Orthodontic Appliances
Used with or without braces, these tiny brackets are placed on the back side of the two upper front teeth to help reduce the depth of an overbite (a bite where the upper teeth bite too far down over the lower teeth).
The space maintainer does just what the name implies, it “holds space” in the upper or lower jaws for teeth that are going to erupt later. Used most commonly in the case of early tooth loss so the teeth that are present do not “drift” into the spaces needed for the teeth that are still on the way into the mouth.
The maxillary palatal expander is used to help widen the upper jaw when it is too narrow for the lower jaw (crossbite) or the upper teeth are crowded out of the arch. The expander can only be used on a growing child and has not effect once the two halves of the upper jaw begin to grow together. Treating your child at the appropriate time can often help avoid the extraction of permanent teeth or in severe cases, a surgical procedure.
The Forsus appliance used when the upper teeth are too far ahead of the lowers and wearing elastics alone will not give us the correction that is needed. Elastics lose their strength over the course of the day and need to be changed regularly. The Forsus is used to relieve the patient of the burden of compliance and offers consistent gentle pressure 24/7 thereby accomplishing the desired tooth movement.
The transpalatal arch is most often used to passively hold the molars from drifting forward while the teeth around them are moved to close space or correct the bite.
Used only when the lower jaw is so far behind the upper jaw that wearing elastics or using a Forsus is not enough. The Herbst holds the lower jaw forward in its new position and allows the teeth to move and the soft tissue relax into its new, more appropriate position.