A. Treatment is not limited to children. It is possible for adults of any age to undergo orthodontic treatment, however it is important that your teeth are healthy and have been well maintained. Our oldest patient started her treatment at the age of 68.

A. A lot of research has been undertaken to investigate whether dental extractions, as part of orthodontic treatment, affect the appearance of the face. Dr Ismail undertook a research study on this very subject for his MSc thesis and found that there was very little facial difference between the groups of patients who had teeth extracted and those who did not.

A. It is rare for teeth to be damaged by brace treatment, and as long as you follow the advice we give you this should not happen. It is really important that oral hygiene is maintained at a high level throughout your brace treatment, and we will advise you on how best to keep your brace as clean as possible.

A. This will depend on the complexity of the case and the orthodontists will be able to advise you further on this at the end of your first visit. On average a case requiring some teeth being extracted and the use of fixed braces to straighten teeth takes approximately 2 years. Click here to see some of our before and after cases.

A. This will depend on the type of brace you have, but in general we would see you on a 4-6 weekly interval. When starting treatment we tend to see patients 2-3 times in a 2 week period, and this is also the case at the time of removal of your brace.

A. If your teeth are crowded, it may not be possible to achieve a stable orthodontic result without extracting some teeth. Using the records taken at your first visit, a decision is made on how we may provide you with the best possible result for your future; this may or may not include extractions.

A. The individual brackets that make up a fixed appliance or brace, are often made of stainless steel. We can provide ceramic tooth-coloured brackets as part of your treatment to improve the appearance of the appliance. Depending on the complexity of your case, it may be possible to use lingual orthodontic appliances which are fitted to the inside of your teeth and are almost completely invisible. Click here to see the options for invisible braces.

A. In all honesty, this is only a question you can answer, but hopefully the explanations in the links below will be of some assistance in making your mind up.

• Pros & cons of tooth-coloured braces
• Pros & cons of Invisalign braces
• Pros & cons of Incognito braces

A. This depends on the complexity of the case and the orthodontic treatment required. A private consultation appointment costs £150 and from the x-rays, models and photographs taken, the orthodontist will be able to give you an estimate of the overall private treatment costs. For further information, please read our cost of braces page.

A. We are registered with the FCA, which allows us to offer monthly payment plans. Our FCA IP number is: 564202

A. As alluded to above, at Herts Orthodontics we offer a number of different payment options to facilitate your treatment. These normally require a deposit of approximately one third of the treatment fee, followed by monthly payments which can be made either by standing order, or on a visit by visit basis. We will provide you with a payment plan as part of the initial consultation process, having discussed the options with you and trying to accommodate your requests.