Living and working in what I believe to be the most beautiful counties in the UK has its good sides . The best backyard ever (the Lake District ) is right outside the window, there are good schools for the kids and in 15 minutes we can be climbing a fell or picnicking by a lake.

It also has its downsides - it does rain quite a lot and we don't have that many Starbuck's. Professionally, as a dentist in a private practice in Carlisle we haven't had the option of the specialist dental referral services for our patients that are commonplace in the big cities. In the most part dentists have filled in these gaps by going on extra training courses and buying the necessary equipment, but one area that has been a big frustration until recently has been orthodontic treatment - the straightening of crooked teeth to you and me.

When we ask our patients what they would change to get a perfect smile, most say that they wished their teeth were either straighter or whiter. Most of us are familiar with wire braces and many will have worn them as a child, to varying degrees of success.

The good news is that orthodontics has moved on, it's far more predictable and there is now a choice of the method that leads to the result.

Whilst there has been and continues to be an NHS orthodontic service for the under 18's (with the right degree of crookedness), there is only a very limited referral service on a private basis for either children who don't fit the NHS criteria, or for adults.

In smile design cases one of the most effective tools that we have in the dental toolbox, apart from veneers, plastic resins and tooth whitening is orthodontic therapy. It's safe, it lasts pretty much a lifetime, and the result is 100% natural.

The good news is that with products including Invisalign, Clearstep and Inman Aligners, an experienced dental practitioner with the correct training can now straighten misaligned teeth in their own practice with no need to refer out. So no long journeys and no absences from work.

Better still - the devices used are just about invisible, they're easy to wear and they give great results.

Don't get me wrong - it takes at least 18 months to complete in most instances. However, I will be blogging and posting pictures of two cases as they progress through their journeys..so watch this space.

At York Place we're using the Clearstep system and were bowled over by it. If you'd like to know more, contact me directly on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or check out the rest of our website.

Best wishes

Richard