Thinking about straightening your teeth? At Queensway we are used to seeing lots of adult patients chose orthodontics as an option to improve the appearance of their teeth and smile, and to correct their bite.

In the last few years, numerous ‘branded’ orthodontic systems have been launched with expensive marketing and exciting claims to be ‘better, quicker, cheaper’ etc. I have wanted to write this post for a while, to debunk some myths and help potential orthodontic patients make the right choices about their treatment and not be mislead by grand advertising claims.

Manufacturers know best

This is of course not true! In contrast to dentists and orthodontists, brace manufacturers are not registered by the General Dental Council (GDC) and do not have to adhere to the same standards. They have no direct responsibility for the outcome of any treatments (unlike the dentist or orthodontist) and are primarily concerned   with their profits.

To help drive interest in their products most of these new orthodontic systems run one or two day courses for  dentists to learn the basics of how to use the system. The thing is, there is nothing new about the majority of these systems; the most creative and novel aspect of them is the they are promoted and marketed to dentists (generally not orthodontists) and directly to patients.

In essence there are only three types of braces:

  1. Conventional fixed braces on the front of the teeth (in metal or nicer looking tooth-coloured ceramic or sometimes plastic materials)
  2. Fixed braces behind the teeth (lingual braces such as Incognito)
  3. Removable clear aligners such as Invisalign

The reality is that despite all the years and millions of dollars of research (using some of the most robust research methods) there is very little good quality evidence that any brace, bracket, wire or system is consistently better, quicker, or can avoid needing to have teeth out more often in a real patient situation.

How should you choose?

With so many manufacturers advertising so many appliances and making so many claims, how are patients to decide? The first thing to do is to get back to basics – ignore the hype! After all, would you choose your plumber on the basis of the tools he has in his van or your GP because of his stethoscope? I wouldn’t.

We are used to making decisions about having things done to things that matter (our bodies, our children’s bodies… our boilers!) based on the quality and credentials of the individual (and the relationship they build with us). So why choose where to have your teeth straightened on the basis of unsubstantiated claims by manufacturers or adverts on websites promising the world in half the time?

The best advice is to find someone you like and trust who can give you advice about the most suitable treatment plan as well as offer a comprehensive selection of appliances, without being tied to just one manufacturer.

At Queensway, we offer all the main brace types including Invisalign, conventional fixed metal or tooth coloured braces and lingual braces and our experienced, specialist team can help guide you to the best option for your needs, lifestyle, budget and expectations.

You can check the credentials of all registered dental professionals via the GDC website at https://gdc-uk.org/Pages/default.aspx.