Retainer
When you get your braces off, we create custom retainers for you to minimize the shifting that your teeth will naturally do as they settle into their new positions. This is the time they are most prone to shifting. We’ve worked so hard to get here…Make sure you wear you retainers to prevent teeth from shifting back to their original positions!
Herbst Appliance
The Herbst appliance is the most advanced and effective appliance available for correcting large overbites in most patients. It is used to enhance the growth of the lower jaw in the forward direction. Arch development of the upper jaw may also be done if necessary. The new and improved design allows patients to have braces at the same time, thus simultaneously straightening their teeth as the overbite is being corrected. This reduces overall treatment time by up to 50%!
Advantages of the Herbst Appliance:
- Creates orthopedic lower jaw movement similar to more invasive jaw surgery
- Appliance is cemented in place — alleviating compliance issues and increasing predictability of results
- Corrects bite alignment and improves facial balance
- Proper lower jaw alignment improves breathing and alleviates sleep apnea
- Discreet – no more unsightly headgear!
Twin Block
A Twin Block appliance is designed to correct jaw positioning and properly align the bite.
How do they work?
- Removable upper and lower active retainers with special bite ramps built in that is worn after school, at home and at night
- Bite ramps help guide the lower jaw to grow in a more forward pattern. This is the 1st cousin of the Herbst appliance – used on older kids and adults.
- Twin Blocks orthopedically direct the growth in the growing child to reduce the overbite/overjet and eliminate the need for headgear and reduce or eliminate the need for future jaw surgery. It also reduces the time spent in braces later on to fix the overbite/overjet.
Schwartz
The Schwartz appliance is used to expand the arch and create needed space for the permanent teeth.
How do they work?
- Removable, upper and lower active expander-type retainers that can be used for both the upper and lower jaws
- Slowly (usually once a week) turn a special expansion screw to develop the width of the jaws
- The Schwartz appliance gently, comfortably and hygienically makes space for teeth in order to reduce the need for extractions of permanent teeth.
Bite Plate
A Bite Plate is designed to correct a deep bite (when the upper front teeth come down too far over the lower front teeth).
How do they work?
- A removable, upper retainer with a special bite ramp build into the front to be worn after school, at home and at night
- Allows the back teeth to continue to erupt (grow), while keeping the front teeth in place in the vertical dimension
- Opens a deep bite by un-wedging the back teeth as the dentition matures – in order to reduce the time spent in braces fixing the overbite.
Bite Turbo
When the upper and lower braces are placed, sometimes the top teeth bite down and bump the lower braces. This often will cause the lower braces to break off the teeth. To prevent this and allow placement of upper and lower braces at the same time to speed up treatment, we use small build ups called “Bite Turbos”.
How do they work?
- A fixed version of the bite plate that is glued to the back of the upper front teeth while in braces to prevent one biting on and damaging the lower braces
- Allows the back teeth to continue to grow, while keeping the front teeth in place in the vertical dimension
- Opens a deep overbite by un-wedging the back teeth- in order to reduce the time spent in braces
Temporary Anchorage Device (TAD)
The TAD helps move your teeth by providing strategically placed anchorage.
How do they work?
- Mini temporary implants that are placed around the teeth by the orthodontist
- They provide anchorage for certain movements that are required but can not be done by braces alone
- Used in cases to move teeth in traditionally difficult directions. They offer more options for space closure for missing teeth, intrusion of teeth and can sometimes prevent the need for jaw surgery
Separator
Separators are small elastics (rubber bands) that are first stretched out with a special separator instrument. Then, they are simply flossed into the contact where space is needed.
How do they work?
- Rubber O-Rings placed between the teeth and feel like a piece of steak stuck between the teeth
- They wedge the teeth apart
- They separate the teeth in order for the placement of bands
Band
Orthodontic bands wrap around each tooth to provide an anchor for the brackets.
How do they work?
- Rings that glue around the back teeth and support appliances and sometimes have braces attached to them
- They fit around the tooth – unlike braces that flue to the side of the tooth
- They help support larger appliances
Lingual Holding Arch
Placed as a temporary lower retainer to hold the molars from drifting forward after baby tooth loss — used to treat crowding as the adult permanent teeth are smaller than the baby teeth and the space can be used to straighten the teeth.
How do they work?
- Molar to molar lingual attached wire
- Prevents the molars from drifting forward and loosing space while the side (bicuspid) teeth erupt
- Save space to prevent the need for extractions and allow better eruption
RPE – Rapid Palatal Expander
A Rapid Palatal Expander is used to widen the upper jaw so that the bottom and upper teeth will fit together better.
How do they work?
- Fixed to bands around the molars to skeletally expand the jaw rapidly (usually 1 turn/day)– now rarely used, but may be used in the case of a compliance issue with other methods of expansion. Also used in conjunction with a face-mask.
- Small expansion screw is turned to widen the jaw.
- Widen mainly the upper jaw – when used with a face-mask, the goal is to increase the effectiveness of the upper jaw movement.
Face Mask (Reverse Headgear)
How do they work?
- An extra-oral traction device that pulls the upper jaw forward.
- Fits to the forehead and chin and connects to an appliance in the mouth (usually a RPE) with elastics bands.
- Used in growing kids to orthopedically move the upper jaw forward and slow down the growth of the lower jaw, in order to correct under bite and reduce and/or eliminate the need for jaw surgery.