Welcome to UK Adult Braces
A blog for adults considering or undergoing orthodontic treatment
The orthodontic patients blog
If you are thinking about getting braces, have just started wearing them, have had them for some time or are just interested in orthodontics, this site will be of interest to you. It contains articles on everything from traditional metal braces to the latest lingual braces, Invisalign, invisible braces, clear brackets, retainers, how to get by with braces, the latest advances in orthodontics, new products and services, dental news and exhibitions. There are also links to some great adult braces blogs and video’s, articles written by orthodontists, orthodontic staff and patients, orthodontic academic research and opinion as well as plenty of general information about what it is like to undertake adult orthodontics and how to survive wearing braces.
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What’s on the blog
Wearing braces
Find out what it is really like to have braces as an adult
Information
You will find a large number of posts about braces helping you to make an informed decision about treatment
Interviews
You can get a fascinating insight into the people who work in orthodontics
Braces
Find out about the different types of braces from people who have already undertaken orthodontic treatment
Aligners
Are aligners an alternative to traditional braces, find out more
Bloggers
Read some great posts from other bloggers who have written about their braces experiences
Retainers
Learn about the different types of retainers and what your options might be
News and Research
Articles about orthodontics, services, practices, evidence based orthodontics and treatments
Options and choices
Discover all the options for orthodontic treatment to help you make the right decision
Latest blog posts
Airport Bathrooms
I travel quite a lot with work and in doing so have become quite a critic of airport bathrooms and in particular their suitability for brushing your teeth. Now this may sound a little odd but as a brace wearer, you will soon understand the need to clean your teeth...
Interdental Brushes
One of the most useful tools I have found whilst wearing braces has been the interdental brush. You will probably end up with a drawer full of them in every available size and I promise you, these really will become one of your must have items whilst wearing braces....
Amelia’s Six Month Smiles blog
There are plenty of great braces blogs on the Internet and as I come across them I will provide a link to them so you can read about the experiences of other people getting braces. This is a blog from Amelia, a Midlands based full time blogger who has Six Month Smiles...
Sharp, pokey wires
It doesn't matter what brackets you have; metal, clear, self ligating or traditional, it's highly likely at some point in your treatment you will get some sharp pokey wires. These are wires that, for a variety of reasons, will end up stabbing, rubbing and generally...
Note to orthodontic nurses and therapists
And just so orthodontic nurses and therapists don't feel left out, here is my note to them: We are envious that you get your elastics changed every week and can party at weekends without having to worry about the consequences for another month. Why do braces always...
Note to our orthodontists
In the theme of the previous post about the things you would like to say to your friends about wearing braces, I thought I would add another one aimed at our orthodontists: You are not just straightening our teeth, you are improving our confidence and self esteem in...
Friends of brace wearers
A note to friends of those of us who have braces. It's ok to mention how great our teeth are looking, we need some encouragement every now and then. It's ok to talk about our treatment, we want to share what we have experienced. Elastics freak us out too! We generally...
A typical adjustment
Is there such a thing as a typical adjustment and do you go to 'get your braces tightened'? To date, I have had nineteen adjustments since getting braces and although there have been some similarities between visits, each one has been different. Lets start by looking...
Questions for your orthodontist
Before getting started, you will no doubt have plenty of questions for your orthodontist but just in case you don't or can't think of all the things you may want to ask, this post will give you some ideas to think about. Prior to getting braces you will probably have...
Incognito braces video blog
YouTube provides a great way to record your progress with braces and to provide information and advice to others thinking about starting treatment or already underway. There are some really great blogs and you can spend many hours watching some fascinating characters...
Bluetooth connected braces
There seems to be a trend for connected devices with everything from water bottles to fitness trackers reporting your activities to a Bluetooth enabled smartphone so it was a foregone conclusion that this would soon reach the realm of orthodontics. I read an...
BDA Museum
One of the many things I like about London is all the interesting places to visit. When talking about museums it's easy to think about the large well known ones such as the Natural History or Science Museum but what about all the little ones dotted around London that...
Great finishing video
You may find yourself using the internet to research all about braces and as you progress through your treatment may find yourself looking at a selection of YouTube clips for information and advice. After a while you may be tempted to start looking at clips of...
Six Month Smiles
'Six month smiles' is a short term orthodontic system that uses clear fixed brackets and tooth coloured wires to straighten teeth over a four to nine month period. It is designed to appeal to adults by both offering quick treatment times and a discreet brace that...
Braces – the basics
Braces work by exerting gentle pressure on the teeth which, over time, makes them move to a new position. They can be divided into two main types, removable and fixed. A removable brace, as the name implies, can be taken out for thorough cleaning and for occasions...
Attending a consultation
Your initial consultation is an opportunity for your orthodontist to properly examine your teeth and jaws and to discuss with you a likely treatment plan. To provide them with sufficient information to make decisions about what they can do for you, it is likely that...
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is a specialist dental treatment carried out to address irregularities of the teeth and jaws. This can be to fix a poor bite which is resulting in additional wear and tear on teeth, headaches and pain from poorly aligned teeth and aesthetic changes to...
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces are fixed braces that are worn behind your teeth. Being attached to the back of your teeth makes this brace virtually invisible. Each bracket is custom made to exactly fit the contours of your teeth so this course of treatment can be a little more...
Inman Aligner
The Inman Aligner is a removable brace which can be used to straighten your front teeth. It works by both gently pushing from the back and pulling from the front to guide your teeth into a new, straighter position. Teeth straightening with the Inman Aligner takes...
Invisalign
Invisalign is a removable brace that moves teeth through the use of clear aligners which are changed every few weeks. At the start of your treatment, accurate moulds are taken of your teeth and these are sent to a laboratory which produces a series of clear aligners...
Metal Brackets
With the option of so many 'adult friendly' braces, you would think the use of 'traditional' braces would have been completely discontinued in adult treatment. This is not the case, there are many situations when their use in the treatment plan is recommended due to...