• Life with Braces
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• Brushing and Flossing
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• Types of Braces
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• Braces Diagram
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• Types of Appliances
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• Clear Aligners
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• Palatal Expander
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• Tads

Various Types of Orthodontic Appliances Rapid Palatal Expander

Elastics (Rubber Bands)

Wearing elastics (rubber bands) that connect from your upper jaw to your lower jaw can help improve the look, feel, and function of your bite. Wearing your elastics as instructed will help align your jaw and makre sure your treatment progresses far more efficiently.

Headgear

Gold braces are very similar to the traditional metal braces. These brackets are made of a high-grade stainless steel and are coated in gold. The gold coating is very muted in tone and tends to blend in a little better with the shades people's of teeth. The cost of the gold brackets is surprising identical to the cost of the metal brackets. This option also allows patient to add fun colored ties to their braces.

Palatal Expander

A palatal expander is used only on the upper arch of the mouth and is used to correct certain posterior crossbites. This appliance widens the upper jaw with gentle pressure that is focused on the upper molars. The initial expansion typically takes around a month to occur, but the appliance will remain in the mouth for approximately six months in order to prevent relapse and to solidify expansion. The orthodontist and assistant will provide you with instructions on how to adjust and properly care for your expander.

Retainers

Retainers are used at the end of orthodontic treatment once the braces are removed. Retainers are either removable that fit over the teeth or permanent as they are bonded to the backside of the teeth. The orthodontist will advise you on the best type of retainer for your mouth. Our office staff will instruct you how to properly wear and care for your new retainers at the end of your treatment. Proper retainer wear is crucial in keeping your teeth in alignment without relapse.

Separators

Separators are tiny rubber bands used to create space between teeth for treatment. This space is needed in order for orthodontic metal bands to fit around molars. The separators are typically placed one week before bands are positioned onto teeth. Once the bands are placed, the separators are completely removed from the mouth.

Lower Lingual Holding Arch (LLHA)

A lower lingual holding arch is an appliance that is used to maintain space for adult teeth to fit into the mouth. Primary teeth typically hold space for adult teeth as they descend into the mouth. Premature loss of a primary tooth can cause a molar to tip or shift forward and rob the space designed for a future adult tooth. This movement can cause entire smile midlines to shift or can completely block out adult teeth creating difficult problems to fix in the future. A lower lingual holding arch will help maintain proper position of the molar and will preserve proper space for adult teeth to erupt normally. This appliance consists of two metal bands that are bonded to the lower first molars. These bands are connected with a wire that runs along the inside of your lower teeth.