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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Teenage braces – cross bite and crowding

Teeth in cross bite can lead to damage to the teeth and cause functional and aesthetic problems. Patient P had an expander followed by fixed braces to eliminate his crossbite and straighten his teeth all completed in less than 24 months.

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Missing laterals - Braces then implants

Patient Mrs. M, like many others had genetically missing lateral incisors. This was previously managed with a denture which was annoying and inconvenient in her corporate role. After orthodontic treatment to make room for replacement teeth, Patient M had implants placed and crowns on her remaining front teeth.

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Adult orthodontics – braces

Patient Mr. M simply wanted to improve his smile. His teeth were severely crowded, so we opted to remove a singular lower crowded tooth and align the rest with clear braces.

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Invisalign and resin build up

Patient Mr. C had significant and uneven wear on his teeth from crowding which was becoming a problem aesthetically and cause discomfort. We used Invisalign clear aligners to straighten his teeth then simple resin build ups to restore the worn enamel.

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Teenage orthodontics – MARA and braces

Poor patient J was starting intermediate school and was worried about being bullied because of his teeth. Not only this, but the mis-match of his top and bottom jaw meant that he was limited in foods he could eat. We used a MARA appliance to move his jaw forward then braces to achieve this great result.

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Braces + Full upper (10) crowns

Patient Miss C had worn teeth which she felt had become quite small, dark and chipped from her heavy bite. With braces on the top and bottom teeth, we opened up the vertical dimension to protect her teeth whilst simultaneously straightening them. Then we whitened them and gave her the smile she always wanted with 10 upper veneers.

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Planas tracks – for functional cl 3 in young kids (6 yrs) - underbite

An “underbite” in children often forms due to a functional shift or interference. Here, Miss H had her top front teeth stuck behind her bottom teeth. We simply placed small temporary lumps on her teeth called “planas tracks” to encourage her bite to open and re-establish itself in the correct position. No braces or plates necessary! Without intervention at this early age, she would have grown into this bite, making it a MUCH harder problem to fix

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Invisalign Lite

Tooth movement does not need to be exhaustive or expensive! This happy patient had only six months of Invisalign to perfect a few little tweaks with her smile that were getting her down. What a result!

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Full mouth rehabilitation- crowding and wear

Mr N was embarrassed, feeling like he had neglected his teeth for years. After an initial hygiene phase we rehabilitated his bite and smile with orthodontics and crowns, allowing his jaw and teeth to be in a more stable and protected position. What a transformation!

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Crown lengthening (gum lift)

Beautiful Miss G had an adult appliance to advance her jaw forward plus braces that we took over as a transfer case. To complete her transformation, we suggested she had crown lengthening (gum and bone lifting procedure) to reduce her gummy smile and improve teeth proportions. A small but hugely worthwhile addition to the initial treatment plan that made a huge difference!

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.