Orthodontic treatment in the South East

Quintessential, English charm 

Surrey is an English county in the South-East, with breathtaking scenery and all the quaintness and charm one would expect to find in the sleepy English countryside, yet it is surprisingly close to the busy metropolis of London. Surrey is steeped in history, with architecture dating as far back as the bronze age, and a large amount of Roman roads and settlements. As well as this, Surrey also has many major towns and enchanting villages which host a number of prestigious medical and dental practitioners. One such practice is Weybridge Orthodontics, a dental and orthodontic centre that offers a wide range of procedures that are established to fit the individual needs and requirements of the patient through numerous consultations and one-to-one contact. One of the services offered here is the installation of invisible braces, such as Invisalign and Incognito braces.

Braces through the ages

Modern orthodontics as we know it today, began to take shape in France, around 1819 when Christophe-Francois Delabarre constructed the first set of braces – whereby a wire structure, or ‘crib’ was placed over both sets of teeth, in an effort to correct their alignment. Delabarre’s work was then further developed in 1843 when Dr. Edward Maynard, an American firearms inventor added elastic to the braces to help improve jaw alignment. Although Maynard’s braces would be seen as rudimentary by today’s standards, his design was revolutionary and was the beginning of modern orthodontics. Early orthodontic procedures, although generally successful in their outcome, often left patients having to wear large, crude head-pieces for sustained periods of time. Which – as you can imagine – was probably quite an embarrassing ordeal. Today however, with the advancements in modern technologies and innovation, the process of aligning one’s teeth can be done through virtually undetectable means.

Incognito

“Incognito” is one such procedure that allows patients to undergo dental realignment, without the process being visible from the outside. It consists of installing metal braces to the back of a patient’s teeth, unlike traditional ‘train track’ braces which are fitted to the front of the tooth and can cause some discomfort and embarrassment. Each installation of Incognito braces is unique, as a mould is created for the individual patient, and then the mental brace is attached through an orthodontic procedure. The main advantage of these type of braces is that they are undetectable, as they are hidden behind the teeth.  This allows patients to correct their teeth alignment without it affecting their self-confidence.

Hidden wonders

Another, similar contemporary orthodontic procedure offered is the installation of an Invisalign brace mould. Invisalign is a removable mould made from a patented plastic called SmartTrack®, hailed for its unique durability and flexibility. The process of aligning teeth through Invisalign involves creating a plastic mould, similar to a mouth guard, and the patient wearing this mould for usually around 12 months. The most appealing factor in Invisalign is that, unlike traditional braces they are virtually undetectable when worn – which allows patients to undergo treatment without embarrassment. This is one reason why Invisalign is particularly popular amongst teenagers and young adults. Another reason for Invisalign’s popularity is that, unlike conventional braces or orthodontic work, the mould can be removed over the course of treatment at the patient’s discretion.