Mark is a patient in our Glasgow practice. He was understandably pretty desperate for any cosmetic improvements.
His main problems were his bite, advancing gum disease and overcrowding at the front of the mouth. He also had an un-erupted adult canine (eye tooth) lying inside his palate.
After a few orthodontic consultations and having all the options and risks discussed, Mark was in a position to decide on invisible braces.
It was agreed not to place braces on all of the teeth to avoid pressure on a residual upper 'baby' tooth.
The patient decided not to have the adult eye tooth surgically removed. He was deemed unsuitable for corrective surgery to improve his bite, with long term braces.
A more cosmetic orthodontic solution was chosen with clear ceramic brackets and tooth coloured wires.
First of all, his gum problems (gingivitis with associated bleeding and tartar), were cleaned up. Then invisible braces were placed and adjusted every 4-6weeks.
Now that his invisible braces have been removed, it is evident from the photos that Mark's teeth and their alignment are more hygienic.
Often in dentistry, it is more important that we achieve a significant improvement in dental health, than to search for a perfect smile.
In this case there were added cosmetic benefits and Mark is now looking forward to coming back to Glasgow regularly for his routine dental checkup and hygiene appointments.