How to choose an orthodontist

I came across this blog from an American orthodontist on Twitter. A few years ago this would not have been relevant in the UK. You take your child to the dentist, the dentist says they need braces and refers your son or daughter to the local NHS orthodontist they have always referred to. You didn't think to question that there might be a different orthodontist you could choose to see and when the treatment is "free" why should you question it?

This is changing and in many cases parents are researching who might be best for their child. Why? Partly due to the NHS changes meaning that there are long waiting lists and children with milder problems will not get treated, meaning parents may need to pay for private treatment. But there is more to it than that, parents and children want to be involved in the decision making process and want to understand what will happen, and be treated as an individual, not just another patient in a busy day.

As a private only orthodontist I see patients who have chosen to visit me for a number of reasons. In many cases its because they do not qualify for NHS treatment but still want to get straighter teeth, or because they do not want to wait for a year or more. But I am seeing an increasing number of children and their parents who are visiting more than one practice before they select who they feel most comfortable with to do the treatment. Its not just about cost or whether extractions are involved, its about how they feel about entrusting the dental care of their son or daughter to the clinician. You probably only get a real feel for this by visiting the orthodontist.

I'd actually disagree with the article about "Word of Mouth". Of course if you are not a dental professional you cannot assess the quality of work that is done, but I do believe that if someone takes pride and care in looking after their patients then they will probably take pride in their clinical work. Its important to me that I get a great clinical result, but its just as important that my patients feel happy and comfortable visiting me. I get a real sense of pride when I know I have been recommended by a former or current patient.

So how do you choose an orthodontist? Research on the internet, ask your friends and ask your dentist. Weigh up the practical side like how easy the surgery is to get to and get parked, the costs and the payment plans available. Consider the type of treatment that has been recommended, whether extractions are involved and how long it might take. But overall its about how you felt when you went to the surgery, the customer service, the pleasantness of the surroundings and most of all if you got a sense of whether you can trust the orthodontist. If you're not comfortable-get a second opinion!

Six Month Smiles?

I've noticed a recent trend in new treatments that promise straight teeth in less time than traditional braces, in six months or even as little as six weeks. These treatments are being promoted to general dentists as a simple way of helping their patients. They are also being promoted as a brand, direct to patients. They are not marketing to specialist orthodontists, who you might think would be the ideal market.

I have a few concerns over whether branded short treatments (such as Inman or Six Month Smile) are the right thing for patients in the long term.

The appearance of the braces is often not very aesthetic, can be quite bulky and difficult to wear, and one make used a type of clear bracket material that is considered outdated and inferior (composite rather than ceramic). In a short space of time a tooth position can be dramatically improved, but for most cases it would still not be ideally positioned in such a short space of time.

There is natural limit on how fast a tooth can move, and I would like to see reasearch as to whether faster movement is detrimental to the tooth, and whether the teeth are more likely to relapse.

My main concern is that dentists who are inexperienced in orthodontics are being told this is an ideal solution for their patients, that it is easy to do and their patients don't need traditional orthodontics. There's a reason that I did three years dedicated orthodontic training and making orthodontics seem easy devalues the many orthodontic specialists. Yes, fitting braces, changing wires, instructing patients is fairly easy to learn, but seeing the whole picture, understanding possible side effects and being able to correct errors is something that takes training and experience. I know from using Invisalign that there is a learning curve with every new appliance and now I understand its limitations I can recommend it with confidence to the right patients.

So if you are considering orthodontic treatment to improve your smile be sure your dentist or orthodontist explains the pros and cons of the treatment, and find out what the alternatives are. I offer a wide range of brace types, varying in speed, cost and aesthetics so for most patients there is an option to suit them.

Can I provide straight teeth in six months? In a few cases, probably.
Can I promise straight teeth in six weeks? No, not to the standard that I would be happy with.
Can I offer the best treatment type for you? Yes!