of abnormal positions of the teeth & jaws eg crooked teeth, abnormal bites and mismatched jaw sizes.

Orthodontic treatment has provided huge improvements for our patients in terms of enhancing their confidence, chewing function, dental hygiene, and overall quality of life.

Who can provide orthodontic treatment?

In theory, any dentist in the UK is permitted to ‘do’ orthodontics, on the assumption that they practice within their competence. However, undergraduate education only exposes dental students to basic orthodontic theory and simple techniques, so a detailed knowledge of orthodontics is only obtained through three years of full-time specialist training. Weekend courses run by sales-driven commercial companies (eg Invisalign^TM) are no substitute!

In the UK, the academic and clinical training to become an orthodontist is closely supervised in accredited teaching hospital posts and quality-assured by the Royal Colleges of Surgeons. Specialists may be recognised by the resultant MOrth RCS or FDS (Orth) RCS qualifications and inclusion on the General Dental Council's list of orthodontic specialists (gdc-uk.org).

Why Choose the Priestgate Clinic for teeth straightening?

Orthodontics at the Priestgate Clinic is provided by specialists (not general dentists), supported by an orthodontic therapist & trained orthodontic nurses.

We provide clinical care tailored to each individual's circumstances & smile aspirations. We do this using the latest techniques & research evidence.

To us, professionalism involves guiding each patient through their choices & aiming for the best possible result. We don't simply sell products or types of braces, and we don't offer unproven gimmicks or hollow enticements (like a free 'consultation').

You may be surprised that benefiting from our expertise & first class technology doesn’t mean higher fees than elsewhere, because our treatments are highly focussed & clinically efficient.

Retention

Every orthodontic treatment is followed by retainers to prevent relapse (where teeth become crooked again). For us, retention is an integral and long-term consideration, not a brief after-thought.

Quite simply, why invest in your smile for it to unravel afterwards?

Ironically, the quicker the treatment then the greater the relapse risks since the oral tissues haven't had time to adapt. Therefore, the best long-term control typically requires a combination of both transparent plastic retainers & discreet bonded wires (shown here on the rear surfaces of the front teeth).

Orthodontic fees

Orthodontics is a very valuable investment, which we price individually in a fair & transparent manner. In particular:

• All treatment aspects are included in the quoted fees – we don’t charge extra for essential items such as x-rays and retainers since your treatment can’t be done properly without them!
• We don’t offer ‘free consultations’ – orthodontics requires a specialist clinical assessment, rather than a sales 'consultation' for a commercial product (eg Invisalign) or ‘quick-fix’ fad. Indeed, professional regulations (www.gdc.org.uk) state that you should be given accurate information on all of your appropriate options, and not just sold one treatment.