If you do not meet the criteria to receive NHS treatment, or you do not want to wait for your treatment or you would like a to chose a different brace system - West Street Orthodontic Practice can help. Choosing to have your teeth straightened privately means we can usually start treatment straight away. This can often reduce your overall treatment journey by as much as 36-48 months! Depending upon your suitability, you can usually choose a much more discreet brace.
You will have regular adjustment appointments to move your teeth in a series of steps. From when your brace is first fitted, it typically takes between 18 to 24 months for your teeth to move into their new, straighter position. As a private patient, we offer more convenient appointments wherever possible.
When your brace is removed, you will be given a retainer to wear which will help to keep your teeth in their new position. It is important that you wear your retainer according to the orthodontist’s instructions. This will ensure your teeth remain in their new, straight position and do not start to “drift” back into a crooked state.
Time to enjoy your new smile!
We have developed a private treatment journey that provides you with a choice of braces based on your clinical needs, more convenient appointments and typically with a much faster treatment start date. Your path to a new straighter smile starts with an initial appointment where we create detailed records for you in our systems including any relevant medical history. You will also be provided an introduction to the practice, our experienced orthodontic team and provided with a helpful welcome pack.
The next step in your journey is an Assessment Appointment. One of our experienced and friendly orthodontists will carry out a thorough examination and assessment of your teeth and related structures (like your jaw). This process will typically involve reviewing information, x-rays and photographs captured at your initial appointment. From this, the orthodontist can select the most appropriate brace or aligner solution to achieve the best outcome.
Your treatment options will then be presented and explained including costs and expected time-frame for the course of treatment. We will also provide finance options to help spread the costs of you smile (finance is subject to status, acceptance terms and conditions).
If you are happy to go ahead, we will take payment or an agreed finance deposit and your choice of brace from the options presented will be fitted. For certain systems such as Invisalign Aligners, a set will be manufactured and delivered to the practice. We will arrange a collection appointment where the process for using the aligners will be explained.
You will now embark on your teeth straightening treatment and typically this will involve several Adjustment Appointments where the team will review and check progress against the anticipated movement and make any adjustments necessary to keep your teeth straightening on track (sorry had to get one pun in)! The time treatment will take to complete varies from person to person but typically takes 12-24 months.
At the end of your course of treatment, your new smile is ready to enjoy. To ensure your teeth remain in the correct position and don’t “drift” back to any previous state, your orthodontist will have recommended and fitted a Retainer. This is usually a permanent retainer, which is convenient and comfortable and soon forgotten you even have one fitted!
Many adults still have painful memories of the big clunky braces from the past. Luckily, times have changed, and so have metal braces. Modern metal braces are smaller and more comfortable than ever before with low profiles and strong adhesives.
Congratulations on your lovely new smile! You should wear a retainer for at least one year to hold your teeth in their new position. We usually recommend lifelong use of a retainer. Then all you need to do to keep your teeth looking their best is follow a normal oral hygiene program and attend regular appointments.
Orthodontic treatment may be every day for us but we appreciate this is usually new territory for you and therefore comes with lots of questions. Please take a look at our Braces FAQ section or contact us if you have a more specific query?