How to find us
Enter the Leeds Dental Institute building through the main doors at the front of the car park. Walk straight down the main corridor. Our reception is on the first right. It is signposted ‘Orthodontics’ and is shared with Children’s Dentistry.
What is Orthodontics?
Orthodontics is a type of dentistry that deals with problems in the position of teeth, as well as how the jaws have grown and developed. Treatment usually involves orthodontic appliances, commonly known as braces, and these can be stuck onto the teeth or be removable. Other treatments like removal of teeth to make space, uncovering of teeth with surgery, or repositioning of the jaws may also be needed to allow brace treatment to take place.
The British Orthodontic Society has produced helpful information on a variety of topics related to orthodontics.
I have been referred to the Orthodontic Department at the Leeds Dental Institute. What happens next?
The referral from your dentist will be checked to make sure we are the best place for you to be treated and you will be placed on a waiting list.
Your first appointment will be on a consultant new patient clinic, where we will have a discussion with you, check and measure your teeth and jaws, and take any x-rays that are needed. If you have any dental decay or gum disease you will be discharged back to your dentist as we cannot safely proceed with orthodontic treatment. You will also be discharged if the level of plaque removal (toothbrushing and cleaning between the teeth) will not allow brace treatment to be done safely.
If you are accepted for treatment, what will happen next will be explained to you before you leave.
The next appointment usually involves taking ‘records’. These are photographs and moulds or a three-dimensional scan of the teeth. These records will be looked at by a consultant, and the following appointment will be a discussion about the options, risks, and benefits of treatment. Consent will be taken at this visit and treatment usually starts the visit after.
Can I or my child receive orthodontic treatment at the Leeds Dental Institute?
The majority of NHS orthodontic treatment in the UK is performed in orthodontic practices. At the Leeds Dental Institute, we treat more complex problems such as those related to cleft lip and palate, those requiring jaw surgery, and those needing specialist treatment from multiple specialist dentists. Your general dentist should refer you to the most appropriate place depending on what type of treatment is needed.
Our department also trains the next generation of orthodontists. These are qualified dentists that are doing further training to become specialists in orthodontic treatment. They work closely with our consultants who oversee the treatment. The Leeds orthodontic training programme is renowned for its quality and has won several national prizes.