Category: Braces

Ever heard the expression, “the longer you leave it, the worse it gets”? Well this is definitely the case with malocclusions and crooked teeth. Childhood is the time when the skull is still growing and the bones are still relatively soft, making it easier to fix any problems that may become a concern in the future. We at Aura Dental know and understand this and can advise any parent that brings their child in for a check-up whether or not they will need braces in St. John’s Wood to avoid any future problems, thus giving your child the best opportunity for good oral health in the future.

Problems seen in the pre-teen years

We don’t need to wait until the skull has stopped growing to see what problems may come up in terms of malocclusion or crooked teeth. Once a child has lost all their baby teeth it is easy for our dentists and orthodontic specialists to determine how the mouth will develop over time with the use of expert knowledge, X-rays and even 3D digital technologies. By the stage of about 7-9 years old, it will be clear if your child will develop any problems with their bite. Overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites can all be fixed with braces in St. John’s Wood, by gently pulling the jaw into place over time and guiding the teeth to grow into their proper positions.

Malocclusions (which are misalignments in the bite) are often hereditary, which means that they are caused by your child’s genetic makeup, but they are completely fixable, especially in childhood. However, sometimes they can be formed by habits in a child’s toddler years, like sucking on a pacifier after the age of 3, extended bottle feeding and thumb sucking, which can all cause the shape of the jaw and pallet to grow incorrectly. 

How braces work

A bracket is secured to the front of each tooth with a special dental glue, then a wire is fed through all the brackets and tension is applied to that wire with varying degrees over time. This tension guides the teeth to grow in their proper positions and as the jawbone grows and hardens over time, it secures the correctly aligned teeth.

When it comes to jaw position, elastics of different tensions that are secured to the brackets on the top teeth are linked to the brackets of the bottom teeth and they pull the jaw ever so slightly to encourage it to grow in the correct way thus fixing any future bite issues.

Usually, patients with braces need to visit their dentist every month or so to allow them to make adjustments to the tension settings, as the teeth and jaw shifts over time.

Why they benefit children

How many times has your child come home having lost a piece of school uniform, or has asked you to buy them their 5th eraser for the year? The benefit of braces in St. John’s Wood is that they are permanent and fixed to the teeth, they cannot be taken out and lost, making your investment in their oral health secure for the full length of time that the treatment takes place.

There is a whole world of options out there to consider when it comes to finding the right orthodontics and we at Aura Dental can provide sound advice on which option will not only be right for your condition, but will also fit into your lifestyle with ease. While it might be appropriate for children in primary school to have a set of metal tracks to adjust their teeth as they grow, this is possibly not the best option for a young professional trying to make it in an image-focused corporate world. A set of the right braces in St. John’s Wood could provide you with more confidence in your image and give you better overall dental health in the long run.

Why should I invest in teeth straightening?

Let’s consider for a moment that perhaps having crooked teeth doesn’t bother you too much and that you’re quite happy with your image, we are thrilled that your confidence remains undeterred by any imperfection, but are concerned at the potential health risks this may cause. When teeth overlap with crowding, as is often the case with many orthodontic patients, it can be more difficult to clean them properly, which may lead to various complications.

Cleanliness – Straighter teeth are easier to clean with brushing and provide the ability to floss in each nook and cranny with ease. However, when you miss those hard to reach places because of misalignment, a build-up of plaque and bacteria will form, in probability leading to gum disease and tooth decay which may require surgery to remove teeth.

Jaw pain – Crooked teeth may throw your jaw off balance which affects how you chew food, having an imbalance in your jaw could result in pain in the joints and muscles of your face. Fixing any alignment issues in the teeth and jaw with braces in St John’s Wood will result in good long term oral health with fewer complications.

What are my options?

Invisalign – This is a revolutionary treatment that is very popular with adults because it is virtually invisible and offers results in a shorter space of time. By using 3D digital technology, your teeth are scanned and a calculation is made as to how they will shift over time, then custom clear aligners are created to be changed every 1-2 weeks to move the teeth in small increments until you get the result you desire.

Lingual braces – Another popular option for adults who don’t want to have traditional braces on the front of their teeth for both aesthetic and professional reasons. The braces are instead fitted onto the backs of the teeth where they remain unseen as adjustments are made over time to straighten the teeth.

Inman aligner – A removable orthodontic appliance that is used to adjust crowding in the front teeth with maximum efficiency over a short amount of time. This treatment can be used purely as an orthodontic treatment or in preparation for a smile makeover with crowns and veneers.

Speaking to your dentist about the braces in St John’s Wood that are available to you will help you make the best-informed decision for your overall dental health and smile.

In the past braces have been associated with pre-teens and teenagers; however, there are an increasing number of adults that are being proactive in caring for their oral health. In a recent survey by the British Orthodontic Society, it was shown that there is an increase of 75% in adult patients. The improvements in design have made braces less conspicuous, and if you are looking to get braces in St John’s Wood we can help you to find what you need! 

All braces have a similar method, that is, applying pressure over time. Over an extended period, your teeth will be directed by our skilled practitioners to realign in a more favourable position. We can change the shape of something as rigid as our jaw, because underneath our gums is a membrane surrounded by bone that connects our teeth to our jaw. This membrane controls the movement of our teeth just as you would control the wheels of your car. So to change the direction of our teeth, we can add pressure to the membrane with braces. Stretching the car metaphor a little further, we can say that the pressure is like the fuel that propels you forward to a confident smile.

So no matter your age, we have a wide range of treatments to suit you and your specific needs. We believe here that a patient should make informed and educated decisions for their oral health. Interested? Braces in St John’s Wood provide a variety of options, including metal, ceramic, lingual, and Damon braces to fit your needs.

Metal braces

Metal braces are the traditional treatment. Made from stainless steel brackets and wires they tend to move your teeth slightly faster than other options. Their appearance is noticeable, but it is a reliable approach in improving the structure of your teeth.

Ceramic braces

Ceramic braces are the same size and shape of metal braces, except they are tooth coloured, making them less noticeable. They work well and if you are self-conscious about the appearance of metal braces, these may be the option for you.

Lingual braces

Lingual braces are custom-made to sit behind the patients ‘bite’. This treatment plan is hardly visible and less invasive than other methods. If this option is something of interest, please contact any one of our practitioners.

Damon braces

Damon braces are self-ligating fixed braces that are designed for comfort and ease. Because we genuinely care about our patients, braces in St John’s Wood provide a quality service that produces desired results consistently, and we also do it with minimum discomfort to our valued patients.

Although these are fitted the same way as regular metal braces, instead of brackets that tighten and adjust the braces regularly, we use a slide mechanism attaching wires to brackets to move with the teeth as they realign. The result is a better looking, comfortable fit that produces strong returns.

To see whether you qualify for any of our options, you should book a consultation with one of our experienced dental practitioners at St John’s Wood. At our practice, we believe that every patient deserves to make an educated decision about their oral health, informed by the integrity, quality, and empathic nature of our staff. The only pressure you will face from us when it comes to your oral health is the pressure applied to your teeth.

In an ideal world, we would all have teeth that are perfectly straight, strong and healthy, meaning that we would never need to go for dental treatment. Sadly however, this is not the world we live in, and braces are often necessary for us to have for a variety of reasons. Braces are often used as a corrective treatment, to close gaps between teeth and to straighten crooked or protruding teeth. Many of us, who may have had or heard about braces in the past probably know already that this is the purpose of braces. However, what is lesser known are the different types of effective, subtle and available braces in St John’s Wood. Some examples of the braces in St John’s Wood are Invisalign, Damon and lingual braces. In this article we’ll take a look at and examine these different types of braces, and hopefully provide the information needed so that you can make an informed decision about whether any one of these types of braces in St John’s Wood are right for you.

If you do end up deciding in favour of getting Invisalign, lingual braces or Damon braces, then one experienced practice you may wish to consider is Aura Dental. At Aura Dental, we can offer you a range of treatments that are provided in a relaxing environment – to help you feel at ease – performed by patient-centred staff, with the ultimate goal of giving you high quality treatments that leave you with an encounter that was nothing but positive.

Invisalign

Invisalign has become a very popular method of straightening teeth in recent times. The way that this treatment works is by providing you with a set of clear plastic aligners that fit snugly over your teeth. Most find these aligners to be easy to put on and remove, allowing you to change the aligner you are wearing easily as a part of the treatment, and also allowing you to remove the aligners for when you’re eating or chewing etc. They are also nearly invisible in most cases, which many find to be an appealing draw to them, as it means that other people can not tell that patients are wearing anything over their teeth.

Lingual braces

Similarly, as with Invisalign, lingual braces are also virtually invisible. They work much like regular braces to straighten teeth, however they are fitted to the inside of the teeth rather than the front surface, making it very difficult to see them. Lingual braces work by having a strong arch wire attached to them. As the braces (and thus the wire) is being attached to unstraightened teeth, the wire will gradually lose its shape. However, by going back to your dentist who fitted the lingual braces, you can get the wire constantly straightened, which allows the braces to slowly pull your teeth to the desired position.

Damon

Damon braces are more akin to traditional braces in terms of appearance, however they differ by using a slide mechanism to straighten teeth, which moves naturally as they realign. Many people have enjoyed the traditional benefits of Damon treatment, considering that it is a treatment with a low amount of discomfort associated with it and that it is also comfortable, with a relatively low amount of friction occuring on the teeth. Keeping friction to a minimum is beneficial, as it avoids the teeth deteriorating or being eroded.

There are many myths surrounding dentistry as a whole; root canals cause more damage than good, fillings will inevitably fall out and, once you are over the age of 7, there is no point in trying to undertake orthodontic treatment.

In this article, we will focus on the last of these myths.

Surprisingly, thanks to modern advances in dental technology and training, more adults than ever are able to undertake orthodontic treatments, so age is no longer a factor in getting that straighter, more symmetrical smile.

When you come to Aura Dental for orthodontic work as an adult, our team will be able to offer you a variety of braces in St John’s Wood, including clear and invisible aligners. Designed solely to correct cosmetic issues with your teeth, these options work at an accelerated rate when compared to traditional orthodontic versions, meaning you can get that straighter smile sooner. Brilliant!

But, what is the process involved in undertaking these braces in St John’s Wood? Is it any different from the traditional metal alternatives? Read on to learn more.

Initial consultation

When you come to Aura Dental for a straighter smile as an adult, our team will offer you an initial consultation.

At this meeting, our dentists will assess your suitability for Invisalign cosmetic braces in St John’s Wood and will answer any questions you may have. If deemed suitable, we will take a 3-D scan of your mouth, to allow for a more accurate prediction of how your teeth will need to move during the treatment.

The fitting

When our team receives your custom-made Invisalign aligner, we will arrange a meeting with you for the initial fitting.

At this stage, we will discuss with you the predicted length of time that you will need to wear each aligner for, and will instruct you on how to keep the aligners in good shape, alongside how to clean them correctly.

You may notice that as soon as you place the aligner over your teeth, it feels slightly tight; this is normal and part of the realignment process. If your aligners are too loose, then our team may need to make adjustments.

Wearing

Our dentists can advise you on how long you will need to wear Invisalign for each day to obtain the desired results, but as a general rule, it is likely that you will need to wear them for up to 22 hours each day.

You will also need to take them out to eat food and brush your teeth. Before putting them back in, we recommend that you brush your teeth, to avoid pressing plaque against your enamel.

Aftercare

Once your teeth are straightened, our team will usually recommend that you wear a retainer for a set time.

This is to prevent your teeth from moving back into their original position. It is likely that you will need to wear a retainer for less time than the original aligner, so, don’t worry! You will be retainer free in no time!

First impressions are everything and can mean the difference between making friends or not, or landing that dream job. Do your crooked teeth hold you back to the point where you smile less and are dubbed “unapproachable”?

Fortunately, the advent of modern orthodontics has allowed people with crooked teeth to realign them with a broad spectrum of straightening aids.

Since their early introduction to society, braces in St John’s Wood are responsible for many smile transformations. 

If you want to fix your teeth but worry about wearing braces in St John’s Wood, visit our practice Aura Dental, and prepare to have your misconceptions about orthodontic devices blown out of the water.

There is more choice

People against the idea of wearing braces might picture archetypal braces in St John’s Wood, which has completely transformed over the years.

Upgrades have been made to orthodontic devices, making them sleeker, more subtle, and comfortable. There are also several types of braces from which to choose, depending on the nature of your dental issue and your preference.

In this day and age there is less stigma to wearing braces, however, many still regard straightening devices as geared toward children and teenagers.

With this in mind, a key feature of orthodontic devices currently on the market is discretion.

What types of braces are effective but subtle?

If you need braces but want to maintain a professional image at work, there are a couple of devices that may work around your lifestyle.

Invisalign

Invisalign has revolutionised teeth-straightening by replacing metal wires and ligatures of yesteryear with smooth, plastic aligner trays that straighten your teeth in a similar timeframe.

The Invisalign experience is described as, for the most part, pleasant and comfortable with few, if any, complications involved.

Invisalign works around your lifestyle, meaning you will not have to make any adjustments to your cleaning regimen, or avoid specific foods, because you wear braces.

Because the device comprises transparent aligners, people will not know that you are wearing them, which makes it ideal for wearing in public spaces such as work, university, hanging out with friends, or going on dates.

Lingual Braces

Invisalign may not be the most suitable aid for you if your dental issue is unique or severe. Fortunately, there are other devices available to you that are as hidden, one of them being lingual braces.

Lingual which means near or towards the tongue, which is where your braces sit. Behind your teeth and in front of your tongue. By placing the fixed metal here, it is hidden from plain sight.

This straightening device is highly effective because it is customised to fit the shape of your mouth.

Damon

If you do not mind wearing metal but are looking for something more functional than conventional orthodontic devices, you may find what you are looking for in Damon.

Damon straightening aids replace ligatures with slide mechanism, which makes adjusting your braces in St John’s Wood more convenient and less time consuming. And as long as you avoid brightly coloured bands, your device is less noticeable.

When someone brings up the subject of braces a lot of older patients are not overly keen on the idea, because of the unfortunate social stigma attached to wearing them. But there are actually a number of benefits to wearing a brace as an adult,  we can use them to help straighten out any crooked teeth you may have to improve your smile, but also to improve dental hygiene. Straight teeth make it easier to keep teeth clean and also help to minimise many problems associated with misalignment.

If this procedure has piqued your curiosity, then here is a little extra information on how we use braces in St John’s Wood to help you get that straight looking smile.

What are they?

For some an appointment for braces in St John’s Wood might mean being fitted with the stereotypical bracket and wire setup, but depending on your case, we may also offer an almost invisible alternative.

Known as clear braces, they can be fixed or removable depending on the degree of rectification required. The fixed type of clear braces can have clear or tooth-coloured brackets and wires. However the most popular types of clear braces are see-through plastic aligners that are custom moulded to fit only your mouth and over time help straighten out any troublesome crooked teeth. What makes this particular piece of corrective device different is that it can be removed at any time.

How they can straighten out your smile

The practice of using braces to correct crooked teeth is fairly common and simple. The idea is that the brace will exert a small, gentle and direct amount of pressure on specific areas of your mouth over an extended period of treatment time, with the goal of slowly realigning them to a straighter position.

Generally it can take several months for the desired results to start appearing, although the length of time can depend on the specific patient situation and age, as those that are younger tend to have a shorter turnaround for this procedure. But your dentist will usually discuss this with you and provide an estimate for your particular case.  

What does the fitting involve?

The fitting of the brace is fairly straightforward and depending on the type of appliance being used it can take a matter of minutes. The bracket and wire setup of clear brace is normally attached with a special dental adhesive through a simple procedure. This brace, also known as a ceramic brace, is also very unobtrusive whilst giving your dentist greater control over movement of teeth. The removable see-through types of braces involve a short non-invasive scanning session to get the measurements for your aligner as accurate as possible. At Aura Dental our team will fit you with a brace that has been created with a high level of detail and accuracy to provide a comfortable and efficiently fitted aligner.

Is it painful?

A pretty common question that crops up when treatments are being discussed is whether it’s going to be painful at all.

The process of fitting a brace isn’t overly invasive or particularly uncomfortable, although you may start to experience some mild aches in your teeth after wearing them for a few days. This is because your teeth are being forcibly moved, so naturally your body isn’t too happy about that. To counter this just use painkillers if things start to get a little too much.

Hopefully this has helped to clear up a few things about our braces and how we can use them to make your smile a little straighter. For further information about this treatment or to schedule your own appointment, just contact the practice and have a chat with our team.

Braces are not as stigmatised now as they were in the past, when adults wearing straightening aids seemed unthinkable.

Why this might now be the case is that there are several different types and methods of correcting crooked teeth that take account of people’s unique issues, as well as their lifestyle needs.

If you hate the way your teeth look, why not step into our practice at Aura Dental for a consultation regarding braces in St John’s Wood?

Taking a closer look at our methods of treatment

• Invisalign

Invisalign should need no form of introduction. But in case you have not heard about it, Invisalign is a device that straightens teeth without wires – clear, BPA-approved plastic retainers are used in their place.

Invisalign corrects overbites and realigns overlapping, rotated, and irregularly-shaped teeth invisibly. Friends, family, and work colleagues will not know that you are wearing braces, yet the device is hard at work, pulling your teeth into their desired position.

Another reason for its popularity may be due to the technology we use for invisible braces in St John’s Wood. Utilising our digital imaging machine, you can see the predicted results, even before you have started treatment.

We also use it to check the progress of your teeth and to ascertain whether you are on course with your treatment.

• Six month smiles

One complaint that we hear all the time is about the longevity of treatment, people do not want to wait for one to two years before they can flaunt perfectly straight teeth.

‘Six month smiles’ might be a more fitting solution for you if you are impatient and want to fix your teeth quickly.

However, bear in mind that the braces in St John’s Wood we use do not work more rapidly than the conventional types but only partially straighten your teeth. Only the teeth that are visible when you smile are corrected.

• Inman aligner

An Inman aligner is similar to six month smiles in that only targeted teeth, such as protruding front teeth and overcrowding is addressed. However, you can enjoy the freedom of removing the device when you see fit.

• Damon

Not everyone likes the detachable nature of Invisalign, and some people’s dental issues cannot be adequately fixed with six month smiles. Damon braces are a permanent orthodontic device that differs from traditional braces in that a clip mechanism replaces the ligatures and archwires.

Its users have reported the clip mechanism as being more efficient than the original wiring system of braces, because it allows for hassle-free adjustment. Not only that, but without the ligatures, the brace is less noticeable.

• Removable orthodontic retainers

People forget how important it is to maintain newly straightened teeth, this requires a retainer.

Like braces and other straightening devices, the device might feel unfamiliar, bulky, or uncomfortable at first, but your mouth and teeth will eventually adapt to its presence.

For the first three months after wearing your braces, you need to wear the retainer for at least sixteen hours a day, and after that, keep it in at night.

There are various ways to straighten your teeth – why not find out from us!

Thanks to modern orthodontics, a straighter smile is easier to attain now than ever, but not everyone is thrilled about the idea of wearing conventional braces.

Want to correct your smile without having to wear unattractive metal on your teeth? We always recommend Invisalign in St John’s Wood to our shy patients who do not wish to draw attention to themselves or for adults who think wearing metal braces at their age is inappropriate.

Who are we and what can we offer you?

We are Aura Dental, a reputable dental practice located in the heart of London. We offer a wide range of procedures to treat various problems, but we are particularly enthused about Invisalign in St John’s Wood, a groundbreaking treatment in the field of orthodontics.

What makes Invisalign in St John’s Wood different from traditional straightening aids?

Invisalign or invisible braces comprise of transparent custom-fitted braces that can be removed to eat and brush your teeth.

The device is appealing because it is virtually unnoticeable in your mouth, so you can wear it in public, to work and around friends without anybody knowing.

How can these invisible braces work without a functional wiring system?

Standard methods of straightening teeth use archwires, ligatures and metal brackets to pull your teeth into place. The same amount of pressure is placed on your teeth at once and your teeth slowly move into position over a period of one to two years or longer.

On the other hand with Invisalign, your teeth are moved incrementally using multiple aligner trays which must be replaced every two weeks for the treatment to be effective.

Advanced technology is also used to monitor your progress, right from the start of your journey with us. We use Clincheck, a 3D imaging technology which shows us whether your teeth are moving correctly and also gives us – and you – an accurate prediction of how your teeth should look post-treatment.

By knowing what the results will be of your treatment, you are more likely to stay motivated and remain disciplined in consistently wearing your aligner for eighteen months to two years.

What are some benefits of Invisalign?

Apart from being invisible, and an efficient straightening aid, there are other advantages of becoming an Invisalign user. For one thing, you will not have to worry about ulcers and mouth sores developing, as can happen when metal braces rub against the skin, which can be uncomfortable and painful.

The smooth plastic of Invisalign aligner trays will not result in you nursing unpleasant mouth injuries.

The detachable nature of invisible braces means you can take them out whenever you want to, but it is better to keep them in for twenty-two hours per day. You can remove the device before you brush your teeth, allowing for you to remove bacteria and leftover food in those hard-to-reach spaces.

In this way, your oral health is not compromised by your straightening aid. The same cannot be said for metal braces, which make cleaning teeth more of a challenge where plaque easily accumulates if you are not careful.

It is never too late and you are never too old to have your teeth straightened. Interested? Call us today at Aura Dental.