There is no underestimating the value of what a wonderful smile can give your child!
A great smile with well aligned teeth and jaws can offer a plethora of functional, hygienic, and cosmetic benefits in addition to giving your child the priceless confidence of a smile they so deserve!
If this sounds like something that you want for your child – look no further than Dr Michael Whyte who is a leading Specialist Orthodontist with over 18 years’ experience. Dr Michael Whyte and his skilled team at Whyte Orthodontics provide exceptional smiles for children and teens using braces, clear aligners, and other orthodontic appliances.
What sets Dr Whyte above the rest is his meticulous attention to detail combined with his advanced expertise in a wide range of orthodontic techniques and a genuine desire to achieve the greatest outcome possible! This makes him the top choice for parents wanting only the best treatment for their child.
Whyte Orthodontics is Brisbane-based, with two convenient clinics located in Red Hill and Thornlands, as well as regularly servicing the Biloela and Moranbah regions. They offer extended hours from 7:30am to 5:00pm to ensure that you can schedule your child’s visits outside of school hours and around busy schedules.
Interest-free payment plans are available to help make treatment more budget friendly, and their staff are happy to help you with maximising your health fund rebates. In addition, families with multiple children needing orthodontics may be eligible for a sibling discount on their treatment.
What is the best age for braces?
According to Dr Whyte, the golden standard for braces is from age 11-13 years, as most of the adult teeth have erupted and your child is undergoing a growth spurt which can boost their orthodontic progress. Having your child assessed at age 9 is recommended to rule out any other issues that might need to be addressed prior to starting treatment.
Early Intervention
Children can be assessed from as young as 7-9 years of age to determine if early intervention is a good option. In some cases (such as crossbites or jaw shifts), children may benefit from early treatment with plates or partial braces, but this does not always rule out the need for more comprehensive treatment later.
While some children may benefit from early intervention, most will be better waiting until ages 11-13 to have one complete course of orthodontic treatment. Dr Whyte can determine which option is recommended for your child’s circumstances when they attend an initial consultation.
Orthodontics with Braces
Braces are the most effective way to align the teeth and jaws, as well as improving your child’s bite, which is important for good function such as chewing and speech. Braces can resolve a range of dental issues including teeth alignment (crowding or spacing), as well as jaw issues (overbites, open bites, crossbites and underbites).
It is important to choose an experienced specialist in the field of orthodontics to ensure that treatment is both successful and efficient. Dr Whyte’s extensive experience allows him to confidently treat a vast variety of patients from standard cases through to the most complex cases, including those that require coordination with other dental specialists.
Treatment with braces requires minimal effort on your child’s behalf – Dr Whyte and his team do all the work to ensure their teeth are beautifully aligned. While in braces, your child will need to keep their teeth and braces clean, avoid eating certain hard and chewy foods that can cause bracket breakages and will need to wear a mouthguard during some sporting activities such as football and hockey.
The average treatment duration with braces is approximately 18-24 months, and appointment frequency can vary between every 6-10 weeks. After your child’s initial consultation and braces fitting (1 hour each), most visits are only 10-20 minutes to adjust the braces and can be booked outside of school hours.
Clear braces or personalised with colours?
Whyte Orthodontics offer various options for braces brackets such as silver (metal) brackets or clear (ceramic) bracket options. Coloured bands can be added to the brackets to personalise your child’s braces. These bands are available in a wide range of colours giving patients the option to make a bold fashion statement or clear and opaque bands are available for a more discreet option.
Orthodontics with Clear Aligners
Clear aligners (Invisalign) offer a discreet option to braces, but do require a lot more compliance on the patient’s behalf in comparison to braces. This is because aligners need to be worn for 22 hours a day and only taken out when eating or brushing. Dr Whyte advises that clear aligners may not be suitable for all patients, depending on the complexity of their case and level of compliance. It is best to attend a consultation with Dr Whyte to assess the best option specific for your child’s orthodontic concerns, level of compliance and goals.
If your child is set on having clear aligners and you feel they would be 100% committed to wearing the aligners – why not try Whyte Orthodontics FREE online assessment. Simply upload three photos of your child’s teeth and Dr Whyte will confirm if they would be a suitable candidate for clear aligners, plus you will receive a quote via email.
What is an Orthodontist?
An orthodontist is a specialist in the field of orthodontics. This means that, in addition to graduating as a general dentist, an orthodontist has completed an extra 3 years of full time university study towards a degree in orthodontics. Dr Michael Whyte is a registered specialist orthodontist, his qualifications include degrees in both General Dentistry and Engineering (both with first class honours), as well as a Doctorate in Orthodontics.
Initial Consultation
If orthodontics is something you are considering, reach out to Whyte orthodontics to arrange an initial consultation with Dr Whyte. This is a 1-hour appointment which will involve taking photo records and a digital model of the teeth using a state-of-the-art scanner (no gooey impressions needed!). To book online visit https://www.whyteorthodontics.com.au/request-an-appointment/ or call 1300467773.
Celebrating great smiles!
Whyte Orthodontics tell us it is a wonderful experience on the day of braces removal when patients are BRIMMING with their new smiles! They celebrate this special day by giving their patients a gift bag of treats and like to snap a nice polaroid photo for their smile wall of fame (optional). Jump over to their Facebook page to see some of the amazing smile transformations for yourself!
