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
A braces blog update from Steffanie
Steffanie, who writes the great 'brighter, darling' blog has posted an update on her adult braces. She describes the progress she has made over the last 11 months, the transition to elastics and the work that has now started to address her cross-bite. You can read...
Invisalign – now VAT exempt
Invisalign have today confirmed that following negotiations with HMRC, their aligners have been classified as a medical device and as such, are now exempt from VAT. In his statement, Jamie Morley, General Manager for Invisalign UK and Ireland said " I believe the...
Essix retainers – a six month review
Following my post on my fixed retainers, I thought I would write an update on how I'm getting on with my Essix retainers. It's been around six months since my braces were removed and as well as fixed retainers, I also received Essix retainers. Impressions were taken...
BDIA 2016
Whilst in London last week I had some spare time so headed to the Excel Centre in Docklands to visit the British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) Trade Show which was running for three days. The show brings together manufacturers, suppliers of products and services...
New IOTN app
The British Orthodontic Society held a press launch at their recent annual conference in Brighton for their new IOTN app called 'Easy IOTN'. IOTN stands for the 'Index of Treatment Need' and the app is designed to provide a simple tool for dentists to use to...
BOC 2016
I was delighted to receive an invitation to the British Orthodontic Conference in Brighton last week. This was the first orthodontic conference I had attended and found the two days absolutely fascinating. The conference was extremely busy with many activities taking...
Invisalign 4 million smiles
Align Technology, the people behind Invisalign, have just announced that they have started treating their 4 millionth patient and to celebrate this milestone, they are donating $1 to Operation Smile for every smile tweeted using the hashtag #4millionsmiles. They have...
Are fixed retainers better than Essix retainers?
Prof. Kevin O'Brien has published a review of a retention trial conducted to find out whether fixed retainers are any better than removable vacuum formed retainers. The trial involved 82 patients who had completed treatment with fixed braces and randomly assigned...
Fixed retainers – a six month review
Prior to completing active treatment I conducted a fair amount of research into long term retention and different types of retainers. From this I concluded that the regular, life long, use of a retainer is essential to prevent relapse and to maintain the result I and...
London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic
I was delighted to receive an invitation to spend some time at the well respected London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic in Wimple Street last week. During my time there, I met the team, experienced some amazing scanning technology and spent time talking to Dr. Asif Chatoo...
A braces blog by Steffanie
I have been following a great braces blog by Steffanie who writes 'brighter, darling' in which she describes her experiences with adult braces. Steffanie elected to have conventional metal brackets (great choice Steffanie!) and decided part way through treatment to...
Orthodontic patient compliance
Most adult orthodontic patients get fixed braces in some form or other but at some point in your treatment you may be required to comply with instructions from your orthodontist to use a removable appliance or elastics. If you think this won't apply to you, just...
Scanning vs Impressions
I think I can confidently say that having alginate impressions has been my least favourite part of undergoing adult orthodontics so I was extremely interested in taking up a kind offer from Dr. Asif Chatoo at the London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic to try their scanning...
The Invisalign phone app
If you are having Invisalign treatment, you can download a great app that enables you to record your progress and to review the changes between each aligner. Although I have not had Invisalign, I have downloaded this app and have tried it...
Keeping a braces journal
There is something so nice and rewarding about keeping a journal whether it is for social events and travel, life plans or a reflection of what you have been up to. Keeping a braces journal is also a great way to record your progress and to reflect on the whole...
How to survive adult braces
Adults decide to get braces for many reasons. Some are new to the experience whilst others have had braces before and are returning for a second or even third round of treatment. This post is a light-hearted look at how to survive adult braces. Firstly, a huge dose...
More UK adults are seeking orthodontic treatment
In a survey conducted by the British Orthodontic Society in June 2016, 75% of dental practices who responded to the survey reported an increase in adults seeking orthodontic treatment. A key driver for this increase was identified as a heightened awareness of adult...
How to talk with retainers
Whether you receive clear aligner type retainers such as Essix or Invisalign Vivera or traditional wire retainers, one of the first things you will notice is that it is a little difficult to speak clearly with them. The first thing to note is that you will always...
A lingual braces blog – by Rachel
I was searching through Twitter earlier today and unexpectedly came across a lovely blog, A Nesting Nomad, by Rachel, who is undergoing Incognito lingual braces treatment. Her blog details the process and her thoughts about getting braces as well as detailed progress...
My Invisalign experience – by Anna
I'm hugely grateful to Anna who writes the great 'a whole lot of chitty chat' blog for writing this super article on her experience with Invisalign. Hello readers of UK adult braces! I'm Anna and I blog (occasionally) on my little slice online, 'a whole lot of chitty...
Invisalign impressions
In my recent post on dental anxiety I spoke about being apprehensive about impression taking. Getting accurate impressions is incredibly important for those undertaking Invisalign treatment and this video clip takes you through the whole...