There are a number of fixed as well as removable appliances for fixing orthodontic deformities. A person may need any of these in life.
If you’re considering getting an orthodontic appliance, this article will help you find the best solution to your oral dental problem.
Orthodontic appliances are devices made of different materials that fix your unequal teeth or jaws. What type of appliance you need depends on the condition of your dental health and the certain disfigurement.
Here, we’ll discuss instruments, appliances, their uses, and functions in detail.
Purpose of Orthodontic Devices
Dental appliances gently push teeth through the supporting bone in order to reposition them into the appropriate position. The appliances are used to treat
- Crowded teeth,
- Upper teeth that overjet or protrude
- Severe overbites
- Spacing issues
- Crossbites and underbites
- Lower jaw protrusion
So, the type of appliance you will get depends on these deformities.
Fixed Vs. Removable Orthodontic Appliances
When starting your orthodontic adventure, you must inquire about the optimal course of treatment. Fixed and removable orthodontic equipment are both options. All these appliances apply pressure to shift teeth into the right alignment.
Orthodontic Fixed Appliances
There are several orthodontic fixed devices. Some of them are as follows.
- Braces
Braces are one of the most common fixed appliances. They are made up of wires, brackets, or bands. Usually, brackets are glued to the tooth's front, while bands are placed around the teeth and serve as anchors for the device.
Basically, the brackets are inserted into the arch wires, which are fastened to the bands. The teeth progressively move to their appropriate location when tightening the archwire.
The benefits of wearing braces can be seen between a few months to a few years, and they are often improved upon every 6 to 8 weeks. Modern braces are far smaller, lighter, and more metal-clear than older models. These are available in clear forms as well as in vibrant colors for children.
- Palatal expander
A palatal expander is one of the common fixed orthodontic appliances helpful in increasing the width of the upper jaw's arch. The expander's outward pressure causes the palatal region to enlarge by forcing the joints in the palate's bones.
- Habit Appliances
For some people, dentists suggest habit appliances for controlling habits, such as thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. These are linked to the upper front molars with bands and have a crib on the palate to break the tendency.
- Space Maintainer
In case of infant tooth loss, a space maintainer helps dentists keep the space open until the eruption of the permanent tooth. The tooth next to the gap receives a band, and a wire is stretched to the tooth on the other side of the gap.
- Lower Lingual Holding Arch (LLHA)
LLHA helps keep the lower teeth's space open, retaining the molars in their place. LLHA with Trans-Palatal Arch (TPA) can also be utilized to maintain molar positions and prevent any negative effects from orthodontic therapy.
Additionally, when an early loss of the second deciduous molar occurs, LLHA works as a space maintainer. In this situation, it stops the permanent molars from moving mesially and closes off the area for the premolar teeth to emerge.
Orthodontic Removable Appliances
In some cases, orthodontists recommend wearing removable appliances.
- Invisalign Aligners
Most orthodontists suggest Invisalign aligners as an alternative to traditional braces. These shift teeth in a manner similar to permanent appliances but without the use of metal wires and brackets. However, one has to take off the aligners while eating, cleaning, and flossing.
- Removable retainers
The removable retainers, which are suitable to use on both the upper and lower arches, stop the teeth from sliding back to their original positions.
- Nightbrace
A facebow and a strap that wraps over the neck make up the night brace–a type of headgear item. In order to assist in the correction of the patient's skeletal growth and dental development, it continuously exerts a light force.
- Protraction Face Mask
When there is a maxillary shortage, a protraction face mask is an orthopedic device that helps the upper jaw grow forward.
Differences Between Fixed and Removable Orthodontic Appliances
Whether you select fixed or removable, there are benefits and drawbacks to each type of orthodontic appliance.
Cleaning, dietary limitations, and general convenience are the three major distinctions patients need to be aware of.
- Cleaning
For good oral health, you should clean your orthodontic equipment. However, care for permanent appliances differs from that of detachable ones.
You must brush your teeth while the fixed orthodontic device is in place to care for them properly. You should also floss; however, doing so might be difficult due to the permanent brackets and wires.
Several gadgets are available to assist you in flossing around your fixed brackets and wires. A floss threader or water flosser is the best choice.
You can immerse detachable aligners in a special cleaning solution for cleaning them. Also, you can use toothpaste to brush them. Aside from that, soaking retainers or dentures in a general cleaning solution is also a good option.
- Restraints on Food
Adhering to food restrictions is one of the main distinctions between fixed and detachable orthodontic appliances. For instance, when wearing braces, patients must refrain from consuming firm or sticky items like popcorn or taffy.
However, there are no dietary restrictions for individuals wearing transparent aligners, as these are removable.
- General Convenience
You may need to adjust your braces, and these can also be challenging to clean. Additionally, there are dietary limitations while wearing braces. However, due to their permanent and irremovable nature, patients won't forget to wear them.
Contrarily, you must remember to put the clear aligners back in after eating because they are removable, but these do not restrict whatever you eat. However, achieving the intended therapeutic outcomes becomes difficult if you don’t wear the clear aligner for the recommended time.
Common Orthodontic Instruments
There is a variety of orthodontic surgical instruments. Dentistry students and practitioners should be familiar with all these tools.
The most common orthodontic instruments helpful for treating orthodontic defects are as follows.
Dental Mirror
Although not specifically for orthodontics, a dental mirror is helpful for the improved visualization of the oral cavity and retraction during dental procedures.
Orthodontic Pliers
There are different pliers that are helpful during different orthodontic procedures. For instance,
- Orthodontists use cotton pliers for intra-oral extraction of tiny items as well as the placement of cotton rollers for isolation.
- The bird's beak or 139 pliers with pyramidal and conical beaks helps dentists bend orthodontic wires.
- Howe utility pliers featuring two long beaks with pads are the best option for holding archwires during their insertion and removal.
- Orthodontic surgeons prefer the Mathieu plier for incorporating a rapid-release locking and unlocking mechanism to insert elastomeric ligatures.
- Reverse action or separating pliers are orthodontic pliers with tips on the ends that are used to grip separate modules.
Straight Probe
A straight probe is a dentist’s hand extension for removing extra composite from around orthodontic brackets and elastomeric ligatures from brackets.
Orthodontic Cutters for wire, pins, and ligatures
Two tapered beaks with cutting terminal ends make up a wire cutter–a pin and ligature cutter. Cutting stainless steel ligatures and wires with a diameter of less than 0.015” is possible with the tools’ sharp end tip.
The distal end orthodontic cutters feature two cutting surfaces at a right angle to the instrument's long axis. These are helpful for cutting the terminal end of a ligated archwire intra-orally. These can also catch the cut end of the archwire without hurting the patient with the loose end.
Bite Stick
A biting stick is a long-handled, nylon tool with a serrated tip that comes in a variety of forms. Using this tool, the patient's biting force helps place orthodontic bands.
Band Burnisher
The working end of a band burnisher is flatter than that of a band pusher. It is an adjustable tool to suit the patient's teeth.
Posterior Band Remover
The posterior band remover features a flat beak with a small curvature at the tip and a working end with a nylon-tipped beak. Dentists remove orthodontic bands on the back teeth using this instrument.
Plastic Filling Instrument
Prior to bonding the bracket, this tool helps apply composite to the mesh pad of an orthodontic bracket.
End Line!
Getting orthodontic appliances these days is common to improve oral esthetics. You may need one of them but do not go for it without consulting your dentist.
And—if you’re an orthodontic surgeon or general dental practitioner, you must visit BigBusinessWork to get the premium-quality dental surgical instrument with many variations.
read more: 5 Common Oral Problems Requiring Dental Surgery