Crowding, Damon Brace, Facial Change, Long-term Stability and Health

At just 11 years old, Aisling visited us at FIRST Ortho. Although her teeth were still developing and she wasn’t ready for orthodontics, the care she received left a lasting impression. After 20 years, she reflects on her experience in the testimonial below.

By the time Aisling was nearly 17 and ready for treatment, her main concerns were crowding of her teeth, her small jaw line and a very narrow lower arch. We created a personalised two-stage treatment plan for her: the first stage focused on aligning her bite with a functional approach, followed by a fixed brace stage. Avoiding extractions was a top priority in view of her delicate jawline and thin gums. We advised the Damon MX brace, a system designed to work gently yet effectively.

We delayed extractions for as long as possible, using Damon braces to develop her lower arch naturally – hence the slightly longer treatment time of 23 months. Ultimately, we had to extract a single tooth – a rare extraction pattern. Without this step, achieving her ideal smile would have required extracting four teeth, which would have flattened her facial profile and narrowed her smile line.

‘At FIRST Ortho, we understand that for complex cases the importance of detailed planning. This includes what I call preplanned ‘EXIT’. This is watching for the right time to change to avoid pushing outside biological limits. This approach allows us to handle complex cases that meets aesthetic beauty, mathematical precision and biological compatibility. This allows delivering excellent, stable results tailored to each patient’s individual needs.’ Dr Patel.

For clarity ‘Have an Exit’ was a term I heard from my friend and mentor Ken Paine, an artist. At the time, I did not understand what he meant. In time, I did.

31306 Mahesh Patel Copyright©