Fixed Braces & Orthodontics London

At The Smile Studios, we provide orthodontic treatment for teenagers and adults who want to straighten their teeth and correct how their bite fits together.

Whether your concern is crowding, gaps, or a bite that does not meet evenly, orthodontics guides your teeth into a healthier and more balanced position using controlled, gradual movement. Our practices in Richmond, Heston, Muswell Hill and Palmers Green make treatment accessible across west and north London.

Modern orthodontics is planned around long-term oral health and bite function, not appearance alone.

What is orthodontic treatment?

Orthodontic treatment is the correction of tooth position and bite relationship using appliances that apply sustained, gentle pressure to the teeth. It addresses crooked, crowded, protruding or spaced teeth, along with bite problems such as overbites, underbites, crossbites and open bites.

Two families of appliances are used. Fixed braces are bonded to the teeth and work continuously — this family includes traditional metal braces, Damon self-ligating braces and lingual braces fitted behind the teeth. Removable clear aligners, such as Invisalign®, use a sequence of custom trays that you change at set intervals. Both families rely on the same underlying biological process, explained in the next section; they differ in how the force is delivered and how visible the appliance is.

Straightening your teeth offers benefits beyond appearance. Teeth that are correctly aligned are easier to clean, which supports better plaque control and reduces the risk of decay and gum disease. Correcting the bite also distributes chewing forces more evenly, reducing uneven tooth wear and strain on the jaw joints.

Although braces are often associated with teenagers, there is no upper age limit for orthodontic treatment provided the teeth and supporting gums are healthy.

How do braces actually move teeth?

Braces move teeth through a biological process called bone remodelling — the body’s ability to dissolve and rebuild bone in response to sustained pressure. Without bone remodelling, no brace system could move a tooth at all. The appliance does not push the tooth through the jaw; it signals the jawbone to reshape around each tooth root so the tooth can settle into a new position.

What is bone remodelling?

Each tooth root sits in a socket of bone, cushioned by a thin ligament. When a brace applies steady pressure to a tooth, the bone on the pressure side of the root is gradually resorbed — specialised cells break it down and clear it away. At the same time, on the tension side of the root, new bone is deposited to fill the space the tooth has moved away from.

The tooth drifts into the space created on one side while fresh bone anchors it from the other. This is why orthodontic treatment is measured in months rather than weeks: the body needs time to complete each cycle of resorption and deposition, and pressure applied faster than the bone can respond causes damage rather than movement. Gentle, continuous force is the point, not a limitation.

How fixed metal braces trigger bone remodelling

Fixed metal braces are the clearest illustration of this mechanism. Each bracket is bonded to a tooth and connected by an arch wire that is shaped to the position your teeth should finish in. Because the wire is trying to return to that shape, it applies light, continuous pressure to every bracket at once. That sustained mechanical pressure is what triggers bone remodelling around each tooth root — the wire supplies the force, the bone supplies the movement.

At each appointment, your clinician adjusts or replaces the wire to maintain the right level of force as the teeth respond. This is the cause-and-effect chain behind every fixed appliance we offer: wire tension → sustained pressure on the tooth → bone resorption and deposition → tooth movement. Understanding it explains why treatment time is set by your biology rather than by the hardware, and why missing adjustment appointments extends treatment rather than pausing it.

How aligners use the same process

Clear aligners apply the same principle through a different mechanism. Each tray is manufactured slightly out of position relative to your current teeth, so wearing it creates the pressure that drives remodelling. Because the force stops the moment the tray is removed, aligners must be worn 20–22 hours a day — the bone only responds to pressure that is sustained.

What are common bite problems and crowding?

Bite problems, known clinically as malocclusions, are misalignments in the way the upper and lower teeth meet. Identifying which malocclusion you have is the first job of your consultation, because it determines both the treatment plan and how long bone remodelling will take to correct it.

Types of bite problem

• Overcrowding — there is not enough space in the jaw, so teeth overlap, rotate or twist.
• Overbite (deep bite) — the upper front teeth overlap the lower teeth excessively, sometimes irritating the gum or palate.
• Underbite — the lower jaw sits ahead of the upper jaw, creating a prominent chin.
• Crossbite — upper and lower teeth do not meet correctly, affecting chewing and causing uneven wear.
• Open bite — the upper and lower teeth do not touch when the jaws close, which can affect speech and biting.

 How do bite problems affect daily life?

Malocclusions can make chewing and speaking harder, and can accelerate tooth wear or contribute to gum problems where teeth are difficult to clean. A deep bite may wear the lower front teeth; a crossbite may load one side of the jaw more heavily than the other.

Assessing these problems early gives more treatment options. At your consultation, we identify the specific malocclusion affecting you, then explain how controlled bone remodelling will move the teeth involved into a corrected position, including which teeth need to move, how far, and roughly how long that will take.

Orthodontic options at The Smile Studios

We offer both fixed and removable appliances. The right choice depends on the complexity of your case, how discreet you need treatment to be, and your daily routine.

The fixed-brace range

All three fixed options below bond to your teeth and apply continuous pressure to drive bone remodelling. They differ in the bracket mechanism and in visibility, forming a spectrum from conventional and cost-effective through to virtually undetectable.

Fixed metal braces

Fixed metal braces are the established, most versatile orthodontic appliance: stainless steel brackets bonded to the front of the teeth, linked by an arch wire held in place with small elastic ties and adjusted periodically.

• Durable — built to withstand daily wear, which makes them well suited to teenagers.
• Cost-effective — generally the most affordable fixed option.
• Versatile — able to treat everything from mild misalignment to complex bite correction.

Damon braces (self-ligating)

Damon braces are a type of fixed brace that uses a built-in sliding clip instead of the elastic ties used on traditional metal braces. The clip holds the arch wire in place while allowing it to slide freely through the bracket, which reduces the friction between wire and bracket.

Lower friction means the wire can deliver its force to the tooth more efficiently, so lighter forces are often enough to trigger the same bone remodelling. In practice, patients often need fewer adjustment appointments than with conventional ties, because there are no elastics to replace as they degrade. Damon braces are also available as Damon Clear, which uses translucent brackets for a more discreet appearance while keeping the same self-ligating mechanism.

• Fewer visits — no elastic ties to change routinely.
• Lower friction — lighter forces can achieve the same movement.
• Clear option available — Damon Clear for a less visible finish.

Lingual braces

Lingual braces are fixed braces bonded to the inner, tongue-facing surface of the teeth, making them effectively invisible from the front. Each bracket is custom-made to the shape of the individual tooth.

• Discreet — not visible when you smile or speak.
• Effective — capable of treating complex cases, not just cosmetic corrections.

Together these three options run from conventional metal, through lower-friction Damon brackets, to fully concealed lingual braces — the same biological process delivered with increasing discretion.

Removable clear aligners

Invisalign® clear aligners use a series of removable, nearly invisible custom trays worn 20–22 hours a day, each moving the teeth incrementally. They suit mild to moderate alignment issues and can be removed for eating and cleaning.

Six Month Smiles is a short-term option focused on the visible front teeth, using clear brackets and tooth-coloured wires to achieve cosmetic correction in around six months. It is designed for aesthetic concerns rather than complex bite correction.

Your clinician will explain which of these options is clinically appropriate for your case at your consultation.

The orthodontic treatment process

1. Initial consultation — your teeth, bite and gum health are assessed, any malocclusion is identified, and your goals are discussed.
2. Treatment planning — a personalised plan is created, setting out the appliance, the movements required and an estimated treatment time.
3. Fitting the appliance — braces are bonded or your first aligners are issued, with full instructions on care and wear.
4. Regular reviews — the wire is adjusted or new trays issued as the bone remodels and the teeth respond.

Completion and retention — the appliance is removed and retainers are fitted to hold the corrected position.

Consultation, Fees & Finance

We are transparent about orthodontic costs so you can make an informed decision. Fees vary with the appliance, the complexity of your case and the estimated treatment duration; your full cost is confirmed in writing after your consultation.

We also offer 0% finance for treatments such as braces, to help you spread the cost of treatment. Contact our helpful and friendly reception team to enquire.

View All Fees

Aftercare and long-term maintenance

Caring for teeth during treatment

Brackets and attachments create additional surfaces where plaque can accumulate, so hygiene matters more during treatment than at any other time.

• Brush thoroughly after meals, paying particular attention to the gum margin around each bracket.
• Use interdental brushes or floss threaders to clean between teeth and beneath the arch wire.
• Rinse with an alcohol-free mouthwash to support gum health.

Caring for aligners

• Rinse and gently clean each tray every time you remove it.
• Avoid hot water, which warps the plastic and ruins the fit.
• Store trays in their case rather than wrapping them in a napkin.

Retention: keeping your result

Bone remodelling does not stop the day your braces come off. The bone around each root continues to mature for months afterwards, and until it does, the teeth are still capable of drifting back. Retainers hold the corrected position while that bone stabilises, which is why retention is a permanent part of orthodontic treatment rather than an optional extra.

Continue with routine check-ups after treatment. Your clinician will inspect retainers, polish the teeth and make minor adjustments to keep the bite comfortable.

Alternatives to orthodontic treatment

Not every concern about the appearance of your teeth needs orthodontics. Where the underlying alignment and bite are sound and the issue is shape, colour or a small gap, a cosmetic treatment may achieve the result more quickly and with less intervention.

• Composite bonding — tooth-coloured resin applied to reshape teeth or close small gaps in a single visit. [Learn about composite bonding →]
• Dental veneers — thin porcelain or composite shells bonded to the front of the teeth to correct shape, colour and minor irregularity. [Learn about dental veneers →]
• Teeth whitening — professional whitening to lighten tooth colour, either in practice or with supervised home kits. [Learn about teeth whitening →]

None of these correct a malocclusion. If your bite is the problem, orthodontics is the treatment that addresses it — cosmetic work placed over an uncorrected bite is more likely to chip or wear. Your clinician will tell you honestly which category your case falls into.

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