An Overview of Orthodontic Appliances and Braces

When someone mentions orthodontics, the first thing that comes to most people's minds is a pimple faced kid with railroad tracks on his teeth and headgear to boot. With the many recent advancements in orthodontic technology however, brackets are now smaller than ever, even clear, and the number of adults taking advantage of this treatment that can give the perfect smile is increasing every day.

Braces

Traditional braces consist of silver brackets,(which are cemented directly to the front of each tooth) a wire, and small elastic ties which hold the wire into the bracket. The wire applies forces on the teeth that are crooked and moves them into alignment. Brackets are traditionally made of metal; however, they also come in tooth colored ceramic or even gold. The elastic ties come in virtually every color imaginable.

A new type of bracket, called a self-ligating bracket, does not require elastic ties. Instead, and as the name implies, the brackets themselves have a door or clip which secures the wire to it. The biggest advantage to this new type of bracket is less friction between the bracket and wire which, in theory, speeds tooth movement.

The fact is that everyone loves straight teeth, but few like the idea of braces. Well, we have good news. Many experts believe that in the near future, most if not all problems requiring orthodontic treatment will be handled without braces at all.

How is this possible? Plastic. Invisalign is a series of clear plastic trays which fit tightly on your teeth. Each tray is worn for two to three weeks and progressively moves the teeth. At present, Invisalign isn't for everyone but probably will be soon.

Attached Ortho Treatments

Additional appliances are often used in place of or in conjunction with braces.

A couple you may have heard your orthodontist talk about are a Distal Jet, or Pendex appliance. These do not straighten the teeth but serve to correct the bite by pushing the upper teeth back.

When baby teeth are lost prematurely, the remaining teeth begin to shift and space can be lost which otherwise would have been occupied by permanent teeth. In order to avoid this unwanted shifting after the early loss of a primary tooth, space maintainers are used such as a lower lingual holding arch or a Nance appliance.

At times orthodontists use appliances to improve the rate or direction of growth of the jaws. One common problem we see for example is a lower jaw too small in relation to the upper jaw. Appliances such as the Herbst, Mara, and Forsus apply a forward force to the mandible or lower jaw. It is believed that if such appliances are used during growth spurts of a child or adolescent, the growth of the mandible is enhanced.

Removable Ortho Appliances

The most stable position for the teeth is the position they are in before orthodontic treatment begins. When the braces are removed, the teeth usually shift to some extent, most often back to the position they were in prior to movement with braces.

In order to minimize this, a retainer is made and worn typically for at least one year. One type of retainer is made of an acrylic base which fits in the palate of the upper jaw and under the tongue on the lower jaw with a thick wire which wraps around the front of the teeth. A newer type of retainer, called an essix retainer, is made of plastic much like an Invisalign tray.

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