Teeth Straightening
Fixing your crooked teeth – let’s get you smiling for the future.
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Ian Hutchinson
Specialist in Orthodontics, including Lingual
BDS FDS RCSEd MOrthEd MSc(Bris) PGA
Ian qualified in Dentistry from Newcastle Dental School in 1991 and after several Hospital posts, including Maxillofacial Surgery and time in General practice, he undertook his specialist orthodontic training in Bristol (1996-1999) to become one of the UK’s renowned Specialist Orthodontists and a master in his field. Ian has been Chairman of the British Lingual Orthodontic Society and has created and run a MSc Orthodontic program in Lingual Orthodontics for Warwick University. Ian is a member of Spear Education, assisting many an aspiring special interest dentist along their training pathway, in addition to being a judge on the UK Aesthetic...
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What is Orthodontics?
Orthodontics is the science of moving teeth. Whilst commonly prescribed for teenagers, from ages of 13 onwards, there are treatments that can be done for younger children, to improve their developing bites and smiles, and Orthodontics are becoming more popular for adults of all ages.
You may want your teeth straightened in readiness for a wedding, or are fed up with crowded teeth, and difficulty with cleaning them as an adult… there is no stigma in modern Orthodontics with treatments available that are virtually invisible.
Crowded teeth or closing spaces?
Having straight teeth will automatically give patients more confidence, and will allow for better cleaning, healthier gums, and less risk of getting decay in-between tight crowded teeth. Orthodontics is about achieving a nicer smile, with your own natural teeth. Sometimes nature gave you too much space, or too little space, and Orthodontics can be used to open or close gaps, and allow for a more balanced bite and smile.
Comprehensive Orthodontics
Every patient we see is unique, and there are a variety of different reasons why patients want to improve their smile. Commonly it is the position of the teeth which are a problem, since over time the evolution of our jaws means that jaw bones have become smaller, but the size of the teeth, which are genetically predetermined from our parents, haven’t. This can result is varying degrees of crowding, and unhappy patients.
Comprehensive orthodontics utilises fixed or removable braces, sometimes combined with aligner therapy, to correct all of your bite problems, combining functional gains, with your aesthetic needs for longer term stability. Teeth will always want to move back, so retention of the new position of your teeth is for life.
We also use Orthodontic pre-restorative work, to get the teeth in the correct position such as implants, veneers or whitening before using other techniques to improve your smile.
Invisibly correct crooked teeth
Invisalign is the world’s most popular Orthodontic aligner system. The company have treated 20 million patients to date, and the process involves the wearing of a series of planned, clear, removable aligners that gradually straighten your teeth. There are no brackets and wires, and none of the social stigmas that come with metal braces. Invisalign clear aligners are virtually invisible — people may not even notice you’re wearing them.
Invisalign clear aligners are made of a patented flexible plastic. Following digital scans of your teeth with the Trios scanner, a unique digital treatment plan is made called a Clincheck. This demonstrates, via a digital graphic, the exact movements of your teeth from your current situation to the final desired new bite and smile.
Invisalign clear aligners are then designed and produced, the plastic applying the right amount of force on your teeth, in the right place, at the right time, based on your Clincheck plan.
What are the obvious advantages of Invisalign?
You can remove your aligners to eat and drink, to brush and floss, or for special occasions. There are no metal brackets or wires that could irritate your mouth or cause ulcers.
What happens when I approve my Clincheck?
Once you approve your plan, your unique aligners will be created. You will wear each set of aligners for up to 23 hours a day, leaving them out for eating, and you sleep with them in. You will change to a new set of aligners every 7-10 days. Each set of aligners will gently and gradually shift your teeth into place, according to your treatment plan, with each change progressing you towards your beautiful new smile.
Video Case Study
Example Clincheck showing expected correction to patient teeth
Combination Treatments
“Align, Bleach and Bond”
We whiten your teeth using a special gel in trays (bleach*), and then we add white composite resin fillings (bond) to finalise your new confident, straighter and whiter smile. * Hydrogen peroxide is used, not “bleach”, which is safely prescribed by your dentist, and is only legally available from your prescribing dentist
Sectional fixed Orthodontics and TADs
We can use brackets on teeth in a localised way, rather than encompassing the whole mouth. In some cases, we need to open up spaces by moving teeth, which have tipped or over erupted, to allow space for implants, for example. To facilitate this we use Temporary Anchorage Device (TADs) which are small screws placed in the gum next to teeth, under local anaesthetic. These are attached to the teeth to help anchor certain teeth, to facilitate opening up of spaces, or connected to elastics to make space and move teeth.
View a photo gallery showing the correction of an over-erupted tooth using TADs.
Outset - tooth over-erupted
Temporary anchorage device (TADs) applied
Part way through the treatment - the tooth is beginning to intrude upwards
End of treatment - tooth successfully pushed upwards to gain space
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