Dental Braces in Bandra West, Mumbai

Fixed braces are small brackets bonded to the teeth and connected by a wire, which applies gentle continuous force to move teeth into a planned position. At Bliss Skin & Dental Polyclinic on Hill Road, Bandra West, braces are fitted and adjusted by Dr. Farhan Parkar, who holds an MDS in Orthodontics. Metal and ceramic brackets are both available, and which suits you is decided from a full records set rather than from appearance. Braces remain the most predictable option for complex rotations, bite correction and cases where compliance cannot be relied on.

Benefits of dental braces

What fixed braces achieve, and why they remain the reference treatment in orthodontics:

• They work whether or not you remember anything — nothing is removable, so the result does not depend on daily compliance
• The most predictable option for complex rotations, large vertical movement and genuine bite correction
• Correcting the bite as well as the visible alignment, which protects the teeth from uneven wear later
• Easier cleaning and lower decay risk once teeth are aligned and no longer overlapping
• Chewing function and, in some cases, speech improve alongside appearance
• Ceramic brackets give most of the discretion of aligners without giving up predictability
• A stable foundation for any cosmetic work planned afterwards — aligning first usually means removing less tooth structure later

Areas treated

Braces treat the upper arch, the lower arch, or both together. Which is needed is decided from the records, not from which teeth you dislike.

• Upper arch only — usually where the lower bite is already correct
• Lower arch only — most often for lower front crowding
• Both arches — necessary wherever the bite relationship is being corrected
• Front teeth (incisors and canines) — the region most patients notice first
• Premolars and molars — where the bite actually does its work, and where most correction happens
• Anchorage support using temporary devices or elastics where larger movements are planned

Conditions treated

What braces can correct

• Crowded and overlapping teeth
• Gaps and spacing, including a midline diastema
• Overbite, underbite, crossbite and open bite
• Protruding upper front teeth, which also carry a higher risk of being chipped or knocked
• Teeth that have drifted after an extraction or after earlier orthodontic relapse
• Impacted teeth that need to be guided into position, often alongside minor surgical exposure

Braces move teeth. They do not change the colour, shape or size of teeth — those are restorative or cosmetic questions, and where they matter they are usually addressed after alignment rather than before.

The procedure, step by step

Records appointment

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

Plan discussion

You are shown what the records reveal, the realistic options, an estimated duration range, and whether extractions are being considered and why. If teeth are to be removed, you are also told what happens if they are not.

Fitting

A longer appointment in which the brackets are bonded and the first wire placed. It is not painful; the teeth become tender over the following two to three days and settle within about five.

Adjustments

Typically every four to eight weeks. Wires are changed progressively — lighter and more flexible early on, heavier and more rigid later as the fine detail of the bite is worked out.

Debond and retention

Brackets are removed, the teeth are polished, and retainers are fitted the same day or within a few days. Retention starts immediately; a gap between debond and retainer fitting is where relapse begins.

Downtime and recovery

Living with braces

• Expect tenderness for a few days after fitting and briefly after each adjustment. An ordinary painkiller and softer food usually cover it.
• Orthodontic wax handles the rubbing that is common in the first week, until the cheeks and lips adapt.
• Avoid hard and sticky foods — ice, hard nuts, boiled sweets, chikki, sticky toffees. Cut apples and corn rather than biting into them. Broken brackets add weeks to treatment.
• Brushing takes longer. An interdental brush and, ideally, a fluoride mouthrinse are part of the routine now, not optional extras.
• If you play contact sports, wear a mouthguard.
• A loose bracket or a wire digging in is not an emergency, but call the clinic rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit.

Results timeline

• First few days after fitting: tenderness, then settling within about five days
• Weeks 4–12: the first visible changes, usually in the front teeth
• Months 3–9: the bulk of the alignment work
• Final months: fine detailing of the bite, which is slower and less visible but is what makes the result hold
• Debond day: brackets off, polish, retainers fitted immediately
• Retention: ongoing, reducing from full-time to nights

Total duration varies widely with what is being corrected. You are given an estimated range after the records appointment, not before, and told what would extend it.

Cost of dental braces in Bandra

Bliss does not publish orthodontic prices, because any figure quoted before the records exist is a guess. The fee reflects the complexity of the case, the bracket type, the expected number of adjustment visits, whether extractions or anchorage devices are needed, and the retention phase.

When comparing quotes, check three things: whether retainers and reviews are included, who is actually carrying out the treatment, and whether the quote is based on records or on a glance.

Dental braces compared with the alternatives

Types of braces available

Metal braces

Stainless steel brackets and wires. They are the most efficient and the most economical option, they handle the widest range of movements, and they are visible. For most complex cases they remain the appliance of choice, and among teenagers the visibility is often not a concern at all.

Ceramic braces

Tooth-coloured brackets that are considerably less noticeable than metal from conversational distance. They work the same way and take a similar length of time. The trade-offs are a higher cost, slightly larger brackets, and a need to be careful with strongly staining foods and drinks, since the elastic ties can discolour between adjustments.

What about lingual braces and aligners?

Lingual braces sit behind the teeth and are essentially invisible, but they are more expensive and take longer to adapt to. Clear aligners are removable and much less visible but depend on wear time and are less predictable for some movements. Both are discussed at the planning appointment where relevant.

Risks, suitability and important considerations

Risks and limitations you should know about

• Decalcification — permanent white marks around where the brackets sat — where hygiene is poor. This is the most common avoidable complication in orthodontics and it is almost entirely down to daily brushing.
• Gum inflammation and, in susceptible patients, recession.
• Minor root shortening, which happens to some degree in many cases and is rarely clinically significant, but is monitored radiographically.
• Ulceration and rubbing in the early weeks.
• Relapse if retainers are not worn as instructed. Teeth move for life.
• Treatment running longer than estimated, usually because of missed appointments or repeated breakages.

No orthodontist can guarantee a specific result, a specific duration, or that the teeth will stay where they are put without retention.

Dental braces 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. Braces mean regular visits over many months, so getting to the chair without losing half a day genuinely matters.

Because Bliss also provides general and cosmetic dentistry, work that needs to happen alongside — a filling, gum treatment, whitening once the brackets come off — does not require a second practice.

Frequently asked questions

How long will I need braces?

It depends on what is being corrected. Straightforward alignment cases are measured in months; cases involving bite or jaw relationship correction commonly run beyond a year. You are given an estimated range after the records appointment, along with what would make it longer.

Do braces hurt?

Fitting is not painful. The teeth feel tender for roughly three to five days afterwards, and briefly again after adjustments. Most people manage with an ordinary painkiller and softer food.

Metal or ceramic — which should I choose?

Both move teeth the same way. Ceramic is less visible and costs more; metal is more economical and slightly more efficient for complex movements. If your case suits both, it is your choice.

Will I need teeth extracted?

Sometimes, where there is not enough room in the arch to align the teeth within the bone that supports them. It is decided from records, not appearance, and the reasoning is explained to you.

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.

Can I get braces if I have fillings, crowns or missing teeth?

Usually yes, but they change the plan. Existing restorations, crowns and gaps all have to be accounted for, and some may need attention first.

What if a bracket comes loose?

Call the clinic. It is not an emergency, but repeated breakages add weeks to treatment, so it is dealt with at the earliest convenient appointment rather than left until the next scheduled visit.

Will my teeth stay straight afterwards?

Only with retainers. The evidence on relapse after retention is stopped is consistent enough that retention is treated as part of the treatment rather than an optional extra.

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.

That distinction matters here. Orthodontic treatment carried out 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 appointment

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

• Orthodontist
• Invisalign
• Dentist

Sources and further reading

• American Association of Orthodontists — How Do Braces Work?
• Cochrane Review (2023) — Retention procedures after orthodontic braces
• Indian Dental Association — Your Oral Health