This is an invisible brace system. Clear braces or Aligners are worn on the teeth and aligners are changed every 1-2 weeks. Each aligner is custom made and causes small, incremental movements of your teeth.

Advantages of Invisalign®

• They are more attractive than metal braces and are almost invisible.
• More comfortable than fixed braces as they are smoother and less likely to catch your cheeks and tongue.
• Can be removed to clean your teeth more easily than with fixed braces.
• Tooth movements modelled in 3D so you can see the approximate anticipated result.
• Can feel more gentle than fixed braces as the movements are smaller and more frequent.

Disadvantages of Invisalign®

• Patients need to be motivated to keep the aligners in place for 22 hours per day.
• Aligners need to be removed for eating and teeth must be brushed before putting them back in, this makes snacking difficult.
• Clear aligners are not suitable for patients who require more extensive, severe tooth movement.
• Attachments (made from small amounts of white filling material) are sometimes required to be placed on the teeth for the duration of the treatment. These attachments make the braces slightly more visible. The attachments are always removed by the end of treatment.

32CO is a new invisible brace system. Clear braces or Aligners are worn on the teeth and aligners are changed every 1-2 weeks. Each aligner is custom made and causes small, incremental movements of your teeth.

How do clear aligners with 32co work?

Advantages of 32CO

• Treatment is digitally planned by a specialist orthodontist unlike other clear brace systems
• The aligners are more attractive than metal braces and are almost invisible.
• More comfortable than fixed braces as they are smoother and less likely to catch your cheeks and tongue.
• Can be removed to clean your teeth more easily than with fixed braces.
• Tooth movements modelled in 3D so you can see the approximate anticipated result.
• Can feel more gentle than fixed braces as the movements are smaller and more frequent.

Disadvantages of 32CO

• Patients need to be motivated to keep the aligners in place for 22 hours per day.
• Aligners need to be removed for eating and teeth must be brushed before putting them back in, this makes snacking difficult.
• Clear aligners are not suitable for patients who require more extensive, severe tooth movement.
• Attachments (made from small amounts of white filling material) are sometimes required to be placed on the teeth for the duration of the treatment. These attachments make the braces slightly more visible. The attachments are always removed by the end of treatment.

Fixed braces utilise brackets which are bonded to the teeth for the duration of treatment. The brackets can be made from metal, plastic or ceramic depending upon the system used. Wires are then attached to these brackets.

Advantages of fixed braces

• Fixed in place which means you can eat with them in place and don’t have to worry about taking them in and out
• Can be used in more complex cases when difficult tooth movement is required
• Can be a little quicker than clear aligners
• Can be cheaper than clear aligners

Disadvantages of fixed braces

• Patients don’t often like the appearance of fixed braces.
• Fixed in place, so more difficult to clean around and food can trap around them while eating
• Wires can sometimes be uncomfortable at first and can cause small amounts of ulceration
• Can be more uncomfortable than clear braces.

Cfast is a type of fixed brace system that aims to correct alignment issues with the top and bottom front six teeth, and can level and round out the arches. Cfast provides an ideal solution for adults looking to improve the position of the teeth you see when you smile, but want to avoid lengthy treatment times.

Advantages of Cfast^® cosmetic braces

• Brackets are fixed, so unlike clear aligners, you can eat and drink with them in place
• Quicker treatment times
• Less expensive
• Clear brackets and white colour of wire makes them very discreet and almost unnoticeable
• More gentle pressures than traditional orthodontic methods, therefore minimal risk of side effects and discomfort
• Can move teeth to a more favourable position to avoid destructive cosmetic crown or veneer work
• A 3D digital image can be created to show you what kind of result you can expect after the straightening procedure

Disadvantages of Cfast^® cosmetic braces

• More visible than clear aligners
• Will not correct position of back teeth
• Not suitable for more extensive, complicated movements of teeth
• Can be more difficult to clean than clear aligners

Lingual braces are fixed braces, the main difference being that the brackets and wires are bonded to the inside surfaces of the teeth.

Advantages of Lingual Braces

• Invisible from the outside
• Fixed in place which means you can eat with them in place and don’t have to worry about taking them in and out

Disadvantages of Lingual Braces

• Difficult to clean
• More expensive as lingual braces are a specialist only option
• Not able to correct all misalignments
• Can be more uncomfortable initially than traditional braces

Please bring the following items with you to your appointment:

• Completed written medical history, details and names of any medication
• Funds adequate to cover appropriate fees.
• If applicable, proof of any exemptions from NHS dental charges. If not exempt from NHS charges,
• Proof of address (utility bill, driving licence)
• Proof of ID (passport, driving licence, red book if child)

Please bring the following items with you to your appointment:

• Any updated medical history details and names of any medication changes
• Funds adequate to cover appropriate fees

It is great that your teeth feel fine, but we would recommend you have a dental checkup if you haven’t had one for a while. The reason for this is that often when dental symptoms appear the problem causing them is much more difficult to fix, and often with a worse prognosis. For example, early tooth decay often causes little or no discomfort or sensitivity. If this decay progresses then tooth loss or root canal treatment may be inevitable. With regular dental checkups the aim is to identify any problems early so they can be resolved with the best prognosis.

We follow the guidelines set out by NICE with regard to dental examinations. Your risk to certain dental diseases will be assessed and a recall interval will be recommended from 3 to 24 months for your next check up.