Orthodontist in Bandra West, Mumbai

An orthodontist is a dentist who has completed an additional three-year postgraduate specialisation in diagnosing and correcting the position of teeth and jaws. At Bliss Skin & Dental Polyclinic on Hill Road, Bandra West, orthodontic treatment is carried out by Dr. Farhan Parkar, who holds an MDS in Orthodontics from Manipal and has practised since 2009. Treatment may involve fixed braces, clear aligners or a combination, and always begins with a records appointment — photographs, a scan or impressions and an X-ray — before any appliance is recommended. Which approach suits you depends on the bite, not on preference alone.

Benefits of orthodontic treatment

• Treatment planned by a specialist trained specifically in tooth movement and jaw relationships
• The bite is corrected, not just the visible alignment — which is what makes a result hold and stops uneven wear
• Straighter teeth are easier to clean, lowering the long-term risk of decay and gum disease
• Chewing and, in some cases, speech improve
• Protruding front teeth brought back are less exposed to trauma
• Aligning teeth before cosmetic work usually means far less tooth has to be cut away afterwards
• Braces, aligners and retention all managed in one practice

Areas treated

• Upper arch, lower arch, or both together
• Front teeth — incisors and canines, where most concerns are first noticed
• Premolars and molars, where the bite does its work and most correction happens
• The relationship between the upper and lower jaws
• Impacted teeth that need to be guided into position
• Spaces left by missing teeth, opened or closed as part of a restorative plan

Conditions treated

• Crowding — teeth overlapping because the arch is too small for them
• Spacing and diastema — gaps between teeth
• Overbite — upper front teeth covering too much of the lower ones
• Underbite — lower teeth sitting ahead of the upper teeth
• Crossbite — teeth meeting in the wrong horizontal relationship
• Open bite — front or back teeth not meeting
• Protrusion — upper front teeth angled forward
• Relapse after earlier treatment, usually where retainers were stopped

Some of these are purely cosmetic. Others affect chewing, speech, tooth wear or gum health. Part of the assessment is telling you honestly which category you are in — including when treatment is optional.

The procedure, step by step

1. Assessment and records

Examination, intraoral and facial photographs, an OPG or lateral cephalogram, and a scan or impressions. Nothing is fitted at this visit.

2. Diagnosis and plan discussion

You are shown what the records reveal, the realistic options, a duration range and what each involves day to day. If extractions are considered, the reasoning is explained — including what happens if they are not done.

3. Appliance fitting

Fixed braces are bonded in a single longer appointment. Aligners are issued a few weeks after the scan, once manufactured.

4. Active treatment

Adjustment visits roughly every four to eight weeks for braces; less frequent reviews for aligners.

5. Retention

Retainers are fitted as soon as the appliance comes off. Teeth move for life, and retention is part of the treatment, not an optional extra.

Downtime and recovery

• No time off work or school is needed for fitting or adjustments
• Teeth feel tender for three to five days after fitting and briefly after each adjustment; an ordinary painkiller usually covers it
• Some rubbing of the cheeks and lips in the first week with braces — orthodontic wax helps
• Aligners feel tight for a day or two after each new tray, with a brief lisp at first
• Brushing takes longer throughout treatment, and interdental cleaning becomes essential

Results timeline

• Records to plan: usually within a week or two
• First visible changes: commonly within the first two to three months
• Main alignment phase: the bulk of the treatment period
• Bite detailing: slower, less visible, and what makes the result stable
• Straightforward alignment is measured in months; bite and jaw correction commonly run beyond a year
• Retention: ongoing, reducing from full-time to nights

You are given an estimated range after the records appointment, along with what would lengthen it — missed appointments and inconsistent aligner wear being the usual causes.

Cost of orthodontic treatment in Bandra

Bliss does not publish treatment prices. A figure quoted before an assessment is a guess, and a published price goes stale and then misleads. You are given a written estimate after the examination and before treatment starts, and you are told before anything changes.

What the figure reflects:

• The complexity of the case, and whether jaw relationship as well as tooth position needs correcting
• The appliance — metal, ceramic or aligner systems differ substantially in cost
• The expected duration and number of adjustment appointments
• Whether extractions, anchorage devices or restorative work are needed alongside
• Retainers and the retention phase — check any quotation you compare includes them
• Who is actually carrying out the treatment: a specialist orthodontist and a general practice offering “braces” are not the same product

Orthodontic treatment compared with the alternatives

Braces or aligners?

Fixed braces work regardless of compliance and remain the more predictable option for significant rotations, large vertical movements and complex bite correction. Clear aligners are removable and much less visible, and current systematic reviews find them effective for a range of cases — while also finding outcomes for complex movements less consistent than with fixed appliances. They also depend on being worn the prescribed hours every day.

This is a clinical decision informed by your preference, not a preference decision informed by clinical opinion. If your case suits both, you choose.

Orthodontics or veneers?

Where the only issue is position and the teeth are otherwise healthy, moving them removes no tooth structure at all. Veneers are faster and permanently remove enamel. Both are legitimate — only one is conservative, and you should be offered that comparison rather than having to ask for it.

Risks, suitability and important considerations

Adults and orthodontic treatment

Many orthodontic patients in Mumbai are now adults. Teeth move the same way at 35 as at 15; what changes is that existing fillings, crowns, gum recession and missing teeth have to be factored in. Where gum disease is present, it is treated and stabilised first — moving teeth through inflamed, unsupported bone causes harm.

Children and orthodontic assessment

A first assessment around age 7 to 9 identifies the few problems — crossbites, severe protrusion, developing jaw discrepancies, impacted teeth — that are easier to manage while the jaws are still growing. For most children the outcome is simply a review in a year or two.

Risks and what treatment cannot do

• Decalcification — permanent white marks — where hygiene around fixed braces is poor. The most common avoidable complication, and entirely in the patient’s hands
• Minor root shortening, common to some degree and rarely significant, but monitored
• Gum inflammation and, in susceptible patients, recession
• Relapse if retainers are not worn as instructed
• Treatment running longer than estimated

No orthodontist can guarantee a specific result, duration or permanent outcome. Anyone who does is selling rather than planning.

Orthodontic treatment at Bliss, Bandra West

The clinic is on the 2nd floor at 6 Hilton Apartment, 35-A Hill Road, opposite Elco Shopping Centre in Bandra West, a short walk from Hill Road and within easy reach of Bandra station, Khar, Santacruz and Mahim. Orthodontic patients attend regularly over many months, so reaching the chair without losing half a day matters more here than in most dental treatment.

Records, planning, fitting and every review are carried out at this location. Work needed alongside — a filling, gum treatment, whitening once the braces are off — does not require a second clinic.

Frequently asked questions

How long does orthodontic treatment take?

It depends on what is being corrected. Simple alignment is measured in months; bite or jaw correction commonly runs beyond a year. You get an estimated range after the records appointment.

Do braces hurt?

Fitting itself is not painful. Teeth are tender for three to five days afterwards and briefly after adjustments. Most people manage with an ordinary painkiller and softer food.

Am I too old for braces?

No. Teeth move at any age provided the gums and bone are healthy. Adults are now a large share of orthodontic patients.

Will I need teeth extracted?

Sometimes, where there is not enough space to align the teeth within the supporting bone. It is decided from the records, and the reasoning is explained.

How long do I have to wear retainers?

Indefinitely in some form if you want the result to hold, usually reducing to nights after the first phase.

Can I have braces if I have gum disease?

Not until it is treated and stable. Gum treatment comes first.

Are clear aligners as good as braces?

For many cases, yes. For complex rotations, large vertical movements and some bite corrections, fixed braces remain more predictable. The records appointment tells you which applies.

What happens at the first appointment?

An examination, photographs, an X-ray and a scan or impressions. No appliance is fitted.

Who carries out this treatment

Orthodontic treatment at Bliss is planned and carried out by Dr. Farhan Parkar, BDS, MDS (Orthodontics), Maharashtra State Dental Council A-18082. An orthodontist is a dentist who has completed an additional three-year full-time postgraduate specialisation in moving teeth and correcting jaw relationships — his was at Manipal, completed in 2013. He is an author of a 2013 text on cone beam computed tomography in orthodontics.

Orthodontic treatment offered as a general-practice add-on and orthodontic treatment planned by a specialist are not the same service, however similar the appliance looks.

Book an orthodontic assessment

Call +91 93221 22111, message the clinic on WhatsApp, or book online. Bliss Skin & Dental Polyclinic, 2nd Floor, 6 Hilton Apartment, 35-A Hill Road, Opposite Elco Shopping Centre, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050.

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Related treatments at Bliss

• Invisalign
• Dentist

Sources and further reading

• American Association of Orthodontists — How Do Braces Work?
• American Association of Orthodontists — Retainers
• Cochrane Review (2023) — Retention procedures after orthodontic braces
• Systematic review — clear aligners versus fixed appliances
• Indian Dental Association — Your Oral Health