Frequently Asked Questions

Have Some Questions for Dr. Wang?

How long do I have to wear braces?

How long do I have to wear braces?

How long do I have to wear braces?

A lot of my patients ask me how long do they have to wear braces? Now that’s actually a really tough question to answer because it really depends on the individual and what kind of conditions and problems that present with. As an average, those patients having full braces in Damon Clear or Damon Metal Braces, most of our cases are complete in approximately 18 months and for kids it’s a bit shorter than that, probably around the 12 month mark. So over all those are our average times. Sometimes we do more complicated treatments such as Neuromuscular Orthodontics or Lingual Braces and these are gonna end up taking a little bit longer probably closer to 2 years but no matter what option you pick it’s gonna be a lot less than going through traditional or conventional braces.

How often do I have to attend an appointment?

How often do I have to attend an appointment?

How often do I have to attend an appointment?

A common question I get from patients who are embarking on orthodontic treatment is how that often do they need to see me? The answer is that it varies depending on what treatment option they are having and what stage of treatment they are in. For the majority of my patients who are in Damon Braces, generally speaking, in the beginning we’re gonna see them every 10 weeks so not very often at all. However that does get reduced down to about 8 weeks and then 6 towards the end of their treatment and sometimes towards the very end it might be quite often every 1 or 2 weeks but there won’t be too many times where that needs to happen. So over all the appointments are quite far apart compared to traditional or conventional braces but not so far apart that we can’t keep a close eye on how your treatment is going.

Do I need to have teeth extracted to relieve crowding?

Do I need to have teeth extracted to relieve crowding?

Do I need to have teeth extracted to relieve crowding?

Patients often asked me the question whether or not they need to have teeth pulled out or extracted in order to create space to alleviate their crowding. The answer is no, not necessarily.In order to create space because we use Damon braces were able to expand the jaws and that’s usually have better treatment solution if the teeth and normal size but the jaws are too small. Orthodontic extractions is more about treating your profile, so if you have really prominent upper all or lower jaws and lips, then that’s a better reason for having Orthodontic extractions. So, just remember we are extracting teeth for the profile not to create space. So, no you don’t necessarily have to have extractions to deal with severe crowding.

Can I have orthodontic treatment as an adult?

Can I have orthodontic treatment as an adult?

Can I have orthodontic treatment as an adult?

Some of my patients want to know if they can have orthodontic treatment as an adult and the short answer is yes we’re able to treat most conditions with orthodontic treatment and get an amazing beautiful functional smile. Sometimes these treatments may take a little bit longer and there are a few conditions that are better off treated or more ideally treated when your child but overall you know absolutely adults can have orthodontic treatment. If you like to find out whether or not your condition it is suitable for treatment, please contact our office and we can determine that for you.

Can orthodontic treatment change my facial profile and appearance?

Can orthodontic treatment change my facial profile and appearance?

Can orthodontic treatment change my facial profile and appearance?

A lot of my patients asked me where orthodontic treatment can actually improve or change their facial profiling facial appearance. Most of these changes acquire but yes absolutely we can definitely do some changes to help the prominent or fullness of your lips and your smile. It certainly helps to change your jawline the amount of jaw definition which you may have and it can also help to reduce so enhance on the prominence of your chin. So yes, absolutely orthodontic treatment does help to improve the Aesthetics in the appearance of your face.

Besides cosmetics, what are the benefits of orthodontic treatments?

Besides cosmetics, what are the benefits of orthodontic treatments?

Besides cosmetics, what are the benefits of orthodontic treatments?

It’s true that a lot of patience seek orthodontic treatment for a cosmetic improvement but cosmetics is not the only reason that patients will get treatment there are also functional reasons too. As an example, some functional reasons for patients to get treatment will be to reduce the amount of grinding and clenching they have, to help get rid of headaches and migraines, to treat a clicky jaw or jaw aches or even to help with airway issues such as sleep breathing disorders and sleep apnea. So the short answer is, no, there are lots of different reasons that people can get Orthodontics, it’s not just cosmetic.

What are Damon Braces and how are they different from traditional braces?

What are Damon Braces and how are they different from traditional braces?

What are Damon Braces and how are they different from traditional braces?

Here at Smile Design Studio we use an orthodontic system known as Damon Braces and Damon Braces differs from traditional or conventional braces in that it uses a technology known as passive self-ligation and what passive self-ligation does is it allows us to place a much lighter force with less friction on the teeth in order to move them. Compared to traditional or conventional braces which places a fairly heavy force and involves a lot friction because of the elastics which hold those wires and brackets on the teeth. Having a lighter force on the teeth really presents us with the advantages that Damon Braces have and that is it allows us to have a much faster treatment time. Most Damon cases are finished in around 18 months compared to traditional braces which may be 2-3, I have even heard of 4 to 5 year, long cases.

So apart from faster treatment results we also get a lot less pain and discomfort. Having a much lighter force being placed on the teeth they are also less likely to be sore during treatment and less likely to get damage done to the teeth. There are less risks involced such as teeth dying or roots of the teeth becoming shortened as a result of heavy forces placed on those teeth. So we have: Faster Treatment Time, Less Pain and Discomfort, Less Risks.

But also the most important thing of all with Damon braces is the advantage of having better results. So with Damon braces because of the light forces we are able to actually change the way in which the jaws are shaped. So we can develop arches and we can create space without having to remove any teeth in order to do so. we can expand the pallet we can make the jaws wider and larger in order to make room for the teeth to be aligned and in that way Damon braces actually creates a much more beautiful, fuller wider smile. So all in all there is really no disadvantage when it comes to Damon braces. Damon braces is a fantastic system which we use here at Smile Design Studio and let us know if we can help you to create a beautiful smile.

How are the Damon Clear and Damon Metal Braces different?

How are the Damon Clear and Damon Metal Braces different?

How are the Damon Clear and Damon Metal Braces different?

Here at Smile Design Studio a lot of my patients ask me whether they can have clear braces and what the difference is between the Damon Clear and Damon Metal braces. Well, aside from the obvious advantage of Damon Clear braces being a less visible treatment option, the technology behind the two bracket systems is pretty similar. So, with Damon Clear braces because of the material (they’re made of a polycarbonate material and that material is not quite as strong as the metal braces), in order for them to stand up to the forces that are happening inside your mouth, they need to be a little bit bigger and have a little bit more material. So, the end result is that the Damon Clear brackets are a bit wider and have a bigger profile compared to the Damon Metal braces.

So, in terms of the differences between the two braces, it’s more about whether or not we can use them and that has to do with the amount of crowding and the size of the teeth and for most patients in the upper arch where it actually matters, Damon Clear braces are usually possible and in the lower arch that’s where more likely to come across problems because the teeth are thinner. In terms of the treatment length and the results, there isn’t a huge amount of difference. You can get pretty much the same results with Damon Clear braces as you can with Damon Metal braces. In terms of the length of treatment, theoretically speaking, it should be the same but what we find is that because Damon Clear braces are more likely to have emergencies and breakages and things like that, that delay in a patient being able to come in and get that sorted out that is actually what is slowing the treatment down. In reality, the difference is quite negligible we might find that diamond clear braces on average take a month or two longer than the Damon Metal but I think that’s a small price to pay to have a much less visible treatment option.

What is Invisalign?

What is Invisalign?

What is Invisalign?

Here at Smile Design Studio we offer an orthodontic solution called Invisalign. Now Invisalign is a fantastic treatment option in that it’s a fairly invisible treatment option so you can go through your othodontic treatment without it being obvious that you are. On top of that it is a removable option. So it allows you to remove those aligners if you have a special occassion or important event you need to attend. Invisalign is basically a sequence or series of clear aligners each one slight different from the next in its shape and what it does is works together in that sequence to slowly move position and align your teeth.

The way Invisalign works so you really need to wear it almost full time you take it out for eating and and cleaning your tank so they really need to be in your mouth for about 20 hours a day. So all in all Invisalign sounds like its a fantastic treatment option. Its fairly Invisible. It’s quite Minimal in terms of its discomfort and pain and you can pause it anytime if you need to. There are some limitations however, so with Invisalign the limitations comes down to specifically whether or not it’s able to deal with your situation or your condition some of those limitations can be skeletal problems or the way with your teeth fit together so if you’re wondering whether or not Invisalign is a treatment option that’s possible for you please feel free to contact us and we can determine that for you…

What are Lingual Braces and are they better than Invisalign?

What are Lingual Braces and are they better than Invisalign?

What are Lingual Braces and are they better than Invisalign?

Here at Smile Design Studio, we offer a fairly invisible option for Orthodontics known as lingual braces. So our lingual braces system utilizes a lot of the technology that’s in Damon braces to achieve a similar result. The great advantage with lingual braces is that it is completely invisible treatment option.

It’s in fact, less visible than Invisalign.

We know with Invisalign have attachments and the aligners themselves are sometimes visible. As well they can get discolored and they do sit slightly out from the teeth. Lingual braces however are basically braces that go on the internal surface of the teeth. This really does sound like an amazing option you know why don’t we do all braces like that we would surely have you know a lot more people willing to do braces if it was invisible. Well there are some downsides with lingual braces. The most obvious one is the discomfort. So with Lingual braces because it really impedes on the amount of room that’s inside your mouth it can cause some problems and traumatize your tongue. On top of that lingual braces tend to catch a lot more food when you’re eating and a lot more things get stuck in the braces and what that can do is create some hygiene issues as well and this ultimately can slow down your treatment so what we find with lingual braces that the treatment takes a little bit longer…usually around about ⅓ longer than the more traditional braces. So we can expect around 24 to the 30 months. Lingual braces also has a lot of work set out for it because it’s pushing the teeth from the inside there’s a lot less leverage that it can apply and that also contributes to some of that additional treatment length that we see with lingual braces.

However if you’re busy professional if your person that needs to give presentations or do meetings or your have a career that doesn’t allow you to show that you are going through treatment then lingual braces can be a fantastic option for you.

At what age do you recommend a child be seen for their first orthodontic consultation?

At what age do you recommend a child be seen for their first orthodontic consultation?

At what age do you recommend a child be seen for their first orthodontic consultation?

A lot of my patients asked me whether or not I treat kids and if so when would be the ideal time to bring a child into their first orthodontic consultation. Well the short answer is yes I do treat children in they are often a joy to treat because at that age, often we can avoid a lot of future complications or future treatment such as the need for jaw surgery or orthodontic extractions. The important thing to understand with children is that they are growing individuals and most of the treatment is focused on harnessing that growth. What that means is that often treating them at a young age allows us to do the treatment faster and allows us to get a better result as well. Once there upper jaw stops growing, which happens at around age 12, then we start to become limited in what we can do so what that means is the ideal time to bring your child in for the first consultation is before that upper jaw growth spurt and that would be around age 7.

Now not all problems can be treated at a young age in fact some problems such as a large lower jaw should be left until they are adults have stopped growing. However if you would like your child to be treated at the most ideal time and get the best result in the longterm, it’s best to leave that up to the experts so what you should do is look in to bring your child in at the age of 7 for the first orthodontic consultation and let us monitor your child and determine the ideal time to treat them.