Orthodontic treatments are mostly provided through braces although there are other procedures as well. The range of treatments proves effective enhance appearance as well as correcting alignments of the teeth and the jaws. Dentists and orthodontists rely on the range of procedures to correct cases involving crooked, crowded and protruding teeth as well as bite problems.

Orthodontic dentistry proves beneficial in ways more than one. Some of its benefits include the following –

• Correcting crowding of the teeth
• Straightening of the teeth
• Correcting problems related to your bite (in other words facilitating evenly meeting of the teeth in the front and the back)
• Minimising chances of damage to the prominent teeth in the mouth

There are a large number of people in the world with crowded or crooked teeth. In other words their teeth do not meet evenly when they bite. This type of issues has deeper implications; it is often very difficult for these people to clean their teeth and the gums properly to maintain sound oral hygiene. As a result their teeth and the gums are more likely to become damage very easily. In many cases incorrect or abnormal positioning of the teeth and the jaw affects the facial shape and structure. Best Orthodontic dentistry also corrects treatments to many other issues related to your oral health including cleft lip and palate. 

More about orthodontic procedures

Usually orthodontic treatments take off for a child only when most of his or her adult teeth have already started to come through. This usually happens when one is about 12 years of age. However a dentist or an orthodontist may pre-pone or postpone treatments depending on many other factors some of which include the growth and the structure of an individual’s face and the jaw, the number of the adult teeth that have started coming through, etc. On the other hand orthodontic treatments for adults may take off at any age. However the actual treatment will start only when one achieves a sound standard of oral hygiene. Why? This is because almost every orthodontic treatment is likely to make one prone to tooth decay and gum disease. 

Different types of orthodontic treatments available

Orthodontic dentistry relies on braces to correct the position of your teeth. The exact treatment that a patient will undergo depends on the exact problem the person is facing with the teeth. Dentists and orthodontists recommend headgears to patients in certain cases although that number is quite small. They are also known to place screws in the jaw which is a temporary or makeshift arrangement to correct your problem. Wearing braces is one of the commonest things for orthodontic patients of every possible age group. To sort out issues like twisted or overlapped teeth even tooth extraction is done on patients.

The length of this range of treatments is never uniform and it always varies from case to case. In fact the treatment length depends on the level of complexity involved in a case. Usually the duration of these treatments ranges from 6 months to 30 months (two and half years). Your dentist or orthodontist will provide you with a specific timeline along with detailed estimate before starting your treatment.   

Once your treatment is complete, you have to be on retainers or retaining braces. This range of orthodontic appliances is very crucial in the types of treatments we are discussing. The range of appliances actually prevents relapsing or shifting of the teeth into their initial position after your treatment successfully completes and you stop wearing orthodontic braces or aligners. Actually relapsing of the teeth is a very common and natural phenomenon in orthodontic dentistry. It negates or undoes all the hard work and the impressive results achieved through a treatment. With help of retaining braces the results of your treatment are made permanent. The majority of retainers used these days are easily removable. Usually a patient has to be on retainers for about a year after the completion of treatment however you must listen to the instructions of your dentist or orthodontist regarding this matter. In certain cases dentists may fix a thin wire permanently to the back of a patient’s teeth to hold those in correct places. 

Accessing orthodontic dentistry treatments

Usually your regular dentist will recommend you to an orthodontist to get the right and precise treatment however in some cases the dentist may provide the treatment directly. It is important to note that ever practising dentist and orthodontist in the UK has to be registered with the GDC or General Dental Council explains a professional who provides orthodontic braces for adults at reasonable costs. 

NHS treatments

Orthodontic treatments are free on the NHS for patients under the age 18. However one must have a distinct health requirement to undergo the treatment to enjoy the free benefit. In real world scenario one has to encounter a lengthy waiting list too. The NHS makes use of a rating system to assess eligibility of a candidate to undergo NHS treatment. This rating system is called the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need or IOTN. The NHS sanctions treatment only to cases that are rated either grade 4 or grade 5 by the IOTN system. The decision on cases that fall under grade 3 is taken on individual basis. However it is relevant mentioning that the NHS also offers treatments when the appearance of the teeth, jaws or face of an individual is a matter of concern. 

Treatments from private dentists

The option of private dentistry treatments is always there for you in the UK and people access it in large numbers when they either do not qualify for free treatments on the NHS or they want to avoid the lengthy waiting list there.

It is important to mention that by and large orthodontic treatments from private dentists are usually expensive although treatments are available easily. The standard cost of orthodontists’ braces for adults ranges from £2,000 to £6,000. The cost depends on a number of factors including the level of severity involved in a case, the type of appliances that are used, qualifications and experiences of a dentist, the location of the dental practice where a patient undergoes the treatment and others. The cost is usually higher in urban areas compared to rural areas. At 1A Orthodontics, your dentist or orthodontist will provide you a detailed treatment plan along with detailed breakups of your exact treatment cost before starting your treatment.