Frequently asked questions
Your orthodontic questions,
answered.
Orthodontic Basics
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Orthodontics is the area of dentistry concerned with diagnosing, preventing and treating poorly positioned teeth and jaws, and the irregularities of the face that go with them. It straightens teeth, improves how the bite functions, and improves the appearance of the smile.
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Anyone concerned about the appearance or the function of their teeth and jaws. Treatment can start as young as seven, and there is no upper age limit.
Most orthodontic treatment is done in the early teenage years, because that is when growth is most rapid and the jaws can be influenced as well as the teeth.
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Most orthodontic problems are more complicated than they look, and correcting a bite properly needs the knowledge and skill of a specialist rather than a general dentist offering braces alongside everything else.
In New Zealand, "specialist" is a protected title. Only clinicians who have completed full specialist training and hold specialist registration with the Dental Council may use it.
Before you come
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No. You can book an assessment directly. Many patients come on their dentist's recommendation, but a referral is not required in New Zealand and it makes no difference to how you are treated or what you pay.
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An orthodontist is a dentist who has completed several additional years of full time specialist training in moving teeth and correcting bites. Catherine did three years at Otago after eighteen years in general dentistry.
In New Zealand, a general dentist is legally allowed to offer braces and aligners without that training. "Specialist" is a protected title and only registered specialists can use it, so if it matters to you, ask directly and check the Dental Council register.
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It takes about forty five minutes. Catherine examines your teeth and bite, then takes photographs, imaging and a digital scan. There are no impression trays and nothing to gag on.
She then shows you what is happening and talks through the options, including the option of waiting or doing nothing. You leave with a written plan and a full quote, and no obligation to start. More about your first visit.
Children and teens
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Around age seven to nine. Most children assessed at that age need nothing yet, and knowing that is worth the appointment on its own. A small number have problems, particularly crossbites and impacted canines, that are far easier to deal with while the jaw is still growing.
Most treatment is done in the early teenage years, because that is when growth is most rapid.
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A short first phase of treatment while a child still has baby teeth, usually to guide jaw growth, make room for adult teeth, or correct a crossbite before it causes the jaw to shift. It does not replace braces later, but it can make the second phase shorter and simpler, and occasionally it avoids extractions.
Only a minority of children need it. It is not a reason to start treatment early as a default.
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A removable appliance worn by growing children, in two parts, upper and lower, that encourages the lower jaw to come forward. It is used where the lower jaw sits well behind the upper and the front teeth stick out.
It works only while a child is still growing, which is why timing matters.
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Usually yes, but not always, which is why an assessment at eight or nine is useful. A few problems are best treated while growth is still happening, and waiting until every adult tooth is in can close that window.
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Yes, and we see a lot of children who arrive worried, often after a difficult experience elsewhere. Nothing at the first visit is invasive. There are no needles and no drilling in orthodontics, which surprises most children once they realise it.
Tell us beforehand and we will take it slowly.
Treatment options
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Neither is better in general. They are better at different things.
Aligners are discreet and removable, which suits mild to moderate cases and adults who would rather not wear fixed braces. Braces remain more predictable for severe crowding, large rotations, impacted teeth and significant bite correction.
Aligners are also not faster as a rule. They often finish sooner because the cases suited to them are the simpler ones.
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The average treatment time here is eighteen months. Times vary considerably depending on what needs correcting before you start.
Simple crowding in one arch can finish inside a year. Impacted teeth or significant bite correction can run beyond two. Catherine gives you an estimated range at your assessment, once she has seen what your case involves.
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Brackets designed individually for each of your teeth and then 3D printed, rather than the same off-the-shelf bracket fitted to everyone. Catherine designs them on your own digital scan, tooth by tooth.
Because the appliance is doing the work instead of the wire bends, it usually means fewer adjustment visits and a more predictable finish.
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Yes. Ceramic braces use tooth-coloured brackets that blend against the enamel and work as well as metal. Invisalign aligners are clear and removable. Neither is invisible, and anyone looking closely will see them, but both are considerably less noticeable.
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No. Teeth move at any age as long as the gums and bone are healthy, and a good share of the cases treated here are adults. Adult treatment can take slightly longer because bone remodels more slowly, and may need coordinating with your dentist or a periodontist first.
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Sometimes, though far less often than a generation ago. Where crowding is severe, taking teeth out can give a more stable result and a better facial profile than expanding an arch beyond what the bone will hold. If it applies to you, Catherine will explain the reasoning and the alternatives. Extractions are done by your own dentist.
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Usually yes. Crowns and fillings are no obstacle. Implants are different, because an implant is fixed in the bone and does not move, so it has to be planned around. Any gum disease needs to be under control before treatment starts, and we will coordinate that with your dentist.
During treatment
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Fitting them does not hurt. They will feel strange and knobbly at first, and that solid feeling fades as the teeth begin to move. Some discomfort once they start moving is normal.
Panadol or Nurofen four hourly as required will handle it. If you are asthmatic, do not use Nurofen. Keep yourself busy and occupied, because the discomfort is much more noticeable when you are sitting thinking about it.
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For the first twenty four hours keep food very soft: soup, noodles, custard, yoghurt. If the teeth are still tender after that, stay soft with things like mashed potato and mince until it settles.
After that, avoid hard and sticky foods for the rest of treatment: whole apples, crusty bread, nuts, hard lollies, chewing gum and ice. Cutting food up rather than biting into it solves most of the problem.
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Your teeth have to be kept very clean. Plaque left sitting around brackets permanently marks the enamel, and those white marks do not come off when the braces do.
Brush after every meal where you can, use an interdental brush around each bracket, and use a fluoride mouthwash. Avoid sticky foods and sugary drinks, which promote decay. Do not pick at the wires or elastics, because damage almost always follows.
You still need to see your own dentist for regular check ups throughout treatment, and you may need extra hygienist visits while the braces are on. We give you a full information sheet on the day your braces are fitted.
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Call the practice. Most breakages can wait until your next scheduled visit, and the ones that cannot are seen quickly. If a wire is poking, orthodontic wax over the end will get you through until we see you.
It is not an emergency and it is not your fault. It happens to almost everyone at some point.
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Catherine sees all her patients at six to eight weekly intervals throughout treatment. You see her, not a therapist or an assistant, at every one of those appointments.
Most adjustment visits are short. With custom brackets and pre-planned wire sequences the intervals can sometimes be longer, which means less time off school and work.
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Elastics correct how the upper and lower teeth meet, which braces alone cannot do. Wearing them is the single biggest thing you control in your own treatment.
They need to be worn consistently rather than on and off, because inconsistent wear sets up resistance and the teeth effectively stop moving. Treatment that stalls almost always stalls here.
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Yes to both. For contact sport you need a mouthguard made to fit over braces, and a standard one will not do. Wind and brass players usually adapt within a couple of weeks, and wax over any bracket that rubs helps while the mouth settles.
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Slightly, for a few days. Fixed braces affect speech far less than people expect. Removable plates and aligners take a little longer, usually about a week, and reading aloud at home speeds it up.
Retainers and afterwards
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Once the braces come off it is vital the teeth are held in their new position, and that is what retention means. It is not the end of treatment so much as the maintenance of it.
Most patients have an upper removable plate and a fixed wire bonded behind the lower front teeth. The plate is worn full time for six months, then nights only for a further one to one and a half years. Catherine monitors your retention for two years after the braces are removed.
Teeth drift throughout life, whether or not you have ever had braces. If you stop wearing retention, they will move.
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Call us straight away rather than waiting. Teeth can shift noticeably within a couple of weeks without retention, and a replacement made quickly will usually still fit. Left for months, it may not, and you could need a short course of treatment to get back to where you were. Replacement retainers are charged separately.
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Usually, and it is one of the most common reasons adults come in. Relapse after childhood treatment, almost always because retainers stopped, often needs a shorter and simpler course than the original. Catherine will tell you honestly what is involved.
Cost and practicalities
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Costs vary and reflect the severity of the problem, the complexity of the case and how long treatment runs. Nationally a full course of braces generally sits between about $6,000 and $10,000, with clear aligners in a similar range.
The initial consultation is charged separately. An estimated treatment cost is given at that appointment, and the full fee is confirmed in writing before treatment begins. There are no hidden costs, and fees can be paid over an extended period.
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Two ways. You can pay the whole treatment in one payment, and a discount applies if you do.
Or you can pay it off over the course of treatment. A deposit is paid when the braces go on, and the balance is cleared in equal monthly payments by direct debit from your bank account. There is no interest and no third party lender.
The full fee is confirmed in writing before treatment begins, and there are no hidden costs.
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Sometimes, partially. Some policies include a one-off orthodontic benefit, more often for children than adults, and waiting periods are common and often measured in years. Ask your insurer about orthodontic benefits specifically, not dental benefits, and ask before treatment starts.
Orthodontics is not publicly funded in New Zealand except for severe cases treated through the hospital system.
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First floor, 8 St Vincent Avenue, Remuera, just off Remuera Road, with parking on site. A few minutes from Newmarket and Parnell. Directions and practice details.
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Yes, by text. If you would like reminders, or you need to change the mobile number we have on file, update your number here or tell reception at your next visit.
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Yes. Catherine sees transfer cases regularly, whether people have moved cities or are unhappy with how treatment is going. Bring whatever records you have. The fee depends on how far along you are and what remains.
Care instructions
Braces homecare
What to expect in the first few days, what to eat, how to manage discomfort, and how to keep your teeth clean while the braces are on.
Cleaning removable appliances
How to clean a plate or retainer properly, what to clean it with, and how to store it so it does not warp or get thrown out with a school lunch.
Elastics
How many hours a day to wear them, how to fit them, what to do if one breaks, and why inconsistent wear stalls treatment.
Headgear
How to fit and remove it safely, how many hours it needs to be worn, and what to do if it comes loose overnight.
Twin blocks
How to wear and clean a twin block, what to expect in the first fortnight, and managing eating and speech while you adjust to it.