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For a completely successful outcome, you need to work together with your orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently uses his or her appliances as prescribed. Following are some of the more common types:
The purpose of wearing elastics (rubber bands) as instructed is to improve the fit of your upper and lower teeth. It reduces time in treatment and improves your result.
These appliances are used to improve a deep overbite. They prop open your bite, so that you will not be able to contact your back teeth when biting. This allows the back teeth to erupt and reduces the overbite of your front teeth. We advise our patients to eat soft foods while adapting to a new bite plate.
These appliances are used to help control habits such as thumb sucking and poor tongue placement, which often lead to an open bite. When using these appliances, patients should keep their lips closed and place the tip of their tongue against the roof of their mouth.
This fixed appliance is used mostly by younger, growing children. Worn for about 12-15 months, it reduces overbite by encouraging the lower jaw to move forward and the upper molars to move backward.
The palatal expander is used in treatment to widen your upper jaw. It applies gentle pressure on the upper molars each time an adjustment is made. Your orthodontist will instruct you when and how to adjust your expander. When the desired expansion is achieved, the appliance still must be worn for several months to solidify the expansion and prevent relapse.
Separators are little rubber doughnuts that may be placed between your teeth to push them apart so that orthodontic bands can be inserted during your next appointment. Before the bands are placed, the separators will be removed. While wearing separators do not eat gum or sticky candies. You can brush normally and floss between all teeth that do not have Separators.
It’s extremely important to protect your braces from damage and to guard your mouth from injury. For example, wearing a mouthguard while participating in sports is a great way to safeguard your appliance – and your smile. It is important that your mouthguard is specifically designed to fit over your braces. Our team will help you select the most suitable one.
