What are dental / orthodontic appliances and what are they?
Nowadays there are several types of dental / orthodontic appliances and all of them aim to offer patients the most suitable solution. The main functions of orthodontic appliances are to improve the aesthetics of the smile and restore the patient’s chewing function.
Due to the vast number of options available, it is becoming increasingly common to see not only teenagers but also adults of various ages undergoing orthodontic treatment.
What are dental braces used for?
Dental braces are used to treat cases of
– Crowding of the teeth – poor positioning of the teeth caused by their lack of space and which is due to lack of space;
– Diastemas – teeth too widely spaced apart;
– Open bite – the teeth in the upper jaw do not touch the teeth in the lower jaw;
– Cross bite – the teeth of the upper jaw fit behind the teeth of the lower jaw;
– Pre-surgery – in cases where the space necessary for placing a dental implant is not available, it is sometimes necessary to use dental braces to make this space available.
What types of dental braces are there?
Each case is unique and there are various types of dental appliance, so that the patient can obtain a more effective and comfortable treatment. There are therefore 7 types of dental appliance:
– Fixed metal braces – this is perhaps the best known dental appliance and uses metal bands, brackets, bonded to the teeth, arches and elastics;
– Aesthetic fixed braces (transparent) – identical to the metal fixed dental braces, this appliance is characterized because it can be made with brackets made of transparent materials such as porcelain, sapphire or polycarbonate;
– Self-ligating braces – unlike the two previous dental appliances, this appliance does not use elastics and therefore directly attaches the metal arches to the brackets;
– Lingual orthodontic appliance – this appliance is placed on the inside of the teeth, and is therefore used in patients who prefer not very visible treatments and by sportsmen in order to avoid possible damage in collisions during sports;
– Invisalign aligner – this is a totally transparent and removable appliance, thus facilitating cleaning and food intake actions;
– Palladine expander – placed on the “roof of the mouth” this dental appliance is used to expand the upper jaw and is mostly used in cases of crossbites;
– Removable dental appliance – usually used in young people aged up to 15 years, in order to take advantage of growth at these ages and thus correct the positioning of the teeth and ensure that the substitution of milk teeth by permanent teeth takes place in an appropriate manner and with the correct space for them.
The choice of the type of dental appliance to use in your case will depend on your needs that should be evaluated by you and your dentist. If you have misaligned teeth and want to correct this, make your appointment here or contact Azores Medical!
