Melissa is a great example of how clear braces can change your life for the better. She presented with three main problems:
- Crowding and crooked top teeth
- Crowding and crooked bottom teeth
- She was unhappy with the yellow colour of all her teeth
She had orthodontic treatment carried out as a teenager but didn’t wear her removable retainer for more than a few months. That treatment was carried out abroad, although many UK patients present with relapse due to similar retainer problems. They either lose their retainer or don’t wear it.
All of the treatment options were discussed at the consultation visit and Melissa was keen to have a more cosmetic braces solution than the metal braces worn as a youngster.
Clear braces success in six months
Consent was given for ceramic brackets similar to the Six Month Smiles system which achieves quick and predictable results. As an alternative to Six Month Smiles which involves taking impressions and having braces fabricated within gum shields at their laboratory in the US, we placed the clear braces directly on the teeth.
This allows for an extremely accurate method of guiding the teeth into an exact position using nickel titanium wires which have a tooth coloured coating. These are positioned within a grove which runs across the middle of the ceramic brackets.
Melissa’s treatment took six months and at the ‘braces off’ appointment we placed a fixed wire or bonded retainer behind the front teeth.
How much do clear braces cost?
Composite resin is used to attach the wire to the enamel. These retainers cost £150 each.
Removable plastic retainers were also supplied for night wear and these are included with the cost of the clear braces (£2500 for upper and lower braces inclusive).
There was no charge for tooth whitening using home mouth guards which achieve significant improvements in conjunction with 6% hydrogen peroxide. The tooth whitening kits can also be used for repeat treatments. Top up syringes can be purchased for £25 to deliver similar results as whiteness fades, usually after approximately one year.
In Melissa’s case, a nice alignment was achieved and boosted by tangible improvements to tooth whiteness. She returned very happily at review reporting no ill-effects during or after treatments.
I had been getting more and more down about how my teeth looked through many years. They just seemed to get slowly worse after treatment I had carried out abroad as a teenager. Now, I’d say overall they look much better than they did even then – without going through metal braces for 2 years. I’m so grateful to Dr Murphy and his lovely team of staff.