How we provide orthodontic care at our dentist

Orthodontic care at our dentist Luton is not what you might have imagined. Most people think of secondary school and braces, but many of our orthodontic patients are working adults with different standards and needs and here at Vogue Dental Care we have risen to the challenge.

The orthodontic treatment of adolescents tends to be NHS-driven procedures for clinically relevant dental misalignments. This means they have to be fairly severe, causing issues with speech or eating, and the distance that teeth have to be moved is substantial. This requires a longer treatment period and the use of more robust tools, those bulky braces that many students dread wearing, 

Adult treatment is more nuanced from a clinical perspective; it is far easier for most adult misalignments to be considered cosmetic regardless of how much of a social or emotional impact they may have on the patient. The distances the teeth have to be moved and their orientations tend to be less extreme, and they are usually private patients funding their own care increasing the availability of treatment options. The drawback is that they do not have the flexibility that adolescents have when it comes to altering their appearance or the way they communicate. Working adults require face-to-face interactions as part of their careers, giving presentations or chairing a meeting. Doing so in a brace or having a lisp temporarily induced by treatment is simply unacceptable, so this rules out most traditional forms of orthodontic care.

Treatment options

Clear aligners

Clear aligners have experienced explosive growth at our dentist Luton and many other clinics. This is because for many adult patients they have found a compromise between clinical efficiency and convenience of daily use.

The innovative way they approach treatment is to use a series of clear plastic trays which are worn for about 2 weeks before being replaced by the next. This allows each aligner to be thin and convenient in day-to-day use, by not requiring it to be robust or hardy. They are removable so they can be quickly slipped out before eating, making them easier to keep clean, while also being unnoticeable in social situations. They also hug so closely to the surface of the tooth that they are unlikely to cause changes in speech, but may stop whistling in patients with a gappy smile. And our patients love them.

Inman aligners

Inman aligners are of mostly clear plastic with a single bar that passes in front of the teeth. They are for our patients who require more force to realign their teeth, with a bar in front of the teeth and with one behind allowing them to bring cross bites into alignment by simultaneously pushing outwards and inwards. Inman aligners are a niche option which are a little more noticeable than a clear aligner but certainly less disruptive than a full brace.

Depending on the presentation, some patients can achieve progress towards their goals and use an Inman aligner whilst they sleep. This treatment tends to be much slower, but some of our patients see this as an acceptable trade-off.

This is just a small example of the orthodontic options at our dentist in Luton. If you have further questions or would like to book in for an assessment or appointment, please contact the clinic.