Our Blog

Light Force Braces

October 6th, 2023

At Hibberd Orthodontics we are proud to offer LightForce Braces. LightForce is a revolutionary braces system where every bracket is custom made to fit the unique shape and contours of each of your individual teeth. This allows us greater control to make truly customized treatment plans that can move teeth with greater precision and more gently. LightForce’s sleek design also features a slim profile and clear ceramic materials that make them some of the best looking and discrete braces available!

How does LightForce work?

Planning for LightForce braces is entirely digital, meaning no uncomfortable impressions or plaster molds. Each bracket is printed to fit the shape of each tooth comfortably and perfectly. 

Dr. Christine and Dr. Graeme Hibberd set the bracket position for each and every tooth using digital treatment planning. They can place these brackets in any position on the tooth that is needed, meaning we have complete control of tooth movement often making this orthodontic treatment faster and more efficient than traditional braces. As always with treatment planning, the patient’s entire face and features are taken into account. This includes the patient’s jawline, lips, profile and facial structure (to name a few!) 

Here are some of our favourite benefits of LightForce Braces:

More Efficient: LightForce enables Dr. Christine and Dr. Graeme Hibberd to reach new levels of efficiency without sacrificing quality or comfort. This means the overall treatment time is often significantly improved. 

Customized for you: Proprietary treatment planning software is combined with advanced 3D printing technology to create custom treatments for every patient. That means you don’t have to worry about ill-fitting brackets and unnecessary setbacks in your treatment.

More comfortable: The slim profile of the brackets not only looks great, but is also more comfortable to wear, reducing discomfort and improving the straightening accuracy.  LightForce also uses gentler forces throughout the treatment to achieve results and often requires less adjustments meaning less overall soreness. 

Fully Digital Planning: LightForce brings the planning simplicity, efficiency and ease of use typically seen in clear aligner treatment to the world of braces.  That means we can design more accurate treatment plans without the need of biting into messy goop. 

At Hibberd Orthodontics, we truly  believe in personalized care. Starting with one-on-one attention we back our patient-first approach with state-of-the-art technology that allows us to deliver a truly unique treatment experience. With LightForce Braces, we can provide the most fully customized braces experience available. We are so excited to offer this technology to our patients!

What Sets Us Apart? 
At every appointment, every patient is always seen by the orthodontist. It is our privilege to serve our community and we take this responsibility very seriously. We are a family run office with a commitment to providing the most personalized care and experience for every patient. A patient centred and hands on approach are at the heart of every treatment decision. It is an exciting time for the field of orthodontics and we at Hibberd Orthodontics both embrace and utilize the incredible technological advancements in order to deliver the best experience possible to our patients.   

Want to learn more about LightForce and our commitment to providing the most personalized care available? Schedule your complimentary consultation today: 

Everything Parents Need to Know About Orthodontic Treatment for Children

March 20th, 2023

As a parent, you love to see your kids smile! At Hibberd Orthodontics, we know how important it is to take care of your favorite smiles. That is why we recommend bringing your child to see us sooner rather than later.

So when is the best time to schedule an orthodontic appointment for your child? The Canadian Association of Orthodontics recommends that your child sees an orthodontic specialist at age 7. At that age your child’s jaw is developed enough and they have enough permanent teeth for a trained orthodontist to spot potential issues with your child’s teeth, mouth and jaw. Growth monitoring can help identify orthodontic issues and correct them with Phase I treatment before they turn into larger, more complicated issues. While the majority of patients do not begin orthodontics at the age of 7, it is an important time to have a clinical assessment and ensure that there are no issues and growth patterns that are concerning. If your child is not ready for treatment, we will continue to monitor their growth and see them again in 6 months to 1 year to check on the growth and development of their teeth, jaw, and mouth. There is no cost associated with having our doctors monitor your child for the period of time before they are ready to start treatment. The goal is to ensure if treatment is needed, that it begins when it would be the most beneficial to do so.

What is Phase 1 treatment?

Phase 1 orthodontic treatment, also called early interceptive orthodontics, is a problem-focused treatment plan, aiming to mitigate and correct future orthodontic problems such as jaw discrepancies, asymmetric growth patterns, and extreme crowding to name just a few. When you bring your child into Hibberd Orthodontics, Dr. Christine Hibberd and/or Dr. Graeme Hibberd can assess your child’s needs during the first consultation. Concerns such as crowding, large spacing, problematic facial growth, and habits, such as thumb-sucking, cheek- biting, or tongue-thrusting are also taken into consideration. At this assessment, our doctors will develop your child’s individualized treatment plan and determine if phase 1 treatment is right for Them.

What appliances are used in Phase 1 treatment?

During phase 1 treatment, a variety of appliances may be recommended by our doctors. Some are well-known, such as, expanders, and retainers. Other appliances that could possibly be used during phase 1 treatment include space maintainers, habit correcting appliances, and functional appliances such as twin blocks or mandibular advancers. No matter what treatment plan is developed for your child, you can rest assured knowing that our doctors are well- educated and trained to take excellent care of your child’s smile. Our patients also get excited about expressing themselves and being creative by picking out their colour and design for their first customized appliance.

What are the benefits of Phase 1 treatment?

We talk a lot about early intervention in orthodontics because there are many benefits to undergoing orthodontic treatment as a child. Early treatment can begin the correction of significant problems, prevent additional problems from developing, and simplify future treatment, but oftentimes, additional treatment is still necessary. Why do it early? Because we can utilize growth to correct certain issues (such as crowding, large overbites and underbites). By guiding the growth of the jaws and helping to create space we are much more likely to avoid extractions and surgery in some cases. Without growth, options for correcting many orthodontic issues are more limited and in some cases can not be corrected as conservatively as those cases that were identified early and utilized growth in their orthodontic care.

Want to learn more about your treatment options?

Perfecting your smile is a very individual process, let the professionals at Hibberd Orthodontics help you find the best fit for your child. Click below to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Graeme Hibberd and Dr. Christine Hibberd.

How Adults are Getting the Smile of Their Dreams

August 23rd, 2022

At Hibberd Orthodontics, we specialize in discrete and convenient treatment options for adults. Many people don’t realize, but orthodontic treatment is incredibly common amongst adults—in fact about 1 in 3 of our patients are over the age of 18. 

The first thing evaluated in our complimentary consultation is how your bite is functioning. Our primary concern is to create a bite with the most ideal form and function for your health. The beautiful aesthetic result is the added bonus of a healthy smile!

Below we will briefly outline some key reasons that you may not realize about why it is worthwhile to correct your bite:

  • Cavities and gum disease - Teeth that are not aligned tend to create extra pockets where food, plaque and bacteria can gather and cause oral health issues. This can lead to cavities forming, and gum disease. This can be a frustrating cycle (especially for those that are very diligent with their oral hygiene, but still have oral health issues due to their tooth misalignment.)
  • Recession - Sometimes recession can be caused by the position of your teeth and can be improved with orthodontics.
  • Extreme wear patterns - A poor bite, with excessive force (grinding, clenching or brushing) will wear down the enamel off the crowns of your teeth and over stress them. This can make them sore, loose or even cause teeth to crack.
  • Headaches - in some cases chronic headaches or pain in areas like your jaw and neck may be improved by correcting your bite.
  • TMD (Temporomandibular joint disorder)  - An abnormal bite can put you at a high risk of developing TMD. This can cause a number of issues including pain and difficulty chewing. Although orthodontics does not fix all TMJ issues, in some individuals it can be helpful. 

If you want to improve your smile, and feel your best (both functionally, aesthetically and for your overall health), you don’t have to put your life on hold to see great results.

Here is a rundown of our top picks for orthodontic treatment options for adults:

Invisalign: 

Invisalign is nearly invisible and is a top choice amongst adult patients. The aligners are removable and are a very discreet option for treatment. Benefits of removable aligners are that you remove them to eat and you can eat what you please. Brushing and flossing are also an easy task with aligners.

Clear Braces: 

Clear braces are a great option for patients who are considering traditional braces but want to opt for something less noticeable than metal brackets. Clear braces utilize tooth colored brackets and clear materials that blend in with your smile. They offer the same benefits of traditional braces and are a popular option for adults.

Want to learn more about your treatment options?

Perfecting your smile is a very individual process, let the professionals at Hibberd Orthodontics help you find the best fit for you. Click below to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Hibberd:

Hibberd Orthodontics: Let our Family Take care of Yours

March 4th, 2022

At Hibberd Orthodontics we are a family run practice with a long history of passionately providing outstanding care to our patients (three generations of experience!) Did you know that  Dr. Christine Hibberd is the third generation of orthodontic specialists in her family? She works with her father, Dr. Graeme Hibberd who has been serving the orthodontic needs of the GTA since 1984. Her grandfather and grandmother (Dr. Graeme Hibberd’s parents!) were also dental and orthodontic specialists. 

 

We truly are “a family run practice,” and it is something we pride ourselves on. Another member of the Hibberd family, Shannon, also works at Hibberd Orthodontics, and shares the same vision as her dad (Dr. Graeme Hibberd) and sister (Dr. Christine Hibberd).   We are always striving to continuously improve, and to build confidence in our team and patients. We have a constant focus on ensuring that everyone feels their experience as a part of the Hibberd Orthodontics family - including all our staff, and our patients is positive and rewarding (in both treatment outcomes and at every single appointment along the way). At every appointment, every patient is always seen and assessed by the orthodontist. 

 

We love what we do! We are so honoured that after being in the field for so long, we get to treat generations of families. Many who for example who had their orthodontic treatment done by Dr. Graeme Hibberd as a child, and we now are treating their children. 

 

The doors of Hibberd Orthodontics in Oakville opened for our patients in 2017, the hometown to both doctors. It is the only Hibberd Orthodontics location and we are so thrilled to be in Oakville! 

 

So just who is it that Hibberd Orthodontics treats? We believe that everyone deserves to smile confidently and that means we treat patients of every age!

 

  • Early Orthodontics: Did you know that the Canadian and American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children see an orthodontist at age 7? At Hibberd Orthodontics we agree because assessing early means that we may identify irregular growth patterns and if needed can help guide maturing jaws towards alignment. Dr. Christine Hibberd and Dr. Graeme Hibberd are passionate about early treatment because early treatment for some patients is critical to get the best result possible, with the most conservative treatment plan.

 

  • Teens: At Hibberd Orthodontics we know that a straight smile can do wonders for your teen’s confidence. We offer traditional braces as well as Invisalign Clear Aligners because we know that every teen is different and every case requires a unique treatment plan. If you have questions about treatment options, we’re happy to answer! 

 

  • Adults: You may be surprised to learn that adults are our fastest growing population of patients. Not only do some patients love the convenience of being treated at the same place as their children, they know that we are going to help them achieve the smile they’ve always wanted. We’re pleased to offer flexible financing so that everyone has the opportunity to get the smile they have always wanted. 

 

Hibberd Orthodontics has earned a reputation for consistently achieving high-quality orthodontic treatments. What Dr. Christine Hibberd and Dr. Graeme Hibberd would recommend for their own family members and children is truly at the heart of every treatment decision for every patient.

 

If you're looking for an orthodontic practice with years of know-how, that specializes in treating patients of all ages, and provides a kind and welcoming experience…look no further. Join the Hibberd Orthodontics Family today! We can’t wait to meet you!

 

Click below to schedule a complimentary consultation with us at Hibberd Orthodontics. We can’t wait to meet you and your family.

 

CLICK BELOW OR CALL US TODAY AT (905) 844-3456!