Orthodontics

Planet Dental offers most forms of Orthodontics within a general dental practice with Drs Gavin, Nathan and Fran for diagnosing and if possible, the treatment can be carried out by Dr Gavin.

Removable appliances – These are sometimes called ‘plates’ and can be taken out of the mouth by the patient. Usually, we use these for gentle or small tooth movements. They can be very handy for treating problems before fixed braces, especially in children.

Functional appliances – These are removable appliances (‘plates’) which are very rarely fixed into the mouth. They use growth from pre-teen years to change the teeth and bite into a better position.  Most of the time further fixed braces will be needed to achieve straighter teeth for optimal cosmetics.

Fixed braces – These are obviously fixed (bonded) onto the teeth and are worn 24 hours per day for the whole time frame of the tooth movement (usually 12-24 months). We only use cosmetic or clear brace fittings to reduce your cosmetic concerns whilst wearing braces.  If Dr Gavin feels the orthodontic problems are more advanced then he will refer to a specialist orthodontist for further consultation.

Prestige Aligner System – This is a system that Dr Gavin prefers due to its simplicity and local orthodontic labwork. The system allows the taking of impressions or scans of the teeth, and with aid of computer technology, we can determine how to move the teeth into a better position and approximately how long (and costly) the procedure will be. The design of an aligner is a small removable, clear fitted mouthguard, that over a period of time changes the positioning of your teeth using a sequential system. Dr Gavin has been using different aligner systems for many years and was extremely excited to be able to use a WA product with a local lab situated in Perth. Dr Gavin has worked with David Owens as his orthodontic technician for many years and has always considered his friend to be the best orthodontic lab in Australia!