I’ve booked the appointment to get my braces – What’s going to happen?

The first thing you need to know is that having your braces placed is a very easy appointment. One of our friendly staff will call you through from the waiting room and explain the procedure to you. The majority of our bonding appointments are done using a technique called Indirect Bonding, or IDB. This allows for a quicker bonding appointment, a more precise result as bracket positions are optimised for each tooth, and enhanced patient comfort during this appointment. We will explain to you what we are doing as your appointment progresses.

For an IDB procedure, we will book 2 appointments for you. At the first appointment, we will take an impression of your teeth – Just like if you have ever had a mouthguard made for you at the dentist. One of our highly qualified Oral Health Therapists will take a tray, and fill it with a fast-setting putty. This will be placed in your mouth for around 20 seconds while it sets. The impression is removed from your mouth and we now have a copy of your teeth to place the braces on!

At your second appointment, we will place your braces. An Oral Health Therapist will start by using a special toothpaste to clean your teeth for you (this does not mean you don’t have to brush before your appointment!). We will place cotton rolls under your tongue, because your teeth need to be dry for the glue to stick properly. The therapist will place retractors in your mouth to hold your lips and cheeks off of your teeth (you’ve already had something similar to this when we took your photos). Your Therapist will apply 2 different solutions to your teeth to prepare the surface for the bonding, and the Orthodontist will then come and place your braces, which were prepared for you after your impression appointment.

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The brackets are held in a plastic tray similar to a mouthguard that we custom make for you. Cement will have been applied to the brackets, and the Orthodontist will place this over your teeth, and ask you to bite together to ensure they stay in place, while he/she sets the cement with a curing light. The Therapist and Assistant will then continue setting with this light, and then remove the trays. Your braces are now on!

Lastly, one of our staff will explain to you how to look after your new braces and caring for your teeth during treatment – you can watch some of the videos demonstrating it here. We will also give you a complimentary kit including everything you need to look after your new braces, so you go into your orthodontic treatment completely prepared!