Orthodontic appliances
Orthodontic appliances are aids that are used to influence the direction of growth of teeth or jaw.
Placeholder
Every primary tooth holds its place for a permanent tooth. However, sometimes a primary tooth is lost prematurely due to trauma, tooth decay, or another reason. As a result, the adjacent teeth shift towards the empty space, not leaving enough room for the permanent tooth that hasn’t erupted yet. It is recommended to use a placeholder in place of the missing tooth after a primary tooth is lost prematurely to prevent this situation. It is fixed in the mouth until the permanent tooth erupts.
Removable appliance
A removable orthodontic appliance is mainly used if there are both primary and permanent teeth present in the mouth. A plate made of plastic and wire components can be used for simpler orthodontic processes, such as tilting of teeth.
Fixed appliance
The fixed Quad-Helix appliance and palate expander are used for expanding the back part of teeth and correcting unilateral or bilateral crossbite or overcrowded teeth. The expander is made in the lab according to the exact shape of the teeth. The appliance is made of metal and bonded to the teeth with a special cement.
An anchor is an orthodontic aid used to achieve additional anchoring. In orthodontics, anchoring is defined as resistance to applied orthodontic force. The anchor is firmly fixed in the bone and does not shift during treatment. This allows to shift a tooth or group of teeth with relation to the anchor, preserving the position of the teeth that do not need to be shifted.
Functional appliance
Functional appliances (Twin-Block, Forsus, etc.) are most commonly used to correct significant misalignment between the upper and lower jaw or support the growth of the lower jaw in patients who are still growing. A functional appliance can be fixed or removable.
Myofunctional appliance
A myofunctional appliance or trainer is used in the orthodontic treatment of children. This is a prefabricated treatment appliance that does not require an impression to be taken. A myofunctional appliance helps to support the correct growth of jaw bones and can be used to change the habit of mouth breathing to encourage nasal breathing and improve the tone of the lips, tongue, and throat muscles.
