No, it is not. Many of our patients are referred by their family dentist, but many other patients take the initiative to schedule an initial consultation themselves.

The Australian Society of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic screening between the ages of seven and nine. By this age, several permanent teeth in most children have erupted, allowing us to effectively evaluate your orthodontic condition.

No, they will not. The space available for the front teeth does not increase as you grow. In most cases, after the permanent molars erupt, the space available for the front teeth decreases with age.

When you’re ready to schedule a consultation for yourself or one of your children, give us a call, send us an e-mail, or fill out our appointment request form online.

Upon arriving, each patient and parent will be seen by Dr Hall and various members of our team. We will take photographs and, if indicated, a digital scan to allow us to make a proper diagnosis.

There are four essential questions that we will cover during the initial consultation:

• Is there an orthodontic problem, and if so, what is it?
• What must be done to correct the problem and when is the best time to treat this problem?
• Approximately how long will the treatment take to complete?
• How much will the investment be?

Dr Hall treats each case individually and will determine a customized treatment plan for each individual.

Treatment time depends on each patient's specific orthodontic needs. In general, treatment times range from 12 to 30 months.

We will explain the cost and available payment options during the initial consultation. We have a number of flexible payment options and will discuss all the options during your initial consultation. We provide you with the necessary information to take to your health fund to ensure that you receive the maximum rebate available. We also have a Health Point facility within our practice allowing patients to claim their health fund rebate for your initial examination and records on the spot.

Appointments are scheduled according to each patient's needs. Most patients in braces will be seen once every six to ten weeks. If there are specific situations that require more frequent monitoring, we will schedule appointments accordingly.

Unfortunately, we cannot schedule all appointments for students before and after school hours. Our longer appointments (initial examinations and putting braces on) are usually scheduled during school hours. Once you are in treatment, we do try to schedule your adjustment appointments before and after school and we make every effort to meet your scheduling needs.

Yes. We understand your busy schedule, and we are happy to help you make the most of your time. On some occasions, we may request to speak with a parent and if you are not present, our assistants will phone you to discuss any aspect of your child’s treatment that may require attention.

Sometimes patients experience some discomfort after certain visits. Typically, discomfort will subside within a few days. However, if required, you can take the medication that you would normally take for a headache, for example Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. CAUTION: Some Asthmatics cannot take Ibuprofens.

Yes. The “bonding” appointment usually only takes about an hour and a half and you’ll be ready to get back to your regularly scheduled life as soon as your braces are on.

Yes! Regular checkups with your family dentist are important while in braces. Your family dentist will determine the intervals between cleaning appointments while you are in braces.

Yes. Once treatment begins, we will explain the complete instructions and provide a list of foods to avoid. Some of those foods include:

• Ice
• Hard lollies
• Raw vegetables
• All sticky foods (i.e. caramel and taffy)

You can avoid most breakage appointments to repair broken or damaged braces by carefully following our instructions. With Invisalign, you take your aligners out to eat so there are no restrictions.

Patients should brush their teeth after eating. We will show you how to floss with braces. With Invisalign, you can eat, brush, and floss normally.

True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we can help. You should call the office if you experience a breakage or discomfort that can’t be controlled with the methods previously advised, for example medication and/or wax. We'll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.

If you experience a problem outside of our normal office hours, you can call our office phone to obtain our out of hours contact phone number.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to professionally repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions in your treatment plan.

Phase one treatment, if necessary, is usually initiated on children between the ages of five and ten. In this phase, which we call the growth phase, treatment lasts about six to twelve months. The primary objective for growth phase treatment is to fix the problem completely or prevent problems from becoming more severe so that phase two treatment in the permanent dentition is quicker and uncomplicated.

Our patients range in age from five years old to over seventy. You’re never too old to wear braces or to have Invisalign!

Yes. A tooth with a crown will move just like a tooth with a simple filling. When teeth are missing, orthodontic treatment will aid in the alignment of the remaining teeth and help you maintain them for the rest of your life. In many cases, we can even close the space where teeth are missing or move them into a better position for future dental restoration.

A Proximall or Pikster is an interdental (between the teeth) toothbrush that you may use to clean underneath and around your wires and braces. Use the interdental brush gently to avoid damaging your wires. The Interdental brush will help you to clean your braces while maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

Before wearing your retainers, brush them the same way you would your teeth. After you take them out, brush them well before placing them in your case. Once a week you can put them in some denture cleaner such as steradent. Don’t eat with them in! Never put them in hot water!

Never put a retainer in boiling water, a dishwasher, or on the dashboard of a car. Keep retainers beyond the reach of pets and small children. Dogs and cats love to chew on retainers. Always store your retainers in the plastic case.

Like contact lenses, eye glasses, and other personal items, retainers can wear out over time. Replacing a worn out retainer is essential in protecting your smile and the long-term stability of your teeth. Your first retainers are complimentary and part of the treatment buy. There is a charge to replace retainers, so please be careful.