(even 74 years young!)
We’re often asked whether you’re ever too old to have orthodontic treatment. In almost all cases, the answer is no. In fact, Dr. Ahmed’s most mature patient to date was 74 years young, while his youngest was just four. While cases like these are special circumstances, don’t feel your age rules orthodontics out as an option. We’ve been happy to help parents and grandparents wanting treatment once they’ve seen the great results achieved for their teens or grandkids. Enjoying straighter teeth and a confident beautiful smile isn’t just for teenagers!
Being a specialist orthodontist means Dr. Kamal Ahmed is trained in providing comprehensive orthodontic treatments to suit YOU.
Dr. Kamal Ahmed has trained under world-leading orthodontists at Sydney University, as well as having achieved prestigious fellowships’ and memberships by examination from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACDS) and the Edinburgh College of Surgeons (RCSEd), as well as attending numerous other courses and international congresses.
He and the other specialists at South Coast Smiles provide continuing education lectures to other dental professionals in the Illawarra region, on their area of expertise. This means, you know you are in experienced hands when you are getting your smile corrected by Dr. Kamal Ahmed, and the team at South Coast Smiles. Every treatment plan developed by Dr. Ahmed is fully customised to your personal facial features and we always assess and consider your face, smile, and airways. Your treatment plan will be unique to you, personalised for your smile. And don’t worry, we have a ceramic bracket or Invisalign options to make your treatment as discreet as possible…….. or even metal braces with colours if you want to revisit your teen years!




Olivia's teeth had always been ok, with her teeth, but as she had gotten older, she became more self-conscious about the gap. When she had an accident and chipped her front tooth, Olivia decided it was time to get the smile she always wanted. She had Invisalign to align her teeth and close the gaps, then had her broken tooth repaired. She now smiles confidently just to show off her pearly whites!




James hated his bottom jaw biting in front of his top teeth.
When he found out that the only way to correct his bite fully would involve jaw surgery he took the time to do a lot of research to make sure it was right for him
When he was comfortable, James started his journey, and is over the moon with the changes to his smile and face that correcting his teeth and bite have given him.




Grace works face to face with a lot of clients and had hated her smile for years. Grace was also a dental phobic and hadn’t seen a dentist in a very long time. Her first appointment involved her being too nervous and emotional to start any treatment.
Grace loved the idea of having her work done under sedation and found it much easier than having to listen to the sound of the drill. After her teeth were cleaned and repaired so they were back to health, she decided to go ahead with Invisalign to align them. The process was simple and smooth and since then she now has her dental work done in the chair without being ‘knocked out'.
After straightening her teeth she had them whitened and the damaged and chipped corners repaired by Dr. Thangavel. Grace loves her new smile and all her friends comment on how she is always smiling. Her only regret was not finding the right team earlier that showed her dental treatment didn’t have to be traumatic so she could have gotten her smile back much earlier.




Kara had always been self-conscious about her smile, they were crooked and discoloured.
Dr. Thangavel trialed some temporary veneers and showed Kara what her teeth could look like. As an additional option in her case, to improve the aesthetics and longevity of the veneers, Dr. Thangavel suggested that she have Invisalign treatment with Dr. Kamal before, to help align the foundations.
Invisalign could get the foundations straight, and then Veneers could fix the discoloration. For Kara, it meant fewer side effects from the procedure and the handcrafted veneers would give an even better result. Kara loves the results and wishes she had met the team at South Coast Smiles years ago.




Sophia had had a knock to her front tooth many years ago. She had had a root canal and a crown placed. Over the years the gum and underlying bone had receded and showed her dark root canal-treated tooth.
Sophia has a big smile and was conscious of the dark root ruining her smile. As she had lost bone around the dark tooth, a simple replacement would have left her with an obvious-looking replacement.
This case was treated with a team approach by Dr. Kamal using braces on the top teeth only to help grow down and repair the damaged bone. Then Dr. Thangavel and a periodontist (gum specialist) replaced the dark tooth with an implant and had a handcrafted porcelain crown specifically made to match her healthy neighboring teeth.
The result is a broad smile with a replacement porcelain tooth that no one would ever guess had a damaged tooth and gum.




Emma never developed 2 front teeth. She had been wearing a removable plate for years, and as a young lady wanted a fixed option so she didn’t have to worry about her plate flapping about or needing to be taken out. She had been told there was no room for 2 tooth implant replacements.
The team at South Coast Smiles had Dr. Kamal use orthodontics to move the roots of the teeth and create the space for the dental implants, then Dr. Thangavel arranged the implants to be placed and had 2 natural ceramic crowns made to finish her smile off. Emma is stoked with her new teeth and that she can bite into an apple without worrying about her plate coming loose.
Dr. Kamal Ahmed will undertake an analysis of your smile and orthodontic condition, Factoring in your age (and gender), growth, and facial features to determine your ideal treatment.
As we continue to age, our body and face change, and so do our teeth. Just as time can give us a few wrinkles and grey hairs as we age, teeth also change with age. Retainers are a simple way of maintaining your new smile throughout the years ahead. Dr. Kamal Ahmed uses a range of retainers, from fixed to removable retainers. We also make customised retainers if required.
Not everyone needs a full case of braces or Invisalign. Some people will choose to treat just their upper teeth with braces, or have only minor corrections requiring a short braces treatment rather than a full one. However as a general guide:
Full adult braces |
$8,000
|
$52.80/
week, no deposit on a 36 month plan
|


In addition to being a stand-alone treatment, orthodontics can be part of a bigger treatment plan to replace missing teeth with implants, or repair teeth with crowns, veneers, or other dental work. Dr. Kamal Ahmed and the South Coast Smiles Team are experts at providing exactly the right treatment for your needs. At South Coast Smiles, we have the expertise to plan and treat even the most complex cases under one roof.
Some neglected smiles can really benefit from some orthodontic treatment as part of their overall dental repairs plan. Dr. Kamal Ahmed regularly treats complex cases in conjunction with referring dentists, and other dental specialists to help give outcomes that couldn’t be achieved otherwise.
Any complex case needs good planning and teamwork between your dentist and specialist to make sure you end up with the best result possible. You can be sure you are in good hands as it is something we do regularly and well. It’s probably a little strange, but as dental specialists we love it.