James came to the clinic in February looking for professional advice on his options for orthodontic treatment. As a businessowner and regular public speaker, who also happens to be very tall, he was conscious that his mouth can often be at eye level and wanted to find a solution to improve the crowding of his teeth.
James’ drivers for treatment
As well as feeling self-conscious about the appearance of his teeth within his professional life, James was aware that his bite didn’t feel as comfortable as perhaps it should, so visited Dr Chatoo for a consultation and assessment.
Dr Chatoo’s assessment
After an examination of James’ teeth, and a detailed appraisal of his bite and smile in proportion to the rest of his face, Dr Chatoo determined several key areas to be addressed:
- Crowding
- Mild facial asymmetry
- Crossbite
- Smile aesthetics
A crossbite means the teeth do not meet together as they should. In James’ case, this had already caused a bit of wear which, if left untreated, would eventually cause more harm. Dr Chatoo recommended lingual braces on both the upper and lower arches to gently align the teeth, reduce crowding and improve the overall smile aesthetics.
The bond-up appointment
This is what James said about his experience having his braces fitted:
“The team are really happy to answer any questions you have ahead of the day by email or phone and you’re made to feel extremely welcome as a patient straight away. On arrival at the clinic, it’s a relaxed environment with a lovely atmosphere – I didn’t expect to feel so at ease, but the team were reassuring and the environment made me feel calm.
What I really liked was that Asif really took the time to explain every step of the appointment, so I knew exactly what to expect. He told me that we could take a break at any time needed throughout, as the appointment would take up to two and a half hours, but we carried on and I didn’t feel uncomfortable at any point.”
Aftercare and learning to live with braces
On the immediate aftercare advice he was given, and his experiences over the next few days, James said:
“Yasmin took loads of time to go through keeping my teeth and braces clean, as well as how to use the wax and where to put it – knowing exactly where to put the wax was so helpful because there will be bits that dig into your mouth, so it helps keep things comfortable.
The headline for me on day one of life with braces was soup! Eating was difficult and speaking was harder than I thought, I definitely had a slight lisp for a couple of days but was advised on some speaking exercises to get used to wearing them, which really helped.
Days two and three were fairly similar; I was still finding eating difficult and felt very aware of the metal in my mouth as it makes chewing feel odd. I had a sore tongue by this point, which made the lisp sound worse, but this was where you really need to make friends with the wax! But by day four, things were already getting better and any residual pain had gone. Day by day, speaking and chewing was easier to the point where it feels normal again.”
Advice to those getting braces?
“I’d say one of the most important things is to stick to the diet you are recommended! Soft food like pasta or rice, soup and yoghurt are essential throughout the first few days and gradually you can work up to different things. Overall though, when you’re a few days in you stop noticing them which makes the decision to get treatment a no-brainer, in my opinion.”
We’re going to be working with James to share his experiences throughout the course of his treatment. You can see some more updates on his treatment on our Instagram or sign up to receive our email newsletter and follow along.
If you’ve got any questions around orthodontic treatment, or would like to find out more about the different options, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
