I was very interested to see the letter by Dr Pagonis on orthodontosis and orthodontitis in a recent edition of this Journal (BDJ 2015; 218: 319–320).

I would like to share information on another dental treatment; this is called orthodontics. This is the correction of problems caused by teeth that are irregular or out of position. This is called 'malocclusion' and can be corrected by 'orthodontics'. This is a treatment in which sophisticated attachments are glued to the teeth with special adhesive. Then space-age wires are attached to the brackets using special elastics. This puts a force on the teeth and they move.

Unfortunately, the teeth do not recognise the type of brace or wire that is being used and they always move at the same rate regardless of the appliance. Most courses of orthodontic treatment take 24 months, although sometimes this can be longer or shorter depending upon the goals of treatment and wishes of the patient.

I hope that the readers of the journal are interested in this concept and consider it for their patients.

1. Manchester