Orthodontics

Dr Tania Lucas is a general dentist with a special interest in orthodontics and has completed an additional 2 years of orthodontic training with the use of the Individual Patient (IP) appliance.

For all orthodontic patients, prior to treatment, a full series of records are taken including study models of the teeth, jaw x-rays, and photos. Study models and x-rays are digitally measured and analysed using the IPSOFT orthodontic program. The specialised IPSOFT program allows us to create visual treatment objectives (VTO’s) for various treatment alternatives and to select the most appropriate appliance to use for the desired treatment outcome.

All patients are presented with full report of their diagnosis and treatment options at a second consultation.

Comprehensive Orthodontics

The focus of comprehensive orthodontics is not just alignment of the teeth but also the improvement of the overall functional relationships of the teeth and jaws and aesthetics of the entire dentofacial complex, and is commonly provided to children and adolescents.

A ‘bad bite’ may be due to ‘bad’ positioning or size of the jaws, or ‘bad’ positioning or size of the teeth or a combination of any of these. The best final outcome requires the best treatment for the particular problem.

If the jaws are the problem, treatment may include the use of various appliances including plates to expand or reposition the jaws. These are only effective while the patient is still growing. Non-growing patients with incorrect size or position of the jaws may require surgical correction.

It is recommended that all children have an orthodontic assessment at as young as 8 years of age to identify any problems that would benefit from early intervention.

For patients with well related jaws, full fixed braces may be required. Treatment without extracting any teeth is always preferred, but in some cases extraction is necessary to achieve a fully corrected stable result.

Cosmetic Orthodontics

The focus of cosmetic orthodontics is achieving a straight smile in a short time. Common problems such as crowding and spacing of the teeth are often able to be corrected with short term braces in 6-12 months. This treatment is generally only suitable for adults who do not have a severe bite abnormality. Metal or ceramic braces can be used. At your consultation we can advise if you are suitable for this treatment.