Anthony Lam, one of our London Orthodontic Specialists, explains why choosing the right brace system isn’t always all about how it looks.

“The most common requests we receive from our orthodontic patients are for discreet braces and as short as possible a treatment time,” says Dr. Anthony Lam, when we grab a word with him to discuss the merits of the different brace systems available at elleven Dental.

Choose the look you want

Both the Invisalign and the Lingual braces are very discreet and when combined with the SureSmile Faster Treatment our team are able to address both of these common patient concerns.

There are no right and wrong answers about which brace to choose.

“It really depends on the patient’s personal preference,” says Dr. Lam. “We have different price points and some patients are more choosy about how their braces ought to look, but we will usually plan the treatment to match the patient’s expectations.”

The initial consultation will provide patients with all the details they need to make the right decision for them.  However, the clinical team will make recommendations to ensure the optimum aesthetic outcome.

Combining treatments for maximum effect

London Invisalign Braces are near-invisible removable aligners which offer great flexibility and a great look and, as a leading Invisalign treatment centre, we do receive many enquiries about them.  However, Invisalign isn’t for everyone, explains Dr. Lam.

“For fixed braces, we can really treat any type of case,” says Dr. Lam, “For Invisalign, we use them only in the milder types of cases – so that’s the distinction.”

The clinical team do, however, aim to adapt treatments to patient preferences wherever possible – and this can mean a blended approach for some patients.

When patients who have quite a pronounced problem, but who are keen to use the Invisalign removable brace system, we can supplement the Invisalign treatment with a short period of wearing fixed braces either before or after the Invisalign treatment.

“What we tend to do in these cases, is we try to do most of the journey with Invisalign.  That actually works quite well for a lot of patients because it means they only have fixed braces for a short period of time,” Dr. Lam explains.  “For Invisalign, we tend to recommend that course of action because we want to achieve the optimum treatment result for the patient.  It’s a very popular approach at our practice.”

Loving your fixed braces!

Dr. Lam admits that sometimes when a patient begins their treatment journey with fixed braces with the intention of moving to Invisalign after three or four months, some choose to stick with the fixed braces.

“My wife is a prime example!” he tells us, “She started off with fixed braces and found that they are really straightforward and she was very happy to carry on with the fixed braces.”

Some patients choose fixed braces from day one for the full duration of their treatment journey.  Perhaps they don’t want to switch mid-treatment or they are not overly bothered about having fixed braces anyway – our Treatment Coordinator, Kirsty, is a case in point.

Whatever treatment you are interested in, our detailed personal orthodontic consultation will talk you through all your options, so you can agree a treatment plan to suit you.

For more information, request a consultation today.