Orthodontics

A Modern Approach to Orthodontics

Orthodontic treatment often begins in the teenage years, but some developing problems can be identified and treated much earlier. At Beach Street Dental Centre, we take a proactive approach to orthodontics, looking not only at the position of the teeth, but also at jaw growth, available space and how the bite is developing.

Where appropriate, early treatment can help guide jaw development and create space for the permanent teeth as they emerge. This can reduce crowding, simplify later treatment and, in some cases, avoid the need for extractions.

Our approach combines early assessment, digital treatment planning and modern orthodontic techniques, with the aim of achieving healthy, natural-looking results while preserving teeth wherever possible.

Results after 18 months of aligner treatment with Dr James. Please note outcomes may vary depending on the individual.

Results after 12 months of expansion appliance treatment with Dr James. Please note outcomes may vary depending on the individual.

Early Orthodontic Intervention – Guiding Jaw Growth for Better Smiles

Dental crowding is not always just about the position of the teeth. In some children, the jaws may be too narrow or underdeveloped to comfortably accommodate the emerging permanent teeth. Habits such as prolonged thumb-sucking and mouth-breathing can also influence dental and facial development.

When appropriate, early orthodontic intervention can be used while a child is still growing. Expansion appliances can help develop the dental arches, improve available space and guide the teeth into a more favourable position as they emerge.

We commonly begin assessing children for early orthodontic treatment from around 7 to 9 years of age, when important growth and eruption patterns are becoming easier to identify.

Treating selected problems at the right stage of development can reduce crowding and simplify later orthodontic treatment, and in some cases may reduce the amount of treatment required during the teenage years.

Making Room for Crowded Teeth – Without Extractions

Crowded teeth don’t always mean teeth need to be removed. Modern orthodontic treatment gives us more ways to carefully manage space while maintaining the natural teeth.

In suitable cases, clear aligners can be digitally planned to precisely control individual tooth movements, develop the dental arches and gradually create the space required for alignment.

In this case, early intervention with clear aligners and elastics was used to create space for the unerupted upper canines, allowing them to be brought into alignment without extracting healthy teeth.

Results after early intervention and clear aligner treatment with Dr James. Please note outcomes may vary depending on the individual.

Clear Aligners vs. Braces – Which Is Right for You?

Both clear aligners and traditional braces are effective ways of moving teeth, but for many of our patients, clear aligners are our preferred approach.

Digital planning allows us to carefully plan the movement of each tooth before treatment begins. Clear aligners also offer a number of practical advantages:

Precise digital planning – tooth movements can be carefully planned from the beginning
Virtually invisible – a discreet alternative to brackets and wires
Comfortable – smooth aligners generally cause less irritation to the cheeks and lips
Removable – making eating, brushing and flossing much easier
Convenient – generally fewer problems with broken brackets or poking wires
Progressive results – changes can often be seen throughout treatment

Many of our teenage clear aligner cases are completed in around 12–18 months, although treatment time varies depending on the complexity of the case and how consistently the aligners are worn.

In some situations, traditional braces may still be the better tool for achieving particular tooth movements. When this is the case, we’ll explain why and recommend the approach most likely to achieve the desired result.

More about Dr. James

Dr James has a particular interest in orthodontics and enjoys helping patients achieve healthy, confident smiles — often without the need for tooth extractions.

Having undergone orthodontic treatment himself, including expansion appliances, he understands what the process is like from a patient’s perspective. That experience helped shape his interest in orthodontics and his focus on making treatment as comfortable, efficient and predictable as possible.

Dr James has undertaken extensive postgraduate education in orthodontics. He has trained with Dr Kenneth Lee in childhood facial growth and development and the Controlled Arch Technique for fixed braces, and completed a further 18 months of postgraduate training in clear aligner therapy under specialist orthodontist Dr Vandana Katyal.

Since 2020, Dr James has been providing orthodontic treatment at Beach Street Dental Centre, offering both clear aligners and fixed braces for children, teenagers and adults across the Far South Coast.

02 6495 1097

Ring us today for an orthodontic consult

New Patients Welcome

We are currently accepting new patients. If you would like to learn more about us or book your first appointment, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more