Spacing
Spacing is when you have extra space between two or more of your teeth. It may result in speech problems and food may get stuck between your teeth more easily.
Braces
Brace yourself for a beautiful smile
What are braces?
Braces are a type of orthodontic treatment that consists of 3 main components – modules, metal brackets and metal wires.
Braces are effective in correcting a wide variety of conditions and provide an array of benefits. On top of the aesthetic benefits of a straighter smile, correcting your crooked teeth can improve your oral health. It ensures that biting pressure is spread out evenly across your teeth, thus reducing premature wear and tear.
Additionally, it is easier to clean and brush your teeth when they are straight as there are no nooks and crannies for plaque to hide.
What types of teeth alignment problems can braces fix?
Braces correct a wide variety of teeth alignment problems like spacing, excessive overjet, underbite, crowding, crossbite and open bite. To learn more about how braces can help in treating your dental condition, book a consultation with our clinic.
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Excessive Overjet
An excessive overjet/protrusion is when your upper front teeth extend too far over your lower front teeth. This is measured by the horizontal distance between the upper and lower front teeth.
It is not to be confused with an overbite, which is defined by the vertical distance that the upper teeth overlap over the lower teeth.
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Underbite (Reverse Overjet)
An underbite is a condition where your lower teeth and jaw protrude in front of the upper teeth. In severe cases, you may encounter challenges when speaking or difficulties biting and chewing food.
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Crowding
Crowding occurs when your teeth are unable to fit normally due to insufficient room in your jaw. Your teeth can get pushed to the front or back, bunch up, overlap or twist.
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Crossbite
A crossbite is a condition where some of your upper teeth sit behind your lower teeth. This could lead to abnormal tooth wear and chipping.
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Open Bite
An open bite is when your upper and lower teeth fail to touch when your mouth is closed. This condition may affect your appearance and cause speech problems.
Types of braces
Metal braces are the most popular form of treatment, especially among teenagers. These are the conventional type of braces and consist of metal brackets stuck onto the front of your teeth, elastic modules and an arch wire.
This 1st generation braces has the oldest technology and is most commonly seen.
This is the ceramic version of 1st generation braces. The difference between ceramic and metal braces is the colour of the modules.
Ceramic braces are tooth-coloured, making them less visible. However, this also means that they are more prone to staining.
Instead of rubber bands, self-ligating braces (2nd generation) have ‘sliding doors’ that hold the arch wire in place. This eliminates any problems related to modules (such as friction), minimises tension on the arch wires and enables a slightly shorter treatment time.
Self-ligating ceramic braces use the 2nd generation braces technology. As such, hygiene problems and friction associated with the use of rubber bands are eliminated.
The ceramic brackets also make a more discreet option.
Invisalign, also known as invisible braces, is a smooth plastic aligner system that is virtually invisible, custom-made and removable.
Metal braces are the most popular form of treatment, especially among teenagers. These are the conventional type of braces and consist of metal brackets stuck onto the front of your teeth, elastic modules and an arch wire.
This 1st generation braces has the oldest technology and is most commonly seen.
This is the ceramic version of 1st generation braces. The difference between ceramic and metal braces is the colour of the modules.
Ceramic braces are tooth-coloured, making them less visible. However, this also means that they are more prone to staining.
Instead of rubber bands, self-ligating braces (2nd generation) have ‘sliding doors’ that hold the arch wire in place. This eliminates any problems related to modules (such as friction), minimises tension on the arch wires and enables a slightly shorter treatment time.
Self-ligating ceramic braces use the 2nd generation braces technology. As such, hygiene problems and friction associated with the use of rubber bands are eliminated.
The ceramic brackets also make a more discreet option.
Invisalign, also known as invisible braces, is a smooth plastic aligner system that is virtually invisible, custom-made and removable.
Why do braces at i.DENTAL™?
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Experienced dentists
With over 30 years of experience in providing dental care and orthodontic treatment, our team at i.DENTAL is equipped with the necessary knowledge and expertise to cater to your unique dental needs.
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Convenient locations
i.DENTAL has a total of 4 clinics located conveniently across the island in Tanjong Pagar, Ubi and Yishun, including an Invisalign Dedicated Clinic at Tanjong Pagar.
A detailed braces treatment process at i.DENTAL
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Initial consultation
To evaluate your dental health, diagnostic records of your teeth will be taken. This includes 3D intraoral iTero scans, 4 X-ray images and an oral examination.
Our dentists will then analyse these diagnostic records and design your treatment plan accordingly.
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2nd consultation
To help you better understand your dental condition, our dentists will explain the results of the diagnostic records.
We will then present you with your treatment plan and provide you with a simulation of your teeth before and after the treatment.
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Begin your braces treatment
Once you are ready to begin your braces journey, our dentists will proceed to put the braces on for you.
We will advise you on the method of keeping your braces and teeth clean as well as the type of food and drinks to avoid.
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Follow-up appointments
Every 4 weeks, you will be scheduled to meet our dentists for a follow-up appointment.
During the appointment, we will monitor the progress of your treatment and adjust your braces where necessary.
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Completion of braces treatment
Once your braces treatment is complete, our dentists will remove the braces and provide you with a set of retainers. You should wear the retainers according to our dentists’ instructions in order to maintain your new smile.
i.DENTAL offers 4 types of retainers – Vivera, Hawley, clear and permanent retainers. Our dentists will advise you on the type of retainer that is more suitable for you.
How much do braces cost in Singapore?
The cost of braces treatment starts from $3,900 depending on the complexity of your case.
A fee of $235.40 (includes GST) will be charged for the initial consultation package where we will collect diagnostic records for an in-depth assessment of your teeth condition.
The consultation package includes:
- Consultations
- Diagnostics records (4 X-rays, iTero scans, study models and photos)
We also offer in-house and credit card financing programmes to make braces treatment more affordable for you. Contact us to find out more.
1st Generation
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Traditional Metal Braces
$3,900 - $4,400
Monthly Payment$150 - $200 -
Traditional Ceramic Braces
$4,600 - $5,200
Monthly Payment$200 - $250
2nd Generation
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Self-Ligating Metal Braces
$5,100 - $5,700
Monthly Payment$250 - $300 -
Self-Ligating Ceramic Braces
$5,800 - $6,500
Monthly Payment$280 - $320
Braces Plan for Students & NSF
Traditional Metal Braces (1st Generation)
Price:
$3,852
(Includes GST)
Consultation Package with diagnostic records
Included
Monthly Payment
$192.60
*Prices above do not include other services such as scaling and polishing, extractions, retainers and/or fillings if required.
Our Students and NSF plan for traditional metal braces is priced at $3,852 (includes GST). This plan is inclusive of:
- All consultations
- Diagnostics records (4 X-rays, iTero scans, study models and photos)
Our dentists, Dr Tai Lilin, Dr Wong Sze Wey, Dr Tibby Wai, Dr Tyler Tay will be alongside you throughout your teeth straightening journey.
For the Students and NSF plan to be valid, you must either be a
- local or foreign student below 25 years old with a valid student pass or
- a NSF with 11B.
A Students and NSF plan is also available for self-ligating braces. Please contact us to find out more.
FAQs
Fixed orthodontic treatment usually requires you to wear braces for 12 to 24 months depending on the complexity of the case.
Your dentist will evaluate your condition and provide you with an estimated treatment time.
An appointment will be scheduled with your dentist every 4 to 8 weeks to have your braces adjusted.
It is extremely important that you meet your dentist on your scheduled appointment dates in order to complete your treatment within the estimated time frame.
At the start of the treatment and after every subsequent appointment, you will experience dull aching in your teeth.
The metal brackets may also cause irritation of gums and lips resulting in ulcers. However, this could be remedied by placing clear wax over the metal brackets.
Lisping may be a problem at first but with time, you will quickly adapt to your braces and speak clearly again.
For fixed braces, it is advised to wear a special mouthguard during contact sports.
Fixed braces may affect your ability to play wind instruments. However, with some practice, you should be able to get used to playing them.
Eating some types of food can damage or even break your braces. For the first few days of your braces treatment, it is advisable that you keep to soft food or food that are cut into small pieces.
With fixed braces, you should avoid these food and drinks:
- Sticky, chewy and sugary food – These can stick to your braces and are very difficult to remove.
- Hard food – Hard food such as whole apples, carrots, French bread and crusty rolls can break the wires and brackets of your braces.
- Fizzy drinks and natural fruit juices – There is a high chance that these drinks may cause tooth decay and erosion as they are often high in sugar and/or rather acidic. To minimise the staining of your brackets, use a straw to consume them.
If you lose or damage your braces, you should contact our clinic immediately. Waiting until your next routine appointment may affect your treatment progress.