HEALTH
Orthodontics ‘British teeth’ are well and truly out of fashion as more of us than ever, both children and adults, opt to have our teeth straightened. However, it’s vital that you find the right dental practitioner and type of treatment for you. Alysia Anderson gets her teeth into the subject with local consultant orthodontist Richard Cousley
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ESPITE living in England for 22 years, Richard has retained his gentle Northern Irish accent. I imagine that this, coupled with his calm manner, puts his clients instantly at ease. In fact, feeling comfortable is key to finding the right orthodontist for the job, explained Richard. “It’s especially important for children to feel relaxed when they are having braces fitted, while adults should feel able to discuss all their aspirations and concerns.” Even more important is to ensure your chosen practitioner is a fully qualified orthodontist. Richard has been the lead NHS consultant orthodontist in Peterborough since 2001 and also sees private patients at Total Dental Care in the city’s Cathedral Square and Oasis Dental Care in Stamford. Richard is not only fully qualified but has also designed specialist orthodontic devices (now used in about 20 countries), written a textbook on the subject and travels widely giving guest lectures and training fellow professionals. ORTHODONTICS – A DEFINITION Richard explained: “Orthodontics is the speciality part of dentistry involved in the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal positional problems of the teeth and jaws, e.g. crooked teeth, abnormal bites and small or large jaw sizes. Technically, any dentist in the UK is permitted to ‘do’ orthodontics within the limits of their training. However, since undergraduate dental training only covers basic theory and simple techniques, most orthodontics is provided by specialists.” These are dentists with three years of full-time specialist training in university and hospital posts. Their competence has been independently tested by Royal College of Surgeons examinations (recognised by the qualification MOrth RCS after their name) before admittance to the General Dental Council’s list of orthodontic specialists (www.gdc.org.uk). Before embarking on treatment, Richard recommends that you check an orthodontist’s qualifications and ask to see a portfolio of results from previous patients to see evidence of good clinical skills. “A small proportion of orthodontists undergo two further years of full-time training to qualify as consultant orthodontists, typically recognised by the additional letters FDS (Orth) RCS,” added Richard. Further information is available from the British Orthodontic Society (www.bos.org.uk).
TECHNIQUES AND APPLIANCES Numerous techniques and types of braces are available. While it’s great to have choices, this can be confusing, especially if patients aren’t told about both the pros and cons of latest innovations. “My role is to guide each patient towards the optimum choice for them, unclouded by misleading marketing,” said Richard. “I tailor treatment to each person’s needs, no matter how simple or complex the problem. For example, many children benefit from the use of specialised ‘orthopaedic’ braces to enhance jaw growth, rather than having tooth extractions, but may not be given this choice by some providers if this approach is mistakenly deemed too complex.” Types of braces vary from fixed metal ones to ceramic versions with tooth-coloured wires, called aesthetic braces. Metal appliances are routinely used for teenagers as they are extremely effective and their flat profile on the teeth is beneficial for those playing wind instruments or contact sports. Richard also fits plastic orthopaedic braces for 11-14 year olds to correct prominent teeth and/or an undersized lower jaw. These can often result in very beneficial changes in lip closure or the shape of the face. While children like to liven up their braces with brightlycoloured elastics, most adults prefer tooth-coloured fixed braces and virtually invisible removable aligners. Aligners are thin transparent plastic braces, worn in a series to progressively move teeth by small amounts. They are worn day and night but removed for meals and tooth brushing. Richard warns that many dentists offer free aligner ‘consultations’ but may not provide a thorough clinical assessment, nor accurately explain other options. Richard is one of the first UK orthodontists to have access to specialised software for aligner cases, meaning that he personally controls the tooth movements rather than relying on technicians with no clinical experience. This means that he uses the latest aligner options which aren’t advertised direct to the public. “This revolutionary new approach, combined with my specialist knowledge, makes aligner treatment predictable and more affordable than many quotations patients have shown me.” MINI IMPLANT ANCHORAGE AND SNORING APPLIANCES Mini implant anchorage is a new way of maximising the effectiveness of brace treatment, even to the extent that conventional jaw surgery can be avoided in patients with certain bite and jaw problems. Richard designed the Infinitas system (www.infinitas-miniimplant.com) and is regarded as the UK expert in this new field, travelling widely to train other orthodontists. Last year he also helped to design a new, comfortable, unobtrusive and cost-effective appliance to improve snoring and associated sleep quality problems. Worn at night, it advances the lower jaw, bringing the tongue forward to open the collapsed airway. Good news for long-suffering spouses everywhere! • For details visit www.visageorthodontics.com or call Oasis Dental Care on 01780 762182.
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STAMFORD LIVING MARCH 2016
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