The movement of teeth, commonly known as Orthodontics, is one of the many ways we create beautiful healthy smiles at Dental Artistry.

Our dentists are well versed in orthodontic treatment for both children and adults and we use a variety of methods to create stunning smiles.

Our Orthodontic services include:

Our Philosophy

The underlying philosophy of our orthodontic treatment at Dental Artistry is to create not only straight teeth, but also an improved facial appearance, good airway, and healthy jaw joints. Straightening crooked teeth is only part of the orthodontic picture; ideally teeth are straightened whilst improving the smile, facial appearance and airway, and maintaining or improving the health of the jaw joint.

Key points of Dental Artistry’s orthodontic treatment philosophy are detailed in this section.

In addition to orthodontic (tooth movement) techniques, we also employ orthopaedic (bone/jaw movement) methods to create attractive faces and healthy jaw joints in our patients.

Creating beautiful smiles

What makes a beautiful smile? Straight teeth – certainly, but there are a few other elements that contribute to a great smile that are often overlooked. A beautiful smile should contain straight teeth with no gaps, and also be wide enough that at least ten upper teeth are visible. The teeth should fill the smile, with no ‘dark corridor’ between the teeth and the cheeks.

Here at Dental Artistry our orthodontic treatment is designed to create smiles with all of the ideal attributes. We use orthodontic techniques specifically designed to expand the jaws to create wide smiles and full lips, and we are careful to control the ‘gumminess’ of patients’ smiles.

Creating attractive faces

At Dental Artistry we are very aware of how the movement of teeth and jaws can affect facial aesthetics and we employ orthopaedic techniques to correctly position our patients’ jaws and thereby create attractive faces.

Left: Straight profile (forehead and chin balanced)
Right: Retrusive profile (lower jaw/chin back)

Expansion not extraction

Most people seeking orthodontic treatment have crowded teeth. Straightening crowded teeth requires the creation of space in the jaws and there are two main ways to do this: extract some teeth or expand the jaws. Here at Dental Artistry we are vehement proponents of non-extraction orthodontics as we believe that extracting teeth has the potential to create a narrow smile, thin lips and a dished-in (flat) profile. If at all possible we expand crowded jaws to create beautiful wide smiles, full lips and attractive profiles. Expanding the jaws is easiest in younger children which is one reason why we advocate early treatment. In older patients it can be more difficult to expand the jaws which raises the potential for extractions.

Expansion of the jaws is another example of orthopaedic treatment, or functional jaw orthopaedics (‘FJO’). This differs from orthodontic treatment, which is movement of the teeth. Historically, teeth have also been extracted due to a mismatch in jaw position between the upper and lower jaw. Most orthodontic patients have a retrusive lower jaw which is positioned well behind the upper jaw. To balance the jaws the upper jaw can be brought back (usually by extracting teeth, called “extraction and retraction orthodontics”), or the lower jaw can be brought forward. At Dental Artistry we much prefer the facial appearance created when lower jaws are brought forward. We use a variety of orthopaedic techniques to accomplish this. Moving the lower jaw forward is easier in younger patients; another reason why we advocate early treatment.

Treat problems early

“From little things, big things grow”. The same is true for orthopaedic and orthodontic problems! A minor problem in a young child can develop into a much larger (and harder to treat) problem as the child grows into adulthood.

At Dental Artistry we like to begin treatment of children as soon as a problem is identified. It is best to have your child checked out before the age of seven, as recommended by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). Early treatment is usually performed with removable plates which can greatly reduce, or even eliminate the need for braces as the child grows.

Younger children are also usually less self-conscious and more co-operative than teenagers, which makes treatment easier.

See the Results

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Early intervention orthodontics

Little Miss E was such a star for her early intervention orthodontic treatment. Her teeth were crowded and her front teeth flared so that causing her embarrassment at school. We did partial braces with springs to align her front teeth and create room for the rest of her adult teeth to grow into place. This aims to minimise the need or extent of teenage braces when she gets older!

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Complex adult orthodontics – extraction, TADS + braces

We try to create space for teeth, rather than extracting teeth to make the others fit, unless we really need to or it is ideal for the facial profile. In this case, Mr S had extraction of four premolars plus the use of TADS to assist the movement of his severely crowded teeth into a natural position. Thank you Mr S for trusting us with you care!

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Large midline shift and cant – Adult braces

Miss S is gorgeous and works in front facing retail. However, she was so self-conscious about her teeth. Her teeth were pushed far to one side due to an unerupted tooth and they were and on a slope, creating an off centre midline and cant. Not an easy one to fix! With commitment and dedication from Miss S, we achieved this wonderful result.

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Teenage orthodontics – MARA and braces

Many patients have a large overbite or a chin that appears set back. Using appliances in children and teenagers we are able to guide and direct the jaw to grow further forward to better align with the teeth without compromising the look of the face. Her Miss E had a MARA appliance to bring her jaw forward followed by braces

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Children’s orthodontics – expander then braces

Patient A presented with a mixture of baby and adult teeth with nowhere for them to fit into the mouth! With early intervention in the form of an expander then braces, we were able to guide his erupting teeth into the ideal position

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Teenage ortho – braces and resin for peg laterals

Patient Miss L was moving away for university, so we were on a timeline! Within 15 months we were able to orthodontically straighten her teeth and eliminate her crossbite with an expander and braces. This was followed by two resin restoration on her genetically small upper “peg lateral” teeth to start her next chapter looking and feeling sharp.

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Teenage braces and MARA

In growing patients, appliances can be used to guide the growth of the face and jaw. For Patient J, we used an expander and MARA appliance to expand his arch and move his jaw forward into a more ideal position, to improve his breathing and sleep among other things. This was then followed by braces. Some treatment times can be more complex and longer than others, but well worth it!

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TMD splint therapy and braces

This patient had severe TMD. The jaw pain was affecting her quality of life. After long term splint therapy Miss L had orthodontic treatment to stabilise her jaw in the new safe and comfortable position with improved posture and breathing. She is thrilled about the look of her teeth, however, is even more happy that she is now living daily pain free.

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Adult orthodontics

Orthodontics is for all ages. This patient Mrs C was self conscious about her “bucky” teeth. We improved the health, appearance and function of her teeth with adult braces and resin build ups to open her bite, protect her teeth and give her a smile she was confident with!

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Periodontitis

The patient had slow progressing gum disease. Due to the loss of bone support the upper front teeth started to move forward and a space opened up between the incisors. Conservative gum disease managed was provided and stopped the gum disease. The gum and bone became stronger and the teeth were moved back to their original position using Clear Aligners orthodontic treatment (Invisalign®).

Our aim is to provide you with a beautiful smile, a comfortable and efficient bite and excellent oral health

At Dental Artistry we’re dedicated to providing you with exceptional dental treatment in a practice that adheres to the most stringent safety and quality measures.

Our dentists, and patient support team are committed to treating you with kindness and respect.

Tell us about your dental goals and we’ll do our utmost to help you achieve them.