Straightening teeth is not simply a cosmetic exercise. It shapes the face you carry for life, and lays the base of oral health.
Before you decide
The fear of pain, the length of the treatment, the worry of having to do it again one day — we know how long you may have weighed this up.
It was a hard decision to make. We answer it with treatment that keeps to its principles.
Before you decide
The fear of pain, the length of the treatment, the worry of having to do it again one day — we know how long you may have weighed this up.
It was a hard decision to make. We answer it with treatment that keeps to its principles.
Three principles we hold to
Which appliance we use
We do not settle for a cheap appliance with nothing behind it.
To move teeth efficiently and to keep discomfort down, we work only with appliances that have clinical data behind them.
Where the teeth move, and how
Tooth movement is planned to within 0.1 mm, and reviewed as the teeth actually move.
We look past the teeth — at the balance of the whole face and the position of the jaw joints — to set a destination that is sound as well as pleasing.
Care during treatment and retention afterwards
Care on both sides — from the day it goes on to after it comes off.
An appliance moves teeth, but it also traps food and makes brushing harder, which is how decay and gum disease get their start.
We monitor your teeth and gums while they are moving, and discuss anything that comes up.
The goal of treatment changes with age.
Straightening teeth is not all there is to orthodontics. We deal first with what matters most at your stage of life, and plan for the years that follow.
Children and teenagers Working with jaw growth to build the base
Treatment that uses the growth
Rather than moving teeth alone, growth is assessed first so that a mismatch between the upper and lower jaw can be corrected while the jaws are still growing.
Early assessment of jaw growth
Correcting the jaws during the growing years can reduce the chance of complex surgery in adulthood, and sets the base for how the face develops.
Adults Appearance and time, weighed together
A plan that fits your working life
Dates that matter to you are taken into account, and less visible appliances — clear aligners or lingual braces — are offered where they suit the case.
Precise movement, planned to the bite
Growth has finished, so movement is planned on the bone as it is, to within 0.1 mm, towards a smile line that suits your own face.
Older adults Gum health and function again
Treatment aimed at keeping teeth
Teeth that have drifted with age trap food and are hard to clean. Redistributing the spaces between them makes the mouth easier to look after.
Groundwork for a crown or an implant
Before a bridge or an implant, neighbouring teeth that have tipped are uprighted, which helps the restoration last and steadies how you chew.
Faster front-tooth treatment at E-Think
Pointy braces
MTA brackets that sit low
Instead of a conventional bracket we use a small, low cylindrical MTA tube, which catches the lip less.
Its colour is close to the tooth and it sits flat against the surface, so it is hard to notice up close.
Often three to six months, front teeth only
Where the problem is confined to the six to eight front teeth, treating only those shortens the whole course.
The low friction of the MTA bracket lets teeth move with less resistance. How long your own treatment takes still depends on your teeth.
Close care, during and after
Decay and gum inflammation around the appliance are what treatment guards against, so scaling is usually done at the monthly visits. How often you need it is set case by case.
Brushing is shown on your own teeth, one to one, to keep food out of the appliance while the teeth are moving.
Braces and aligners — questions we are often asked
- How long does orthodontic treatment take?
- It depends on the case, but full treatment commonly takes about one to two years. Partial treatment can be shorter. We will estimate the length for your own case after the examination.
- Can I have clear aligners?
- It depends on how far the teeth need to move and on your bite. Some cases are well suited to aligners and others are not. We will tell you which options apply to you at the consultation, after seeing the scan.
- Is orthodontic treatment covered by insurance?
- Most orthodontic treatment is not covered by National Health Insurance and is paid by the patient. We will go through the fee with you before treatment begins.
- I may leave Korea before treatment ends. What then?
- Tell us at the first visit. Treatment runs over months or years with a visit roughly once a month, so your timeline changes what we would recommend. In some cases it is better to wait, or to plan a shorter and more limited treatment.
Medical review
The medical information on this page was reviewed by Dr. Kim Ki-young (Specialist in Advanced General Dentistry · Clinic director). Last reviewed
This is general medical information. It does not replace a diagnosis or treatment plan for your own condition. If you have symptoms, please see a dentist.