Treatments

Invisalign

The Invisalign system has been used to treat many orthodontic problems that cause concern to both adults and teenagers.  Invisalign can be successfully used to treat irregular, crowded or spaced teeth as well as alignment problems such as overbites, underbites and crossbites.

Is Peter McMahon qualified to use Invisalign?

Yes.  Dr Peter McMahon is a certified Invisalign practitioner

What is Invisalign and does it work?

Your Invisalign treatment will use a series of clear plastic aligners which you will change every two weeks.  There are small differences between the tooth positions for each aligner but these small changes in position generate forces that move your teeth over the two week interval.  Invisalign tell us that over 1 million people have been treated using the Invisalign system.

Can the Invisalign appliances be seen?

As the name suggests the Invisalign appliances are almost invisible.

Are there foods I cannot eat?

The appliances are easily and quickly removed so you can eat whatever you like.  It is important to brush your teeth before putting in your aligners.  You can leave the aligners in place if drinking water.

What about cleaning the aligners?

You can use a soft toothbrush with water or a little toothpaste.  Clean your aligners once per day but clean your teeth after every time you eat.

Does Invisalign treatment hurt?

Your teeth may be sore for a few days after changing aligners.  This is normal and is due to the pressure generated by the aligners as they move your teeth.

For more information please go to

http://www.invisalign.com/WhatIs/Pages/WhatIs.aspx

And

http://www.invisalign.com/FAQs/Pages/InvisalignFAQs.aspx

Braces

Braces are a combination of attachments (called brackets or bonds) that are glued to your teeth.  Sometimes bands may also be used on back teeth.  These are stainless steel and go around your teeth with an attachment welded to the outside.  There is an archwire connecting the teeth together.  The archwire acts as a guide for the teeth to move along as well as having bends which generate forces to move your teeth.

The time taken for treatment will depend on the severity of the problem and how far your teeth have to move as well as your age which determines your rate of bone healing.  Treatment may range between 6 and 30 months.

Standard braces have been used to treat many millions of patients over many decades and are the most cost effective way of producing a perfect smile.

Clear Braces

Clear brackets are an alternative and move your teeth in the same way as the metal brackets. These are far less noticeable than standard metal braces but still produce the same results.  You can opt for clear brackets on your upper front teeth for no additional fee.

Coloured or clear elastic loops are used to hold the wires into the braces as well as producing some of the force to move your teeth.

Early Treatment

Early treatment is designed to reduce the severity of the developing orthodontic problem. Early treatment, therefore, may reduce the complexity and cost of the subsequent treatment as well as allowing a better treatment outcome.  Early treatment is aimed at correcting crossbites where the top teeth are inside the lower teeth, narrow top jaws, small lower jaws or preserving space so that the second teeth can erupt into the best possible positions.  This type of orthodontic treatment is very predicable and effective in growing adolescent patients.   Early treatment may include the use of removable plates, fixed expansion appliances or functional appliances to correct jaw discrepancies.