Category: Orthodontics

What are the different types of orthodontics available in Dublin?

What are the different types of orthodontics available in DublinEveryone wants a beautiful smile and straight teeth. Unfortunately, not everyone is born with a stunning set of teeth. But for those that aren’t, there’s no need to fret; there are ways to get the smile you have always wanted.

With so many options to straighten your teeth, you may have wondered what the best orthodontic method is best for you. Traditional braces usually come to mind, but those colourful brackets are not always everyone’s first choice.

Ceramic braces may not be the most popular, but they have many benefits than their traditional counterparts. Here are 7 benefits of ceramic braces that may surprise you.

What Are Ceramic Braces?

While ceramic braces are the same size and shape as traditional metal braces, there are a few key differences. Unlike their traditional counterparts that feature colourful brackets, ceramic braces are either tooth-coloured or clear.

Ceramic braces may even use tooth-coloured wires, so they are even less noticeable than the metallic option. The discrete look of invisible braces is one of the reasons many may prefer ceramic braces to the traditional option.

7 Benefits of Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces are a great option for people of all ages. Before you go in for your orthodontist appointment, consider these seven benefits of ceramic braces over their traditional counterpart.

1. They’re Tough

Many people believe that traditional braces are the strongest and that no other method could compete. That, however, is a common misconception. Metal as a raw material is tougher, but that doesn’t affect the strength of the design of ceramic braces.

Ceramic braces’ design and application ensure maximum durability for the entire length of treatment. This style is just as strong and sturdy as traditional metal braces.

2. They Don’t Damage Tooth Enamel

It’s always a concern that when your braces come off, your teeth won’t be in the best state. Fortunately, ceramic braces do not damage your teeth’s enamel. This method uses advanced technology to attach with a strong bond with the least damage.

One concern for all braces wearers is the integrity of their teeth’s enamel. The bonding agent prevents demineralization that can change the colour of your teeth during your treatment.

Because ceramic braces offer both adhesive strengths and enamel protection, they’re a great option for those with sensitive teeth as well as those who want to protect their teeth’s integrity.

3. They Work Faster

Once you get your braces on, you probably start counting down the days to when you can get them off. With ceramic braces, your treatment length is often much faster than other teeth-straightening options.

Compared to removable aligners—another discreet option—ceramic braces don’t need to be removed and therefore continue to straighten your teeth. Our Dublin orthodontist can offer Clear Smile braces, getting you your ideal smile in no time.

Ceramic braces are as discrete while offering a shorter treatment time. The length of treatment depends on the initial state of your teeth. Be sure to discuss treatment length with your orthodontist for a clearer picture of how long to wear ceramic braces.

4. They’re More Comfortable Than Lingual Braces

Traditional braces can be very uncomfortable to wear. Cuts on the inside of the mouth and irritated gums are common occurrences with metal braces. However, wearers of ceramic braces don’t experience this as often.

Ceramic braces have smaller, rounded brackets, and the ceramic material offers less discomfort and less irritation in your mouth. Because ceramic is a softer and smoother material, soreness in the lips and cheeks is reduced.

Even though ceramic braces don’t offer a painless teeth-straightening solution, they provide an easier transition. They’re great for children or people with sensitive mouths or teeth.

5. They Don’t Stain Easily Like Invisible Braces

When it comes to invisible braces options, a huge worry is that they will stain, ruining the invisible look. The first ceramic braces were made of plastic and were easily stained by food and drink. But this has all changed with modern advances in technology.

Today’s ceramic braces are much less susceptible to discolouration while maintaining the clear and discrete look that’s sought after. However, being less susceptible doesn’t mean they can’t stain, and you should still practice the best dental hygiene.

If you don’t watch the foods you eat or brush regularly, ceramic braces can stain. So be sure to practice good dental hygiene when you have ceramic braces.

6. They’re Less Expensive on Our Dublin Orthodontics Price List

When considering your orthodontic options, the cost is something that’s always considered. Clear Aligners, SureSmile and Invisalign offer a similar invisible look as ceramic braces. But because of the system of multiple aligners, the treatment can get pretty pricy.

If removing your orthodontic treatment isn’t a factor for you, ceramic braces may be a great option. You can achieve the same invisible braces look but at a much lower price.

The cost of ceramic braces lands around the midpoint of all orthodontic treatments. So ceramic braces are a reasonable and cost-effective option than the other invisible alternatives.

7. They’re Easy to Remove

All orthodontist patients look forward to getting their braces off to reveal their new smile. Once your treatment is complete and the day has come to remove your braces, the job will be an easy one.

Technological advances have made removing the ceramic brackets easier than earlier designs. After the removal, the brackets are much less likely to leave behind demineralized tooth enamel, revealing a bright white and straight smile.

It must be noted that ceramic braces are not like the other invisible braces treatments like aligners that patients can remove on their own. Ceramic braces must be removed by a professional.

The Best Dentist Dublin

A beautiful, straight smile is closer than you think with ceramic braces. While they may not always come to mind first when considering your orthodontic options, ceramic braces offer benefits that traditional braces cannot.

If you’re willing to take on the maintenance and practice good oral hygiene, ceramic braces are a great option to straighten your smile.

Dublin has some of the best dentists and orthodontists, and Pembroke Dental is a five-star practice in the heart of Ballsbridge. Whether you’re planning a short trip or an extended stay in the city, Pembroke Dental can offer your top-tier treatments.

Ready to book your appointment? Visit this page and request a free consultation.

Additional Clinics with Dr André Collins

Dr André CollinsThe newest dentist at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge, Dr André Collins is proving very popular. His clinics have been so busy this year that we’re delighted to announce that we’re now able to offer an additional clinic on Thursdays with André, including more early morning appointments, which are always in high demand. This is in addition to the two late evening clinics Dr Collins already offers each week.

Dr Collins has extensive experience in general dentistry, having worked in both the UK and Australia for many years. He also provides cosmetic dentistry and can complement treatments such as composite bonding and highly aesthetic crown and veneers, with adult cosmetic orthodontics, all conveniently under one roof at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge.

André is also very experienced at using our new CEREC machine. This fantastic piece of high tech equipment allows him to prepare and fit crowns, bridges and inlays/onlays in just one day. We’ll be posting more information about the CEREC machine in the coming weeks, so check back for updates!

To make an appointment with Dr André Collins, please call the office on 01 668 3242.

New Super Slim Inman Aligner 3 Month Brace

Inman Aligner logo

The Inman aligner is one of the most popular types of braces available here at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge. While all of the systems provided by Dr David Keenan are short-term, cosmetic braces, the Inman aligner allows most patients to complete their treatment in the quickest time, usually just 3-4 months.

Super Slim Inman Aligner

With any braces, patients have to learn to adapt to speaking while wearing the appliance. Until now, the main disadvantage of the Inman aligner was that it could take patients a while to adapt their speech. However the new Super Slim Inman aligner takes care of this, and it’s lighter, thinner and more discrete than before!

  • The bow is three times thinner than before;
  • The plastic is more transparent and so more ‘invisible’;
  • Patients can adapt their speech faster;
  • There’s no reduction in effectiveness;
  • The new Super Slim Inman aligner can actually improve treatment times, as patients are less likely to remove the device and will wear it for longer each day.

Here’s an example of a patient who has been wearing her new Inman Aligner for just two weeks. Her braces are so discrete it’s hard to either see or hear that she’s wearing them!

You can read much more about the Imnan aligner on the orthodontics section of our website and we regularly add photos of patients before and after treatment to our Instagram feed. If you would like to arrange a free consultation appointment with Dr Keenan to discuss the Inman aligner or any of our orthodontic systems, please call 01 668 3242.

 

Wedding Preparations: Go Dental, Not Mental!

Or how to prepare your smile for your wedding and minimise the stress.

Our Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge practice manager shares what she’s learned about planning your dental treatment before your wedding so that the preparations are spread out and completed in plenty of time for your big day, minimising the stress and hassle.

How many engagements were made on Valentine’s Day just gone? How many girls took the opportunity to propose to their other halves on 29th February? It seems everyone I know is getting married, so I’m learning lots about how to organise weddings! Here’s how my last Sunday just went:

  1. Morning: chat on the phone with a school friend who’s getting married next month about accommodation at the venue so she can try to confirm numbers;
  2. Rest of Morning: spent 3 hours making place settings for my cousin’s daughter’s wedding (‘volunteered’ by my mum, 50 down, 150 to go!);
  3. Lunch: chat with a friend about how her sister’s boyfriend’s cousin was on ‘Don’t Tell The Bride’ the other week;
  4. Evening: exchange frantic Facebook messages with another friend who lives in Spain but who’s trying to organise her July Dublin wedding from Barcelona (can anyone recommend a make-up artist?!).

Let’s face it: there are enough things to stress about when organising a wedding without adding the perfect smile to the list. Especially when a beautiful smile is totally achievable, no matter what your timeline, once you put in a little planning.

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Kudos to One Fab Day for their very clever Wedding Beauty Timeline. They’ve even included teeth whitening at the four-months-to-go stage. But what if your dental treatment needs are a little more involved than whitening? Here’s my suggestion for what your wedding dental timeline should look like.

6 Months Before (at least!)

Both the bride-to-be and groom-to-be should attend the dentist for a full dental exam, x-ray (if one is due) and scale & polish (cleaning). The best way of ensuring a healthy smile is to maintain your dental health.

If your dentist recommends any treatment plan at this stage, whether it’s something as straightforward as fillings or a bit more involved like a root canal treatment or a crown, you have plenty of time to schedule this and get it completed before the big day.

You’ll have more than a few other expenses over the next few months, so it may be helpful to be able to spread out these costs in the quieter ones. Don’t forget, if you have dental insurance (Vhi Dental or DeCare Dental) we can submit your treatment plan to your insurer and you’ll find your costs are reduced further. Plus you can claim back tax relief on some of the bigger treatments.

This is also the best time to discuss with your dentist any cosmetic treatments that you might be considering for the big day. Tell your dentist what you don’t like about your smile and what you’d like to change, and he or she will give you a comprehensive treatment plan with costings so you can decide what you’d like to do. Two of the most common in-surgery cosmetic treatments we get asked about before weddings at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge are short-term orthodontics and veneers (or componeers).

Many patients dismiss orthodontics before their wedding as they think it will take a year or more to get a good outcome. However, it’s possible to achieve fantastic orthodontic results in as little as three or four months with adult braces. Read more about Inman Aligners, Six Month Smiles and Invisible Aligners on our website. And remember, payments can be spread over the course of the treatment with interest free finance, which can make them more manageable. Our recent blog post with before and after photos shows the fantastic results you can achieve in very little time with short-term braces.

EH Before
Before
EH After
After

Veneers are a very quick solution which result in a dramatically improved appearance in just one or two visits. Again, take a look at some of the before and after photos on our website which show just how dramatic the improvement can be with direct bonding, componeers and porcelain veneers. With the different options available there’s a solution to suit every budget.

4 Months Before

At this stage the stress levels may be rising and you find you don’t have a spare minute in the day. As a result, some of your habits may have changed. Have you been skipping brushing and flossing and just flopping into bed exhausted after a weekend of checking out bands and tasting menus? Have you been waking up with sore jaws, earaches or headaches? Are your gums bleeding more frequently than before? Have your grumbling wisdom teeth flared up into full-blown agony? Ah yes, STRESS!

Say-I-dont-to-wedding-stress

Stress can lead to a number of changes in your mouth and even if you’re normally really good at keeping up with dental care at home and visiting your dentist regularly, it can play havoc! If any of the above symptoms sound familiar, then you should pop back to the dentist for a quick check-up. To minimise the stress, we have early morning, late evening and lunchtime appointments available at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge so you can pop in before or after work, or on your lunch break. If you live or work in Dublin 4 it couldn’t be handier.

Being run down and missing a few brushings and flossings can allow oral bacteria to multiply, putting you at risk of gingivitis (red, inflamed and sore gums – not a good look!), and infections. Visit our hygienist Lorraine Doyle for a professional cleaning. Get back on top of you dental health – and your glowing smile – with a scale & polish.

Stress may be causing you to clench and grind your teeth at night when you’re asleep. This can result in sore jaws, headaches and even broken teeth. A bite splint is a simple device that fits over your teeth to protect them while you sleep.

While now might not be the best time to consider wisdom tooth extraction, keeping an eye on them in the run-up to the wedding is a good idea and any infection or flare-up can be quickly controlled using antibiotics, so that they don’t ruin the big day.

Now is a good time to begin teeth whitening. It’s a very simple – and at just €295 very cost effective – treatment that can produce quite dramatic results. We don’t recommend leaving it until just before the wedding (as you’ll have enough on your plate at that stage!) but by doing it now, with perhaps a top-up treatment just before the big day, you’ll have a beautiful white smile to match your white dress (or your blushing bride’s white dress!) In one quick visit with the dentist we can prepare bespoke trays which are ready to collect the next day, which you use at home to get the result you want. Everyone is different, so the dentist will advise you on what you need to do to get the effect you desire.

Whitening Smile Image

Whitening is an essential treatment that we provide at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge before we undertake any cosmetic dental treatment. We can then match the new shade of your teeth to any new restoration that we provide whether that be composite direct bonding, porcelain veneers or componeers.

1 Month Before

If you haven’t already, now is a good time to come and see the dentist or dental hygienist at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge for that final scale & polish before the big day to remove any staining and have your teeth looking their best.

Any pre-wedding short-term adult orthodontics should be planned to finish up around now as well, so that any retainers needed can be fitted in time to let you get used to them before the main event.

If it’s needed, a whitening top-up should be done around now as well so that you’re not trying to remember to do it in the hectic few days before the wedding.

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So, you can see with a little pre-planning it’s easy to have the perfect smile on your wedding day with Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge. Call 01 668 3242 or email info@pembrokedentist.ie today to schedule a check-up and treatment planning appointment with Dr Keenan to see what can be achieved before your special day.

Great Results with Short-Term Braces

We’re often asked many of the same questions by patients who come in for our free orthodontic consultations: “what are my options?”, “what kind of results can I expect?”, and “what will it cost?” While nothing can replace the one-on-one advice you can get at a visit with Dr David Keenan here at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge, here are the topline answers to these frequently asked questions!

 

  1. What types of braces are available at Pembroke Dental?

The best thing about short-term orthodontic treatment at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge is that we provide every type of system available – Six Month Smiles, Inman Aligners and invisible braces (clear aligners) – and we can combine different systems if needed. This is different from some other practices who will simply offer the only system they provide. Plus we have years of experience with all our systems.

Whether your main concern is about how long treatment will take or how noticeable your braces will be, we have a solution. Some braces are worn for as little as a few weeks, while others are invisible and not noticeable during a typical face-to-face conversation.

six month smiles logo

Inman Aligner logo

Clear Aligner Image

Details about Six Month Smiles, Inman Aligners and invisible braces (clear aligners) are on our website. Each system has its particular advantages, whether it’s getting results quickly or being as discrete as possible. The most appropriate solution for your case will depend on your individual circumstances. Why not contact us today for a free consultation with Dr Keenan and find out which braces are suitable for you*?

 

  1. What results can be expected? Before and after pictures – some great results.

While it’s well and good to talk about straightening your teeth, nothing beats seeing actual results! Here are some examples of results achieved with patients who underwent treatment in Pembroke Dental in the last year:

Six Month Smiles

Six Month Smiles Before

Six Month Smiles After

Beverly, age 35, Before & After

This patient presented a challenging case but in just six months we achieved a result she is very happy with. She was fitted with Six Month Smiles on her upper and lower arches and followed by a course of at-home whitening treatment (which we offer for free to patients who are having this Six Month Smiles treatment). Dr Keenan adds: “We complimented this with some composite bonding to even the shape of her upper front teeth. This is something that we occasionally undertake after orthodontic treatment to achieve the best possible cosmetic result”.

Invisible Braces (clear aligners)

EH Before

EH After

Emma, age 25, Before & After

This lady was concerned about her lower teeth which were overcrowded. We used a combination of clear aligners on her upper arch and an Inman Aligner on her lower arch, followed by at-home teeth whitening to achieve this result in just five months. Dr Keenan says “The clear aligner system is a great compliment to the Inman Aligner. Excellent results can be achieved very quickly”.

Inman Aligners

MK Before

MK After

Michelle, age 21, Before & After

This patient was bothered by a relapse in her upper teeth, having had orthodontic treatment as a teenager. She was only concerned with fixing her lateral incisors which stuck out. “The Inman Aligner is the ultimate orthodontic appliance for cases that require simple movements to align crooked front teeth,” according to Dr Keenan.  In just three months the upper front teeth were straightened using an Inman Aligner. (This patient decided not to avail of 50- off whitening treatment after finishing with braces, which we offer to patients having Inman Aligner treatment).

 

  1. What are the costs involved?

Many patients are worried that orthodontic treatment will be very expensive. In fact, many tell us that they wanted to get braces when they were younger but their families couldn’t afford it. Now they want to go ahead themselves and get braces but they’re worried that it will cost a fortune and by the time they’ve saved up for it, it will be too late!

Firstly, be reassured that it’s almost never too late to get braces. And secondly, you don’t need to wait until you have the full cost saved up and pay it all in one lump sum. The initial consultation is free of charge, so it will cost you nothing to come in for a chat with Dr Keenan and ask him any of your questions about orthodontic treatment and short-term braces.

At Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge we also offer interest free finance over the course of your treatment. This means we take a deposit at the first treatment appointment and we’re happy for you to pay the balance of your fees at your visits over the course of your treatment – it’s like repaying a bank or credit union loan but without the interest added!

No Hidden Fees

Another major concern patients come in with is that of ‘hidden’ costs. Fear not! The prices of our treatments are listed on our website for anyone to read. At Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge Dr Keenan will explain the treatment plan and associated costs to you clearly and simply. Dr Keenan may also recommend some complementary treatments to you, such as a visit to the dental hygienist or a retainer at the end of treatment. These are to make sure you get the best results from your orthodontic treatment and are happy with the results. In fact, with Inman Aligner treatment at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge we offer a 50- discount on teeth whitening, or you can get free teeth whitening when you opt for Six Month Smiles on both upper and lower teeth.

Whitening Smile Image

You can also claim tax relief on orthodontic treatments going back four years. You may already be familiar with the Med 1 form for medical expenses, but a Med 2 form also exists for certain dental treatments, including braces. You can claim tax relief at the standard rate of 20-. Some patients complete this online through the Revenue website, but if you would like us to do the Med 2 form for you at the end of your treatment, please ask!

 

  1. What’s the follow up?

Patients also ask how long they can expect the results of their orthodontic treatment to last. The answer to that is indefinitely, once you comply with any follow-up advice, such as fitting a bonded retainer or wearing your removable retainer consistently.

 

Do you have any other questions about short-term adult orthodontics? Read more on our website or contact the office by email or phone 01 6683242 for a FREE consultation with Dr Keenan.  

 

*In a small number of cases short-term orthodontics are not suitable for an individual patient. In these cases Dr Keenan is more than happy to refer patients to a specialist orthodontist to explore other more appropriate treatment options.

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