Patient AG , Male

Introduction

Patient AG , Male , 11.09.1974 (37 years old)

After being referred by his dentist AG came to Eden for his initial consultation on 15.02.2012.
“At first I was a little apprehensive about having the work done as I hadn’t seen many adults with them.”
At this appointment the patient made Sabina aware he was self conscious about his upper teeth , he felt they stuck out which as a result stopped him from smiling.

From carrying out a full orthodontic assessment which included a clinical evaluation and a set of relevant radiographs Sabina prescribed a treatment plan for the patient.
“The consultation put my mind at ease and I understood the way my treatment would go ahead. This was to include the extraction of 2 teeth in the upper jaw , upper and lower fixed brace treatment for approx 18-24 months , a wire retainer and upper and lower plastic gum shield retainers. All the staff were very helpful and any questions I had were answered fully to my satisfaction.”

Extra – Oral Photographs

Intra oral Photographs

Preparation for Treatment

At this stage the we advise patients to take all information on board go home and digest all options available .
As AG was very keen to start treatment as soon as possible we recorded some dental models of his teeth along with his clinical assessment , radiographs , relevant paper work and some photos. We sent the application off for approval and funding.

The application can take between 12-16 weeks to come back with a decision

“I was aware of the process including the requirement to send details to the health authority”

Treatment Phase

The patients approval was granted on 12/04/2012

As soon as we receive funding approval, an extraction letter is generated, checked by the orthodontist and sent to AG’s dentist.

AG was asked to contact his dentist and arrange the appointments to have the extractions done. We asked AG to tell us when the extractions will be done.

AG’s extractions were carried out on 12.06.2012

As AG made us aware of the extraction appointments we could make the whole process easier by booking the bonding of the braces in advance. This helped greatly for AG as he could organise his schedule.

“Extractions did not bother me as I was made aware of the whole process involved and of how the braces would straighten my smile. To do this, room is required, extraction is a necessary part of the process.”

Brace yourself…….

Shortly after the extraction’s were carried out the patient had his appointment to get the brace fitted .
This appointment can take between 45-60 mins to complete.

There is no jags or drills used . It simply is a process of preparing the tooth surface , keeping the area dry and accurately placing the bracket . Once every tooth had had the brackets bonded a wire is then placed and secured with a small elastic band which can come in many colours.

“You hear horror stories from friends about the pain involved in brace fitting but in reality there is only a slight discomfort. Nothing that would ever make me feel uncomfortable or bad enough to not recommended it to another person.”

Aftercare

Once the brace has been bonded the team thoroughly covered the oral hygiene and diet instructions.

Treatment Progression

AG was seen every 4-6 weeks. These appointment the patient would have his brace adjusted but using a variety of methods for example elastomeric chain and elastics, AG had 10 adjustments to create the smile he desired.

At the finishing stage, AG required some re-positions; this is where one or some of the brackets are removed and re-bonded in a different position . This would happen if teeth are very crooked at the beginning and need some slight adjustments at the end to finish in an ideal position. As this patient was an adult he also has some wear on his tooth edges . Sabina offered to smooth these edges which gave the patient that little bit more of perfect finish.

“Just like the brace fitting the adjustments were only a little uncomfortable. The actual wearing of the elastics after fitting was largely unnoticeable. I would recommend to get the clear colour to hide it, in the time I wore them virtually no one knew I had them in. Very easy to take out and put back in for eating.”

Are you happy?

Once the orthodontist had reached her treatment aims she had a conversation with AG, asking him if he was happy with his teeth. AG was delighted with the result and we decided to prepare his mouth to get the braces off . For this we recorded a mini impression of the patients upper 4 front teeth. This would allow us to manufacture a custom made wire retainer . This is fitted in the same appointment as the braces coming off, this appointment can take 30/40 mins.

The Grand Finale

Getting the braces removed can be a very exciting time we have patient telling us they hear horror stories saying its very sore. In actual fact it can feel similar to a ‘pop’ as the brace is released from the teeth it can start to feel tight but this will disappear as quickly as it comes .
Once the brace has been removed the teeth will be cleaned to remove any residual glue , polished , photos recorded and final models taken. These models were taken to make the patients finals casts and to make the plastic gum shield retainers.

Finished Photographs

How did we do?

A little note from our patient ….

“The whole process was virtually pain free and the entire staff at Eden were very friendly and relaxed. I would recommend to anyone I knew to get the process done without hesitation.
A big thank you and a bigger smile to all at Eden.”