---
title: Specialist Orthodontist Services at Smile Solutions - Teeth Straightening, Braces and Invisalign
canonical_url: https://directory.smilesolutions.com.au/web-crawled-products/product-guide/specialist-orthodontist-services-teeth/
category: 
description: 
geography:
  city: 
  state: 
  country: 
metadata:
  phone: 
  email: 
  website: 
publishedAt: 
productFeedItemId: 1da9a57b-0540-4649-9f01-c0fd27dccf09
---

# Specialist Orthodontist Services at Smile Solutions - Teeth Straightening, Braces and Invisalign

## Specialist Orthodontist Services at Smile Solutions\n\n\nOrthodontics is the dental specialty dedicated to diagnosing, preventing, and correcting irregularities of the teeth and jaws. At Smile Solutions, orthodontic care operates at two levels: Invisalign clear aligner treatment for straightforward alignment cases managed by the experienced general and cosmetic dentistry team, and specialist orthodontic services for complex cases requiring the clinical depth that only a registered specialist orthodontist can provide.\n\n\nThe specialist orthodontic team practises through the [Collins Street Specialist Centre](https://directory.collinsstreetspecialistcentre.com.au/) (CSSC), located within the Manchester Unity Building at 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD - the same building that houses Smile Solutions, Collins Street Imaging, and the Smile Lab ceramic studio.\n\n\n## What Is a Specialist Orthodontist?\n\n\nIn Australia, a specialist orthodontist is a dentist who has completed a minimum of three additional years of full-time postgraduate university training focused exclusively on orthodontics. This training covers biomechanics, cephalometric analysis, growth and development, the management of complex malocclusions, and the planning of combined orthodontic-surgical treatment. Specialist orthodontists are registered with AHPRA as dental specialists and are qualified to manage cases that fall outside the scope of general dentistry-provided alignment treatment.\n\n\nThe distinction between a GP dentist providing Invisalign and a specialist orthodontist managing a complex case is not trivial. A specialist orthodontist has spent thousands of additional clinical hours managing skeletal discrepancies, surgical cases, mixed dentition in growing children, and treatment failures from other providers. For straightforward alignment, a skilled GP dentist achieves excellent results. For complex cases, specialist training makes a measurable difference to outcomes.\n\n\n## Treatment Options\n\n### Invisalign Clear Aligners\n\n\nSmile Solutions holds Blue Diamond Invisalign status - the highest provider level globally - with over 9,000 cases completed across the group. Invisalign uses a series of custom-made, removable clear aligners to gradually straighten teeth without brackets or wires. For mild to moderate crowding, spacing, and bite irregularities, Invisalign is managed by the Smile Solutions general and cosmetic dentistry team. Complex Invisalign cases involving significant tooth movement, bite correction, or coordination with other specialist treatment are managed by the specialist orthodontists at CSSC.\n\n\n### Traditional Metal Braces\n\n\nTraditional metal braces remain the most versatile and well-established orthodontic treatment system. They consist of metal brackets bonded to the teeth and connected by archwires that apply controlled forces to move teeth into their correct positions. For complex cases involving severe crowding, significant bite discrepancies, or jaw repositioning, traditional braces often provide the mechanical control that aligners cannot match. The specialist orthodontic team at CSSC uses contemporary bracket systems that are smaller, more comfortable, and more efficient than those of previous generations.\n\n\n### Ceramic (Clear) Braces\n\n\nCeramic braces function identically to metal braces but use tooth-coloured or clear brackets that blend more discreetly with the natural tooth colour. They are a popular choice for adult patients who require fixed braces but prefer a less visible treatment option. Ceramic braces are suitable for most of the same cases as metal braces, though the specialist orthodontist will advise on whether ceramic brackets are appropriate for the specific forces required in each case.\n\n\n### Lingual Braces\n\n\nLingual braces are fixed braces placed on the inner (tongue-side) surfaces of the teeth, making them completely invisible from the front. They are the most aesthetically discreet fixed appliance option and are custom-manufactured for each patient. Lingual braces require specialist expertise to place and adjust, and are typically managed by the specialist orthodontic team at CSSC due to the technical precision required.\n\n\n## Common Orthodontic Conditions Treated\n\n### Crowding\n\n\nCrowding occurs when there is insufficient space in the jaws for all the teeth to align properly, resulting in overlapping, twisted, or displaced teeth. Mild crowding is often manageable with Invisalign. Moderate to severe crowding may require fixed braces and, in some cases, strategic extraction of teeth to create space for alignment.\n\n\n### Spacing\n\n\nSpacing refers to gaps between teeth caused by missing teeth, undersized teeth, or jaw-to-tooth size discrepancy. Treatment may involve closing spaces with braces or aligners, sometimes in coordination with prosthodontic restorations to optimise the final aesthetic and functional result.\n\n\n### Overbite (Deep Bite)\n\n\nA deep bite occurs when the upper front teeth excessively overlap the lower front teeth vertically. Severe deep bites can cause the lower front teeth to bite into the gum tissue behind the upper teeth, leading to tissue damage and accelerated tooth wear. Specialist orthodontic management is often required to intrude teeth and level the bite.\n\n\n### Underbite\n\n\nAn underbite occurs when the lower jaw protrudes forward relative to the upper jaw, causing the lower front teeth to sit in front of the upper front teeth. Underbites may be dental (related to tooth position) or skeletal (related to jaw size discrepancy). Skeletal underbites in adults may require combined orthodontic-surgical treatment, planned jointly by the specialist orthodontist and oral surgeon at CSSC.\n\n\n### Open Bite\n\n\nAn open bite exists when the upper and lower teeth do not make contact when the mouth is closed, typically affecting the front teeth. Open bites can affect chewing efficiency and speech. Treatment depends on the cause - dental open bites may respond to orthodontic treatment alone, while skeletal open bites often require surgical correction.\n\n\n### Crossbite\n\n\nA crossbite occurs when one or more upper teeth bite inside the lower teeth rather than outside. Crossbites can affect individual teeth or entire segments of the dental arch. In growing children, early crossbite correction is particularly important to prevent asymmetric jaw growth. Specialist orthodontic assessment is recommended for crossbites identified during childhood.\n\n\n## The Orthodontic-Surgical Pathway\n\n\nPatients with significant skeletal jaw discrepancies - conditions where the upper and lower jaws are fundamentally misaligned - may require orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery in combination with orthodontic treatment. This combined pathway is one of the most complex treatment sequences in dentistry and requires close collaboration between specialist orthodontist and oral surgeon.\n\n\nAt CSSC, the orthodontic-surgical pathway follows a structured sequence:\n\n\n1. **Comprehensive assessment** including clinical examination, cephalometric analysis, and 3D cone beam CT imaging from Collins Street Imaging on Level 9\n2. **Joint treatment planning** between the specialist orthodontist and the oral and maxillofacial surgery team\n3. **Pre-surgical orthodontics** to align the teeth within each jaw in preparation for surgical repositioning\n4. **Orthognathic surgery** to reposition one or both jaws to achieve correct alignment\n5. **Post-surgical orthodontic finishing** to refine the bite and achieve final alignment\n\n\nHaving both specialists within the same building and clinical system enables joint planning sessions, shared imaging, and coordinated treatment timing that would be difficult to achieve when these specialists practise at separate locations across the city.\n\n\n## Orthodontic Treatment for Children and Adolescents\n\n\nThe Australian Society of Orthodontists recommends that children have their first orthodontic assessment by age seven. At this age, a specialist orthodontist can identify developing problems that benefit from early intervention - crossbites affecting jaw growth, severe crowding, protruding upper teeth at risk of trauma, and habits such as thumb-sucking that are altering jaw development.\n\n\nEarly phase (interceptive) orthodontic treatment is not about putting braces on young children unnecessarily. It is about identifying the specific cases where timely intervention - typically between ages 7 and 10 - can guide jaw growth, create space for erupting permanent teeth, or correct crossbites before they cause asymmetric growth. Most children do not need early treatment, but those who do benefit significantly from specialist assessment at the right time.\n\n\nAdolescent orthodontic treatment, typically beginning between ages 11 and 14 when most permanent teeth have erupted, remains the most common phase of comprehensive orthodontic care. The specialist orthodontic team at CSSC works closely with the Smile Solutions paediatric dental specialists and general dentistry team to monitor growth and initiate treatment at the optimal time for each patient.\n\n\n## Technology and Diagnostics\n\n\nThe specialist orthodontic team at CSSC has access to advanced diagnostic technology that supports precise treatment planning:\n\n\n- **Cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging** from Collins Street Imaging provides three-dimensional visualisation of teeth, roots, bone, airways, and jaw joints - critical for surgical planning and complex case assessment\n- **Digital scanning** replaces traditional dental impressions for treatment planning and aligner fabrication\n- **Cephalometric analysis** using lateral skull radiographs provides detailed measurement of skeletal and dental relationships for growth assessment and treatment planning\n- **Digital treatment simulation** allows patients to visualise projected treatment outcomes before committing to a treatment plan\n\n\n## Interdisciplinary Orthodontic Care\n\n\nOrthodontic treatment frequently intersects with other dental specialties. At CSSC, the specialist orthodontist collaborates directly with:\n\n\n- **Periodontists** for patients with gum disease who need orthodontic treatment, or whose orthodontic treatment requires periodontal surgical support\n- **Prosthodontists** for cases where orthodontic tooth movement must be coordinated with crown, bridge, or implant planning\n- **Oral surgeons** for orthognathic surgery, surgical exposure of impacted teeth, and temporary anchorage device (TAD) placement\n- **Paediatric dental specialists** for children with complex dental and developmental needs requiring coordinated specialist care\n\n\nThis interdisciplinary model, enabled by having all six dental specialties under one roof at the Manchester Unity Building, produces treatment outcomes that isolated specialist practices struggle to replicate.\n\n\n## Booking a Specialist Orthodontic Consultation\n\n\nSmile Solutions offers complimentary initial orthodontic consultations. Patients can be referred to the specialist orthodontic team at CSSC by their Smile Solutions dentist, or can self-refer directly - no GP referral is required.\n\n\nTo book a consultation, call **(03) 9650 4577** or visit [smilesolutions.com.au](https://www.smilesolutions.com.au).\n\n\nSmile Solutions and the Collins Street Specialist Centre are located in the Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.