Treatments & Services
Orthodontic Treatment for
Children, Teenagers and Adults
Monitor
Most children should have their first orthodontic screening around 7-8 years of age. While most children will not need orthodontic treatment at this time, there are certainly reasons to monitor certain situations and to plan customised treatment should the need arise. The Monitor phase is one of several stages in orthodontic management and this may include an Initial Consultation, Diagnostic Records, Treatment Planning if required, and appliance placement if considered necessary.
Phase 1
Phase 1 Orthodontics refers to a phase of interventional treatment when a child still has any number of their baby teeth and before all of their permanent teeth have erupted. It is personalised to the needs of the child and may consist of a limited phase of braces or a simpler orthodontic appliance such as a specialised retainer, functional appliance, habit deterrent appliance, space maintainer, headgear or expander. The purpose of Phase 1 treatment is to lessen future orthodontic problems and to try mitigate others.
Braces
Braces are just one of several types of tools that an Orthodontist can use to correct somebody’s “bad” or “irregular bite”, “dental crowding”, “protruded teeth” and many other issues, often summed up as “malocclusion”.
There are two types of braces, including metal braces and white “tooth coloured” ceramic braces. Ceramic braces are sometimes referred to as “aesthetic braces” due to their more subtle or inconspicuous nature and we find these to be a popular choice amongst adults.
At Shine Orthodontics we use the latest in bracket technology from 3M / Solventum, with a focus on smaller size (lower profile), greater strength and the most amount of comfort possible for our patients. Furthermore, the ceramic brackets are designed to be stain resistant.
Aligners
Aligners or “clear aligner therapy” can sometimes be an alternative modality of orthodontic treatmetn to braces. Aligners often appear invisible on the teeth and it is no surprise why this form of treatment is a popular one amongst our adult patients.
Aligner technology has come a long way in recent decades, far from it’s original concept by Kesling in the 1940’s, and actual application by Ponitz in 1971 and Sheridan in 1993. Invisalign® arrived on the scene in late 1990’s with an attempt to start using these concepts and principles, and following a tremendous multi-million dollar marketing campaign and critical help from the orthodontic profession found remarkable success. In more recent times, multiple and newer brands of aligners have emerged, driven by more advanced technology and research by orthodontic residents in universities completing their orthodontic training. This has shaped Orthodontist’s understanding of how aligners work and how they can be used to treat certain malocclusions.
Orthognathic Surgery
Surgical orthodontics is a form of treatment for a patient who has finished growing, and is often referred to as combined orthognathic surgery / orthodontic treatment. It aims to rectify jaw misalignment to address major functional or aesthetic issues including – but not limited to – chewing, speaking, breathing, and overall facial aesthetics. In simplified terms, the goal of surgical orthodontics is to provide a solution to a patient that orthodontics alone cannot provide. We work closely with and rely on the expert care of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons to assist with this multidisciplinary form of treatment.
Some of the conditions surgical orthodontics addresses are the following:
- Jaw size disharmony or discrepancies as part of growth abnormalities, growth disturbances, medical conditions, syndromes, facial trauma or rehabilitation (E.g. following cancer therapy).
- Skeletal crossbites
- Skeletal open bites involving the front teeth or the back teeth
- Asymmetries
- Occlusal plane tilts / cants