Braces use small brackets and a wire to guide teeth into a planned position, adjusted over a series of visits. At Magical Smiles Bacchus Marsh we offer traditional metal braces, clear ceramic braces and Fastbraces, starting from $4,500 per arch. Here's how the three compare, what treatment involves, and where an early option might fit if it's your child you're thinking about.
Crowding, gaps and an uneven bite usually build up quietly. You notice them when food keeps catching in the same place, when brushing around overlapping teeth takes longer than it should, or when a dentist mentions your child's bite at a check-up.
If any of that sounds close, there's more choice than a single bracket-and-wire system — and for younger children, sometimes a gentler first step than braces altogether.
Every fixed brace system works the same basic way. A small bracket is bonded to each tooth with dental adhesive, and an archwire runs through the brackets. Small elastic bands hold the wire in place. The wire applies light, steady pressure, and the bone around each root gradually remodels so the tooth can move.
At regular appointments we adjust the wire or change the bands to keep teeth moving along the plan. The main difference between metal, ceramic and Fastbraces is what the brackets are made of, how visible they are and, for Fastbraces, the bracket and wire design. The animation alongside shows how the pieces work together.
All three straighten teeth with brackets and an archwire. They differ in how visible they are, what the brackets are made of and, for Fastbraces, the bracket design. Here's the plain comparison, so you can ask sharper questions at your consultation.
Braces are one part of orthodontics at Magical Smiles Bacchus Marsh, alongside clear aligners and Myobrace for children.
Small stainless-steel brackets on each tooth, joined by an archwire that's adjusted at intervals. It's a long-established, widely used approach that can manage crowding, gaps and bite problems such as overbites, underbites and crossbites.
If you'd like the detail on wear, care and sport, our metal braces page covers it.
Tooth-coloured or clear ceramic brackets that work exactly like metal braces but blend in with your natural teeth. A common pick for teens and adults who want a fixed brace without it being the first thing people see.
We'll talk through how ceramic brackets suit your bite and your cleaning routine before you choose.
Fastbraces use a differently shaped bracket and a specially designed archwire, intended to move the crown and root of each tooth together from earlier in treatment.
For some cases this may shorten overall treatment. Whether it would in yours, and by how much, can only be answered after an assessment.
The right system depends on the position of your teeth, your bite, your budget and how much visibility matters to you. We'll go through the realistic options for your mouth at a consultation. Results, timelines and suitability vary between individuals. Prefer something removable? Compare clear aligners instead →
Whichever system suits you, the path looks much the same. According to healthdirect, straightening teeth can take 18 months or more, and routine appointments may be every 4 to 12 weeks once treatment begins (page reviewed November 2024). Our Gisborne Road clinic has onsite parking and is open Monday to Saturday, which makes those visits easier to fit around school and work.
Consultation & assessment
We check your crowding, spacing and bite, make sure your teeth and gums are healthy enough to start, and take scans or impressions.
Fitting your brackets
Brackets are bonded to each tooth and joined with the archwire. You'll leave with care instructions and a list of foods to go easy on.
Regular adjustments
At scheduled visits we adjust the wire and change the elastic bands, moving your teeth further along the plan.
Progress reviews
Each visit is a chance to check your teeth are tracking to plan. If a bracket comes loose between visits, call the clinic and we'll help with the next step.
Removal & retention
When treatment is complete the brackets come off, your teeth get a thorough clean, and a retainer helps hold them in their new position.
Many Bacchus Marsh parents assume braces are the only answer to a child's crowding or bite. While your child is still growing, there may be an earlier option worth discussing first.
A myofunctional appliance such as Myobrace is a removable device worn for 1–2 hours during the day and overnight, together with daily exercises. The exercises teach children to keep their lips together, breathe through the nose and swallow properly, aiming to support natural jaw development while adult teeth come through.
It isn't a replacement for braces in every case, and it doesn't suit every child. For the right child it may reduce the need for more extensive treatment later. Consistent daily wear and the exercises are what make it work, so we talk that through with you and your child first.
Signs worth asking us about:
This is a suitability conversation, not a sales pitch. For many children the honest answer is "let's keep an eye on it", and an assessment is the only way to know whether early treatment suits your child. Outcomes and suitability vary between individuals.
A calm, unhurried first conversation
Braces suit many cases well, and they aren't the only sensible option for everyone. Here's an honest starting point; the rest gets worked out at your consultation.
Curious about clear aligners instead? Compare Invisalign & other aligner systems → · Thinking about your child? Explore Myobrace myofunctional therapy →
Braces at Magical Smiles Bacchus Marsh start from $4,500 per arch for metal, ceramic or Fastbraces. Your final cost depends on how complex your case is, how long treatment runs, how many adjustment visits are involved and whether anything is needed first, such as an extraction. You'll get a detailed written quote before treatment starts, and we can provide an itemised plan to check with your health fund. For children, the Child Dental Benefits Schedule won't help with the braces themselves: Services Australia lists orthodontic dental work among the services it doesn't cover (page updated 1 January 2026). Eligible children can still claim up to $1,158 over two calendar years (or $1,132 if their two-year period began in 2025) for basic care such as check-ups, X-rays and fillings.
See the numbers before you say yes.
Curious what metal, ceramic or Fastbraces might cost on a repayment plan? Open the repayment estimator →
Estimate only — not a quote or credit approval. Your actual cost is confirmed at consultation.
We accept
About the estimator: it gives an indicative figure based on typical per-arch pricing and is not a quote. Your exact cost depends on your case and the system you choose, and you'll receive it in writing after your assessment. Repayment figures are illustrative and use Humm/NDP's own plan-fee formula for the term selected, so Humm's fees are already included. Finance depends on Humm's own eligibility criteria and approval.
We offer metal, ceramic and Fastbraces in Bacchus Marsh, so we can recommend the one that suits your case rather than the only one on the shelf.
We look at growth patterns and tell you whether treatment should start now or wait. Early intervention is suggested only when it suits your child.
A retainer plan is part of every course of treatment, with follow-up check-ups to catch any shifting early after the brackets come off.
A short consultation is usually enough to tell whether metal, ceramic or Fastbraces makes sense for you, or whether an early appliance is worth exploring for your child. Want to ask a few questions first? Give the clinic a call.
Book a consultation (03) 8001 7008Information on this page is general in nature. Treatment outcomes, fit, timeline and comfort vary between individuals, and an assessment of your teeth (or your child's) comes before any recommendation or decision.
Major health funds
A consultation in Bacchus Marsh is usually enough to tell whether metal, ceramic or Fastbraces suits your teeth — or whether an early appliance is worth exploring for your child — with a written quote before you decide anything.