Common questions about orthodontics

An orthodontist is a qualified dentist who has embarked on a further two to three years of postgraduate study in the specialist field of orthodontics. This qualifies them to straighten teeth and correct jaw placement to ensure correct alignment with the overall facial profile. An orthodontist doesn’t fix cavities or clean teeth, but rather uses appliances to move your teeth into position, giving you a straighter, healthier and more beautiful smile.

When your braces are first put on, you may not feel any discomfort, but as time progresses you may feel some tenderness of the teeth and discomfort of the cheeks and gums. We recommend you take the medication that you would normally take for a headache, but stay away from anti-inflammatory drugs as these slow down the rate of movement of your teeth.

Some people do suffer from mouth ulcers if the braces are rubbing on the inside of your cheek. A mouth rinse, such as Difflam C ®, may help to ease the discomfort, and Kenalog in Orobase® is useful to protect the tissues of the cheeks, but is hard to apply. If you feel your braces are rubbing, apply dental wax to any areas of the braces which are causing discomfort, and let us know at your next appointment.

For the first days, you should have a simple diet of soft foods. After a couple of days, you can become more adventurous but throughout treatment you won’t need to change your diet too much. Just be sure to avoid foods and drinks such as chewing and bubble gum, lollies, caramels and hard things such as raw carrot sticks, hard pretzels, corn on the cob and ice cubes. Make sure you don’t chew pens, pencils or your fingernails either. At your fitting appointment, we’ll give you a list of the foods to avoid.

On average, treatment takes between 15 and 24 months, but will vary from patient to patient. Missed/cancelled appointments, failure to adhere to instructions and repeated breakages will add to your treatment time.

This depends on the severity of your orthodontic needs and the appliance we need to use to straighten your teeth. At Class 1 Orthodontics, we know orthodontic treatment is an investment. That is why we offer competitive treatment fees and interest-free payment plans to help make the cost of orthodontic treatment affordable.

You will need regular appointments to adjust your braces. Appointment intervals are generally between six and 12 weeks. Please ensure you arrive on time for your appointments to avoid inconvenience to other patients. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, we will often have to reschedule your appointment.

Yes! Braces won’t interfere with most sports, but you should always wear a mouthguard. A tight-fitting custom mouthguard may interfere with moving the teeth, unless specially designed and manufactured. If a mouthguard rubs, trim it until it is comfortable. Alternatively, you can purchase a mouthguard from a sports store.

Yes, although braces will make it a little more difficult to play. If you do have any difficulties, please ask our treatment coordinators or hygienists for advice.

Yes. It is important that you still see your dentist/periodontist every six months for checkups. Some patients will require more regular reviews.

Yes, we do. In fact, we have treated so many patients using Invisalign® that Class 1 Orthodontics is recognised as a Black Diamond
Invisalign® provider.

Yes Invisalign® is, and in some cases it can get better results than traditional metal braces. It has certainly revolutionised the orthodontic treatment industry! 

No! No one is ever too old to wear braces. At Class 1 Orthodontics we treat more adult patients than we do children and get fabulous results for all of them. 

Yes we can. We encourage all parents to bring their child in for an early orthodontic consultation. This enables us to take a proactive approach to their care and plan for any orthodontic treatment they may need in the future.

Yes it is, and at Class 1 Orthodontics we abide with all oral health rules and regulations. All our equipment is sterilised and the clinic environment is kept spotless so you don’t have to worry about
your health.

If you still have a question we haven’t answered, give our team a
call today.