Crowded, gappy or crooked teeth are not only a cosmetic issue. They trap plaque in places a brush cannot reach, they wear unevenly, and an uneven bite can load some teeth far harder than others.
Orthodontics is one of the three services our patients ask about most, so we assess it properly here rather than sending you away for an opinion. Some cases suit clear aligners, some genuinely need fixed braces, and some are better referred to a specialist. You will get a straight answer about which yours is.
What we look at
- Clear aligners for mild to moderate crowding and spacing
- Traditional fixed braces where the movement needs more control
- Early assessment for children, usually from around age seven
- Space maintainers when a baby tooth is lost too early
- Retainers, because teeth drift back without them
- Referral to a specialist orthodontist for complex jaw cases
The process
- 1Assessment
Photographs, scans and a look at how your teeth actually meet. Crowding you can see is often not the main problem.
- 2Honest options
What aligners can achieve in your case, what braces would achieve, and what neither will fix. Including the option of doing nothing.
- 3Treatment
Regular short reviews to keep things tracking. Most adult cases run somewhere between six and eighteen months.
- 4Retention
A retainer at the end, every time. Teeth have a memory and will drift back without one.
Orthodontics questions
Am I too old for braces?
No. Teeth move at any age as long as the gums and bone supporting them are healthy. A good share of orthodontic patients in Australia are now adults, and clear aligners have made it far less visible.
Aligners or braces?
Aligners are discreet, removable and comfortable, and they handle mild to moderate cases very well. Braces still give more control over difficult movements such as rotating a tooth or closing a large gap. The right answer depends on your case, not on the marketing.
How long will it take?
Simple alignment can be a few months. A full case is commonly twelve to eighteen months. We will give you a realistic estimate at assessment rather than an optimistic one.
When should my child be assessed?
Around age seven is the usual guidance. Not because treatment starts then, but because that is when a dentist can see how the adult teeth and jaws are developing and whether waiting or acting early makes more sense.
