As well as enhancing the appearance of teeth, there are a number of other benefits to receiving orthodontic treatment.  It can improve eating and speaking ability, as well as encouraging better oral hygiene as teeth become easier to clean in their straighter position.

Orthodontic treatment can be used to successfully treat a range of issues from crooked, crowded, overly spaced and twisted teeth to more serious malocclusions (upper and lower teeth not biting together properly) and misalignments.

1.  First Appointment - The Consultation - 15min

To get started we need to know what you would like to have corrected.  So we can answer all of your questions, book your free consultation today.

You can call us at 0131 229 7899 to schedule an appointment, or use the contact form at the bottom of the page to send us an enquiry and we will contact you as soon as possible to arrange your free consultation.

During the appointment you will get photos taken of your smile and teeth, and we will discuss what options you have available for the best result.

We can provide ceramic braces for £2,000 to £2,500, and clear aligners from £2,000 to £4,500 depending on the complexity of the treatment.

If you are happy to plan your orthodontic treatment we ask for a non-refundable £250 deposit for the next appointment (taken off the treatment cost if you accept the plan).

2.  Second Appointment - Records and Assessment - 45min

After the consultation the second appointment is to take multiple records of your teeth including photos of your face and profile, measurements of your front teeth, x-rays, moulds or a scan, and a thorough orthodontic assessment.

It takes around 4 weeks to plan a case start to finish, and you will receive an email with your simulated outcome, your most important photos, and details of the treatment plan.  This plan can be tweaked by yourself, and you can ask any questions over email, phone the practice, or come in for another consultation to discuss the plan.

3.  Third Appointment - Consent and Payment - 15min

As soon as you accept the plan we will make you another appointment to go over the consent forms, and to ensure you understand the treatment plan and have no questions before we start.

We ask for half of the treatment fee upfront before your clear aligners or ceramic brackets are ordered.  Once the amount is paid we will book all of your treatment appointments into the appointment book.

4.  Fourth Appointment - Starting treatment - 1 hour

We will bond the ceramic brackets and wires to your teeth, or place the white filling buttons and give you the clear aligners.  We will give you all the instructions and answer any further questions.  If you think of a question after your visit, please send us an email!

Every 4 to 8 weeks we will review how your treatment is going, if you are managing to keep your oral hygiene perfect, and to do any detailing.  We may have to slenderise your teeth to make space, give you new aligners, reactivate the wire, or reposition the ceramic brackets and add auxiliaries to help the teeth move.

If you chose clear aligner treatment, please expect 2 - 3 phases of refinement to bring the teeth into the best possible position.

X.  Orthodontic treatment completed - 1 hour

The final appointment will be to remove the attachments or brackets, and take impressions for the removable retainer to be made.

Y.  Cosmetic treatment and retainers

If you choose any of our cosmetic treatments, such as bleaching and composite bonding, we would do these on the next appointment after your teeth are in their best position.  If you chose to have permanent bonded retainers, they would be placed on this appointment.  A final mould or scan of your teeth is required for the finalised removable retainer.

Z.  6 month review

We will book your last appointment 6 months after treatment to ensure you are still wearing your retainers and are still satisfied with your orthodontic and cosmetic treatment.

It depends on the complexity of the treatment plan, at Stuart Steven Dental Practice we offer clear aligner treatment (Invisalign™ , SureSmile®, ClearSmile) between £2,000 - £4,000, and ceramic braces (ClearSmile Brace) with 3M™ Clarity™ Advanced brackets for £2,000 - £2,500

Before you undergo orthodntic treatment you have to understand what can go wrong.  Your dentist will inform you which risks are likely to occur during your treatment, recorded in your bespoke treatment plan, after the assessment has been completed.

Gum disease and decay:  Since you will either have ceramic brackets and wires on your teeth, or will be wearing a clear aligner for 22 hours per day, you will have to have perfect oral hygiene.  Any orthodontic treatment comes with an increased risk of gum disease and dental decay.

Gum recession:  We plan to only ever move your teeth within the confines of your bone.  Unfortunately we need an intensive 3D x-ray to see exactly where you bone is.  Unless the 3D x-ray is medically indicated we rely on estimates of your bone position determined by where your gum is, and the biotype of your gums.  Because of this slight uncertainty we can sometimes push the tooth out of the bone, which can cause the gum to recede and shrink away from the tooth.

Black triangles:  When your teeth develop overlapped the gum can fail to develop between the teeth since there is no space for the gum to form.  As we align these teeth you may notice a dark triangle where the gum should be, but this triangle can be reduced by reshaping and slenderising the teeth.  If you have had previous gum disease and bone loss you may also notice that the gum sits lower after aligning the teeth.

Root resorption:  As the teeth move through the bone the roots will get blunted, which means the roots will be generally 1mm shorter at the end of treatment.  If you have had any previous accidents or falls that have hit the teeth, or have had previous orthodontic treatment we may end up with more blunting than expected.  Even with severe blunting the long-term prognosis is good.

Bite changes:  As we are moving your teeth your bite will feel strange since you will develop new biting contacts as your teeth move.  It will feel weird and unusual until it settles and your jaw gets used to the new bite.

Flare up:  If we move any teeth with big filings the nerve in the tooth may die, and cause a flare up of pain.  We would have to remove the nerve and root treat the tooth, but we wouldn't stop the orthodontic treatment.  If we move root treated teeth that have an uncertain prognosis, it may restart an infection, which requires the same intervention.

Wobbly teeth:  If you are getting clear aligner treatment to align your teeth, when you remove the clear aligners you may notice that some of your teeth are wobbly,  this is expected as the bone needs to soften around the teeth to allow them to move.  Do not worry, once we stop moving the teeth the bone will harden up once again, and the tooth wil feel normal again.

Relapse:  After moving your teeth we destabilise them, which means we need to use a retainer to keep them in that position, hopefully for the rest of your life so you can keep your brand new smile perfect.  You would only have to wear this retainer at night time.

It depends on the starting position of your teeth, but for most non-complex cases it would take less than a year to align them.  Some tooth movements take longer than others, so it is difficult to give any patient an accurate estimate without a thorough assessment and treatment plan.

We will strive to give you a rough estimate of treatment time at your free consultation, and If you are happy to go ahead to the assessment and planning phase we can give you an accurate estimate of the treatment time.

Veneers can complement and can be used in conjunction with orthodontic treatment to improve the shape or colour of your teeth.  Should you have a chipped or irregular tooth, veneers can be used to finalise your treatment and smile after your teeth have been straightened.

While veneers offer many advantages in combination with orthodontics, veneers as a standalone option to address a cosmetic issue can have distinct disadvantages that should be considered very carefully before agreeing to treatment.  With veneers, the entire front surface of the tooth enamel is permanently removed and replaced with a thin piece of specially-shaped porcelain or plastic glued over the front of the teeth.  This is an irreversible procedure as natural tooth enamel is removed to accommodate the veneer.

When using veneers as a dental straightening solution only, more tooth enamel than necessary may need to be removed.  If used in combination with orthodontics, the amount of enamel that needs to be removed may be minimised.

Veneers are not a permanent solution either. They can chip or break, requiring you to replace them on an individual basis, which can be very expensive. They have a life expectancy of about 5 to 10 years, depending on the quality of the veneers purchased. Since your tooth enamel has been removed, most patients have no choice but to replace their veneers, incurring the same high costs every time they have to get a new set.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, as veneers are a purely cosmetic procedure, they don't correct the position of your teeth or correct bite problems. Instead of straightening teeth, a veneer simply covers up the imperfections. Orthodontics can offer you naturally beautiful, healthy teeth which is a solution worth smiling about!