Orthodontic FAQs

Orthodontists can help with a number of bite related issues including:

• Straightening crooked teeth
• Correcting overbites
• Correcting underbites
• Correcting crossbites
• Closing the spaces between teeth
• Reducing overcrowding of teeth
• Treating jaw pain

All Specialist Orthodontists started out as dentists. Dentistry is a broad medical speciality that deals with the teeth, gum, nerves, and jaw. A good family dentist will look after your day to day dental needs, such as fillings and cleaning your teeth.

Orthodontics is a specialism within dentistry. It is concerned with correcting the alignment of your teeth and jaws to provide you with a proper bite.

To become a Specialist Orthodontist, a family dentist must complete 3 additional years of full-time training in a Dental Hospital or Medical University.

A family dentist has not received Specialist Orthodontic training, and doesn’t have the same expertise when it comes to spotting serious orthodontic complications. Without the proper experience, you could have a prolonged or uncomfortable treatment.

You are never too old for orthodontic treatment. While it is easiest to shape the smiles of younger patients while their jaws are still growing, we have successfully treated plenty of adult smiles at our practice. As long as your teeth and gums are still healthy, we can use braces or aligners to straighten your smile.

Untreated malocclusions (misaligned teeth) can result in a variety of problems. Crowded teeth are more difficult to floss and brush properly, which can contribute to tooth decay or gum disease. Tooth misalignments can also create speech impediments and uneven wear of teeth and even increase the chance of chipped teeth.

Undergoing orthodontic treatment can not only straighten your smile, it can make sure your teeth stay their healthiest.

We won’t know the answer for sure until we examine your smile at your consultation. That being said, Dr Hoey has extensive experience treating patients with Invisalign® clear aligners, and has been awarded Platinum Elite Invisalign® Provider status.

If you have been told in the past that you didn’t qualify for Invisalign® treatment, come to Lucan Orthodontics for a second opinion. Dr Hoey’s experience helps him to treat even complicated cases with Invisalign® clear aligners.

Yes! When worn according to Dr Hoey’s recommendations, Invisalign® clear aligners can be as effective as traditional braces for the most common issues. Invisalign® treatment can effectively correct mild to severe cases, including underbite, overbite, overcrowding and gaps between your teeth. There is a high chance you could be a great candidate for Invisalign® treatment.

For the best results, it is recommended that you wear your aligners for at least 22 hours a day. That means you should wear them both day and night, but you are able to remove them for eating, important events and brushing and flossing your teeth.

If you lose one of your aligner trays, please contact us immediately. If you are close to changing to a new set of aligners anyway, we may recommend you advance to the next set. If not, we can work on getting you a new set of aligners.

Every patient’s treatment at Lucan Orthodontics is 100% customised. Because each case is unique, and requires a different length and type of treatment, there is no one answer for treatment costs. We will be able to tell you the exact cost of your treatment at your consultation with us.

Treatment with braces shouldn’t hurt. You may experience some soreness and discomfort after fitting and adjustment appointments as your teeth adjust to the new positions. This discomfort should go away within a few days, and can easily be treated with over-the-counter pain relief.

Short-term treatments have a heightened risk of relapse if the patient doesn’t use their retainer permanently. This can require life-long professional supervision. If you don’t wear your retainer properly, your teeth will start to shift back to their original positions.

If another course of short-term treatment is undertaken to recover the situation, the back-and-forth tipping pressures the teeth will have been exposed to can resorb the roots of the teeth and compromise their long-term retention. In short, you could start losing teeth!

We will always do our best to make your treatment as swift and efficient as possible, but we will never do so to the detriment of your oral health.

Don’t worry, you will still be able to eat most of your favourite foods while wearing braces. That being said, in order to ensure the most comfortable treatment - and prevent your brackets from dislodging - we recommend avoiding very sticky or hard foods.

Things like sweeties, toffee, and ice chips can harm your brackets. It’s also best to cut sandwiches into bite-size pieces, and remove corn from the cob before eating.

Absolutely! In fact, it's even more important that patients receiving orthodontic treatment visit their dentist regularly. With braces, food may be caught in places that your toothbrush can’t reach. To maintain proper oral health, you should still visit your family dentist every six months during treatment.

Early detection of some orthodontic problems is important in order to avoid more difficult treatments down the line. Because of this, we recommend that a child should see an orthodontist by the age of 7 or 8. At this age, most of their adult teeth have started to grow in, and we will be able to assess their bite.

The amount of time spent in braces or Invisalign® clear aligners will vary depending on each patient. Depending on the complexity of your issue, and how fast your teeth respond to treatment, treatment can take anywhere from six to 30 months. On average, most treatments take between 20-24 months.

At Lucan Orthodontics, we do our best to work around your busy schedule. We offer early morning and evening appointments to make your visits as easy as possible.

If not, feel free to ask us in person at your first consultation, or give us a call at: 01 628 0985.

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