Whats the deal with Fast Braces??

For the last few years I have been receiving daily emails from companies promoting ‘Quick/Rapid/6-month/Fast braces’ orthodontic treatments performed by general dentists. Many of the dentists that promote these courses have only done a ‘single weekend’ course to obtain their ‘certification’. In contrast, a specialist orthodontist is required to undertake a full time 3 year degree where patients are treated under supervision along with regular examinations. The companies that promote these weekend courses often make many claims that have little or no scientific evidence. The claims are always the same and often involve things such as their systems use new technology/special brackets that makes treatment better, cheaper and faster.

The reality is that these treatments are partial treatments designed at only straightening the front teeth and are not a full course or complete course of orthodontic treatment. The reason that the treatments can be so fast is that in many cases the treatment is planned to be incomplete from the start with treatment limited by the duration or by the treatment result. Often the fees charged are significantly more than what a specialist would charge for a short treatment.

Partial orthodontic treatment is a normal part of specialist orthodontic practice. In many adult orthodontic cases, the treatment is often a cosmetic treatment and in some cases a partial treatment is the correct solution. Other patients may require a full course of treatment. A specialist orthodontist has the right training to carefully plan each treatment and can provide the best treatment outcome in both full or partial treatment.

In order to speed up orthodontic treatment time, custom appliances (Invisalign, lingual braces or Insignia) or techniques can be used and a saving of a few months can often be made. However, an 18-24 month treatment cannot be reduced down to 6 months without significantly compromising on the finished result.

Our advice is to seek a specialist orthodontic opinion before proceeding with any orthodontic treatment, this ensures that you are fully informed of your treatment options and any compromises that may be involved. Any patient who is not satisfied with the outcome of a magic/quick/fast braces treatment should seek a specialist opinion.

To see if your suitable for an express orthodontic treatment, call 07 34880002 for your free orthodontic assessment today.