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Orthodontics on St Kilda Road, Melbourne
For more than 25 years, Melbourne families have trusted Complete Dental Care for their orthodontic care, giving teenagers and adults more confidence with a smile they’re proud of.
Some remember how braces looked a generation ago. However, much has changed in recent years. Our dentists use modern orthodontic solutions including tooth-coloured braces and clear aligners (Invisalign), to give you the most comfortable and convenient orthodontic treatment possible.
Our orthodontic treatment using ClinCheck software – the latest technology available for orthodontics – allows you to see an on-screen 3D view of the planned treatment to restore the structure of your mouth. Each step of the way we will show you your progress and update the predicted length of the treatment, keeping you fully informed. For more details, view our orthodontic treatment video.
Our digital dental records system ensures that changes in your mouth, including those introduced as part of your orthodontic treatment, can be accurately recorded and monitored over time. These records inform future decisions and treatments to provide you with optimal dental health throughout your life.
Braces
The most natural, lasting way to correct tooth crowding, non functioning bites (malocclusions) and asymmetrical smiles is via Orthodontic Correction.
Traditional metal braces are the most common type used for orthodontic solutions to straighten crooked teeth. A wire threads through the metal brackets, which often means the ideal shape of the archwire is temporarily distorted due to the positioning of the teeth and, as it tries to return to its original shape, it applies pressure to move the teeth into the correct alignment. The jawbones and gum tissues then remodel to accommodate any changes in tooth position.
In some cases, elastics (small rubber bands) are used to add additional force to create the right amount of pressure to move teeth. Elastics are issued by your CDC dentist as they monitor your progress, and must be worn religiously to ensure timely completion of orthodontic treatment.
At CDC we can also offer porcelain/tooth coloured braces, which are slightly more modern and as they are barely visible they are very popular for aesthetically conscious patients. Where aesthetics are paramount, porcelain braces are suitable for most types of orthodontic problems and they are particularly useful where other aesthetic solutions such as invisible aligners or lingual braces are either unsuitable or unable to achieve a full correction.
Remember whether you are a child, an adolescent or an adult, age is no restriction to orthodontic correction of malaligned teeth. Following sound biological principles, teeth can be moved through bone at any age!
Invisalign
The most natural, lasting way to correct tooth crowding, non functioning bites (malocclusions) and as being able to achieve a beautiful straight smile without compromising on appearance is what has led to Invisalign® becoming the orthodontic treatment of choice for adults. Many adults who desired a straight smile were reluctant to undergo orthodontic treatment due to the impact that metal braces would have on social and professional situations.
Invisalign ® consists of a series of clear custom moulded aligners made using 3-D computer imaging software. Each set of aligners is replaced every couple of weeks with each new set moving your teeth a little more until they have straightened to the final correct position.
Unlike fixed braces Invisalign ® aligners are removable so you are able to eat all your favourite foods as well as brush and floss normally. Additionally, being clear means that people won’t even notice you are wearing them. Using Invisalign ®, you can enjoy life as well as achieve a straight smile without compromising on your appearance. Speak to your CDC dentist today about Invisalign and how it can transform your smile too.
Orthopaedic Orthotropics
Once in a while life reveals some of the secrets of creation. If we are observant and don’t fight the natural flow of our development we can realise the very best of what we are capable of.
For a good portion of the first 2 decades of my practice, I focused on adult cosmetic reconstructive dentistry. As I became more specialised in this field I unwittingly excluded children from my practice. It was only when I began to see more headache pain pattern syndromes and sleep breathing disorders common to our aging population that my practice shifted back into balance.
Cranio-Facial pain often cannot be treated, only managed. When I asked my Prof. Steve Olmos of the University of Tennesse what could be done to cure my patients, he laughed and said “Just go back in time and treat them as children.”
He meant it as a joke of course, but I took him seriously.
I started along the normal pathways, studied orthodontics gaining a fellowship in this field and started to treat teenagers with fixed braces to straighten their teeth. Though these children finished with nice big smiles, none of my teachers had any more answers than Prof. Olmos, so I kept searching.
As chance would have it I came across Prof. John Mew of the London School of Facial Orthotropics. When I read his papers on Orthotropic growth guidance his vision so intrigued me that I flew him over to teach in Melbourne and thus began my new journey.
Orthotropics is the discipline of developing correct growth in our children. When we grow well we develop room for all our facial structures. Room so our tongue and head muscles can relax. Room so our joints can lubricate. Room for air to pass cleanly down our throats. And of course, room for all our teeth to line up straight!
So here was the possibility of a real solution to our problems. I pressed forwards into further studies, initially completing a residency programme with Dr Bill Hang the lead instructor of the North American Association of Facial Orthotropics.
My approach changed from just straightening teeth to helping children grow their jaws.
I discovered how much change was possible in facial development.
It wasn’t until I started practicing Biobloc Orthotropics that I truly realised how significant a change was possible.
You see in Orthotropics the possibilities of what our children are capable of go well beyond our short sighted views on what is possible.
It is not hard to be excited by what my kids are achieving over the years, so I’m back studying once again with Prof Mew and his son Dr Michael Mew in the UK. I’m completing my Diploma of Facial Orthotropics and looking forward to helping care for you and your children now and in the years to come, with the very best of what I have to offer.
Kind Regards,
Dr Simon Wong BDSc(Melb) FICCDE(Sing)
RESOURCES
Understanding Orthotropics
- How good breathing patterns can help children with ADHD
- Mouth Breathing and Occlusion
- Tongue Involvement and Malocclusions
- The American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry at www.AAPMD.org