How can we help you?
We know you probably have lots of questions about orthodontic care, braces, and our practice. Take a look through our selection of questions we are often asked by our patients.
If your question isn’t answered here, no problem! Just give us a call or fill out our convenient online form, and we are happy to answer all your questions!
Orthodontic Care for Young Children
Yes – there are a variety of ways you can structure your payments over the course of the treatment – and at no extra cost. In fact, some of our plans involve substantial discounts; for example, if you arrange to pay by standing order, there’s a reduction of €150.
That depends on a few different things; different orthodontic problems are best treated at different ages. Sometimes we get the best results by treating young patients as the teeth come through into the mouth, sometimes during a growth spurt, and sometimes we want to treat when a patient has completed most of their growth. We can give you the information you need to make a decision about treatment when we carry out an orthodontic examination and assessment, but the earlier you come to see us, usually the more options we have.
Swords Orthodontics aims to provide our patients with great smiles using effective, modern orthodontics, gently delivered in a friendly and healthy environment.
Not at all – we are happy for you to get in touch with us directly – just give us a call on 01 810 7622.
Swords Orthodontics just does orthodontics, so we don’t do other dental treatments. You should have a general dentist for looking after any other dental needs you might have, before, during, and after treatment.
We like to see that all the teeth are healthy before we begin, or if they’re not, then we’d need to know from a dentist what their condition is.
During treatment, you might need routine dental care, and we usually advise a check-up with your dentist after the treatment too.
Often, we need to work in conjunction with your own dentist for certain treatment plans.
No. Well, not while we are at work, anyway.
Swords Orthodontics is a specialist practice and just concentrates on orthodontics. We have the entire practice set up to examine, diagnose, and treat orthodontic problems, so even though our orthodontists are fully qualified to do other areas of dentistry like implants, dentures, crowns, fillings, extractions, or tooth whitening, they don’t. That’s why our orthodontic treatment is gentle, effective, and up to date.
Incidentally, if you are interested in tooth whitening, there have recently been some changes in the laws regarding it, so please do go to a registered dentist to discuss the correct approach for you.
Yes, Swords Orthodontics sends free text reminders to its patients about their appointments.
Want to know....
How do you know what age to start orthodontics?
How do you know what the best treatment is for your child?
Who is eligible to get orthodontics provided by the HSE in Ireland?
Where can you find an orthodontist who can give you the information you need?
Then read on!
Dr Stephen Murray has written a short, easy to read eBook entitled
"Children's Orthodontics in Ireland - What You Really Need to Know"
...and you can get it free!
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It certainly is quality treatment, and Swords Ortho use superior quality materials like Damon braces and Invisalign. Dr. Murray and his team keep fees low by being set up to deal with orthodontics, which makes treatment efficient and cost effective. Swords Orthodontics also gets good value when buying supplies, and has a laboratory on site to save on the fees they would have to pay if we had to get braces made up in someone else’s orthodontic laboratory.
Everyone is different, so it’s not really appropriate to give a prediction of the overall length of treatment until Dr Murray and his team complete an orthodontic examination for you and decide on a treatment plan that fits your own needs.
During orthodontic treatment, you can expect the appointments to last about 15 to 30 minutes. Sometimes they are longer at the start and right at the end.
We're afraid not, sorry. For some special procedures in conjunction with your orthodontic treatment, Dr Murray might need to refer you to another specialist or a dentist that focuses on a particular area of dentistry that will help us get a great overall result for you, but it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to direct you to a dentist for your general treatment. We recommend that you ask around your friends in your area to see who they go to and how happy they are with their dentist.
We can often arrange this, but it’s best if we are also able to communicate with the original orthodontist to organise things.
Probably not – the American Association of Orthodontists would advise that every child should have an orthodontic exam by the time they are seven years old or earlier if an orthodontic problem is apparent.
Certain problems are better corrected early. Dr Murray would rather tell someone “I don’t need to see you for another year” than say “I wish I had seen you a year ago; we could have sorted this out easily”.
Given a choice, we think that’s what you’d rather hear.
For instance….
- Early intervention is particularly handy for reducing problems with crowding, and that might prevent having to have adult teeth taken out later on.
- It’s also useful for dealing with teeth growing in the wrong position, and that might prevent having to have an operation to uncover buried teeth later on.
- Some abnormal bites are more easily treated when started in younger patients too, and that might make treatment shorter, easier, or both later on.
YES!
The government still allows substantial tax relief on orthodontic treatment – contact us for details and forms.
Swords Orthodontics does offer a reduced fee to immediate family of existing patients (brothers and sisters, parents, and children). Please call for details.
We offer a “book-keeping courtesy” to any patient electing to pay in full at the beginning of treatment. This is currently a reduction of €250 on the standard treatment fee.
Dr Murray advises that everyone who has orthodontic treatment should wear a retainer to maintain the benefits of treatment. They should wear it for a long time too, even if it’s just at night.
He sees too many patients in their 30s who had orthodontics as teenagers and didn’t wear their retainers, and now their teeth have moved and they need orthodontics again. So if you want to keep your teeth looking great, keep wearing your retainers. It’s just a little habit to develop, and then your lovely smile is there for everyone to see, day after day.
Give us a call at 01 810 7622 and we’ll let you know when you are due in to see us. Swords Orthodontics also operates a text messaging service for appointment reminders – and it’s free for our patients.
Orthodontics is a type of dentistry that deals with the alignment and positions of the teeth, the way the teeth meet, and the development of the teeth and jaws.
Our aim is to get a great smile for our patients, and since every patient is unique, every treatment is different, and that means we use a full range of orthodontic treatments:
- Removable braces
- Fixed braces in stainless steel (“train tracks”)
- Fixed braces with colours
- Functional braces (“twin blocks”)
- Tooth-coloured/clear braces
- Invisible braces
- Combined treatments involving orthodontics and surgery or advanced dentistry
The materials and products I use are listed here, but the main brands you may have heard of are:
- DAMON, which would be my preference for my fixed braces
- DAMON CLEAR, which I would use for adults who want discreet braces that aren’t obvious
- INVISALIGN, which would be my invisible braces system
Many of our other braces are actually made in-house by our on-site orthodontic laboratory.
Every orthodontist is also fully qualified as a dentist, but not every dentist is an orthodontist. In fact most of them are not.
Although the law permits dentists to practice any area of dentistry that they like, including orthodontics, a dentist can only describe themselves as an orthodontist if they are registered on the orthodontic specialist list of the Dental Council of Ireland. This typically means that they:
- Are fully qualified as a dentist
- Are registered on the Dental Council’s register of dentists
- Completed at least 3 years of full-time post-graduate study and training exclusively in orthodontics at an institution that is approved by the Dental Council for orthodontic training
- Usually did research into orthodontics
- Were examined by an approved university and awarded a Master’s degree
- Then were further examined by a Royal College of Surgeons (or its equivalent abroad)
-
Were finally approved by the Dental Council for inclusion on the Orthodontic Division of its Register of Specialists
Well, orthodontics would benefit just about anyone who would like their smile improved.
The problem may be the alignment of their teeth, the position of their jaws, or the way their teeth meet, and orthodontics can be used to improve these things for them.
If there is some reason you aren’t happy with the appearance of your smile, then chances are that an orthodontist can help you and your dentist get a great smile for you.
Sometimes there are also functional problems with how the teeth meet, and although you may be happy with your smile now, the repeated abnormal function of your teeth and jaws may lead to problems later on – particularly with abnormal tooth wear.
Many people come to see us at Swords Orthodontics because of things like:
- Crowded teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Teeth in the wrong position
- Twisted teeth
- Teeth that stick out too much (big “overjet”)
- Lower teeth biting in front of the upper teeth (“crossbite”)
- Teeth that overlap too much (deep “overbite”)
- Teeth that don’t meet together smoothly (“displacements”)
- Teeth that don’t meet together at all (“open bites”)
…and several others. If any of these things seem to affect you, perhaps we can help if you get in touch with us. You can call us on 01 810 7622 – you can even use Skype if you like.
Patients are individual, and we are too. The thing with Swords Orthodontics is that the same individuals will be involved in your care visit after visit – you are treated by an orthodontist and his team, not by a company and its employees.
Most of us have been here for a long time because we enjoy working here, we’re committed to what we do, and we’re committed to doing it well. Very well.
For the patients, that means a continuity of care, where they can feel reassured that they will be seeing the same faces throughout their treatment.
The simple answer is a concentrated commitment to excellence in orthodontics.
Orthodontics is all we do, all day, all week. Not something for a Tuesday afternoon, not something we fit in between tightening loose dentures and taking out wisdom teeth.
Because of this, we are geared up to provide great smiles for our patients using high quality, modern, orthodontics - gently, effectively, and at a fair price.
We also put in many entire days every few months to stay up to date with what’s new in orthodontics – learning from the best lecturers and practitioners in the world.
We offer a wide range of orthodontic treatments so that we have a solution for patients of all ages with all sorts of problems. Because orthodontics is a very personal activity, it’s as much about the people you’ll be dealing with as the building and the facilities.
Swords Orthodontics People:
Our principal orthodontist, Dr Stephen Murray, has over 20 years’ experience in dentistry, has worked exclusively in orthodontics since 1997, and stays up to date by regularly attending lectures and conferences at home and abroad.
All our clinical and non-clinical staff are experienced in orthodontics, know how to help our patients efficiently when Dr Murray is treating them, and also support them in between appointments by dealing effectively with their questions or scheduling.
You can read more about Dr Murray and the staff here.
Swords Orthodontics Facilities:
Swords Orthodontics is physically equipped for modern orthodontic treatments:
- It was designed from Day One as a specialist orthodontic practice, not converted from some other type of building.
- We have a full range of orthodontic instruments and equipment.
- We have modern digital x-ray equipment for special orthodontic x-ray views.
- We have computers that help Dr Murray plan orthodontic treatments.
- We have an on-site laboratory that makes braces and retainers for our patients.
You can read more about the practice here.
We’re a nice bunch of people to deal with, it’s a pleasant and welcoming place to have treatment in, and we work hard to make sure our patients enjoy their time with us.
Most of the staff at Swords Orthodontics have been with us for many years because they enjoy working here too. Not only do patients pick up the sense of that right away, they also get the benefits of it. It’s just good to be treated in a place where people are happy and helpful.
All our clinical dental nursing staff are fully qualified, and all the clinical orthodontics are personally carried out by a specialist orthodontist. Not a dental nurse, not a hygienist, but a specialist who’s fully qualified as a dentist and an orthodontist, which means that the patient has the reassurance that the person treating them is fully insured to do so.
For patient safety, and further peace of mind, we practice very high standards of infection prevention.
If you come down to the practice, you can check out the Thank You cards and patient comments.
“Not if I can help it!” says Dr Murray. Where possible, he will try to avoid extractions (removing teeth).
In some cases though, particularly where it’s better for the overall health of the gums, or the way the teeth meet, or the shape of the face, he may feel that removing teeth is a better option, and he will discuss this with you.
Usually, the earlier you come to see us, the more options we have for treating you without having to extract teeth.