Dentists have been using orthodontics in dentistry for over 100 years for various purposes. With the passage of time, there have been various modifications in the devices’ design to make them more efficient. Now, manufacturers are making advanced orthodontic appliances to facilitate the operator.
Dentists ideally use advanced appliances to resolve patients’ issues like tooth alignment, over-biting, etc. The use of these devices helps orthodontists achieve the best possible results of orthodontic treatments. In addition, the devices make it easy for dentists to provide satisfactory orthodontic treatments.
If you want to learn more about advanced appliances and their roles in dentistry, keep reading!
What Are Orthodontic Appliances?
An orthodontic appliance is useful to correct various dental irregularities. There are various orthodontic devices to perform various functions during dental procedures. These appliances help resolve dental issues and improve dental aesthetics. They are also helpful in eliminating patients’ oral health issues that lead to significant teeth diseases.
For example, they are useful for treating misaligned teeth, decayed teeth, missing teeth, and many more. If dentists do not treat such issues on time, then there may be a need to extract that tooth later on. Therefore, orthodontics is of great importance in dentistry.
Advanced Orthodontic Appliances
There are various types of orthodontic devices to deal with dental issues. Their broad categories are further subdivided into permanent and removable appliances. The use of both depends on the situation.
Let’s dig in further to understand the most important orthodontic appliance in dentistry.
1. Orthodontic Braces Appliance
Braces are useful appliances to provide cosmetic treatments. They are connected with different parts that function collectively to help straighten irregular teeth. Dentists anchor the braces on each tooth surface with the help of glue and then pass the archwire through them. After this, dentists place the ligature elastic on the ends of the archwire to hold it in place. The rubber band elastics are useful to align the teeth. Let’s dig a bit deeper into the appliance used for tooth alignment.
Orthodontic Archwire
The archwire is an essential appliance to use for dental alignment procedures. The archwire is a thin and flexible wire that helps shift irregular teeth into their proper position.
Dentists can make necessary movements with the help of an archwire during treatment. The primary function of the wire is to provide constant, gentle pressure to bring teeth into their intended position. You can find archwire in different materials, including:
- Stainless steel
- Nickel-titanium
- Cobalt chromium
- Beta titanium
Metal Bands
Metal bands are unique, small bands that fit around your molars to construct a set of braces. The braces support the archwire during tooth alignment procedures. The stainless steel metal bands are ideal to use for a longer duration. Dentists typically recommend this in case of gaps between molars. It also aids in teeth straightening while realigning the bite.
2. Dental Positioners
A dental positioner is a flexible and soft appliance used to give the final finish after removing braces. These are helpful appliances to enclose the small spaces left by the orthodontic bands. Generally, these spaces take a few months to close up after the removal of braces, but the use of tooth positioners speeds up the process.
3. Dental Retainers
Dental retainers are valuable devices to retain the results of the movement after braces. It is a custom-made appliance that patients wear in their mouths to keep their teeth straight. There are two types of retainers, e.g., fixed and removable retainers. Both aim to firm the new position of teeth until muscles get used to the change.
4. Forsus
Forsus is a spring-like appliance ideal for aligning jaw bones. It is usually attached to the braces and hidden inside the cheeks. The Forsus pulls the lower jaws forward and shifts the upper jaw backward to fix the overbite conditions. Furthermore, it supports the jaw bones and helps them align with each other. Patients usually wear this for four to eight months to get effective results.
5. Orthodontic Headgear
Orthodontic headgear is an ideal device used for teeth alignments. It consists of an inner bow that goes inside the mouth and an outer bow to attach to the elastic. The bands in the mouth have little slots where orthodontists fix the headgear tips.
The outer bow tips are attached to the elastic and fixed in the head. It provides a pulling force to bring the upper jaws backward. It also fixes the situations like overbite and is more effective and faster than tooth braces. Orthodontists recommend wearing it at least 12 to 14 hours per day to get effective results.
6. Nance Appliance
The Nance appliance is an ideal orthodontic appliance, similar to a pendulum appliance with an acrylic plate at the center. Orthodontists place it inside the mouth to hold the top molars in place. The appliance is useful for saving major dental issues after tooth extraction.
For example, the adjacent teeth try to occupy the empty space of the extracted teeth. This situation can result in painful and severe dental issues such as impacted teeth or overcrowding. In such cases, orthodontists use Nance devices to retain teeth in place. The appliance has effective results in many orthodontic procedures.
7. Schwarz
Schwarz, or a removable expander, is a metal device that orthodontists use to resolve many dental issues. It helps to prevent teeth overcrowding, correct crossbite, and narrow jaws. Orthodontists usually recommend wearing it on the bottom, top, or both, depending on the tooth situation.
There are plenty of Schwarz devices for various dental issues and palate expansion situations. However, orthodontists recommend wearing the device for four to nine months to get effective results.
Need Of Orthodontic Instruments During Treatments
Orthodontic treatments necessitate the use of orthodontic instruments. These instruments help to fix the devices inside the mouth, such as:
- Orthodontic pliers are necessary for appliance adjustment. Orthodontists usually keep them in hand while fixing or removing the appliances from the mouth. The tool consists of two long beaks to grab and manipulate objects inside the mouth.
- Orthodontic cutters are useful for cutting orthodontic wire, pins, ligatures, and many more. The device has a tapered tip that can easily approach narrow mouth areas. They are available in different designs to fulfill needs during various procedures.
Conclusion
To summarize, orthodontic appliances are essential for appropriate orthodontic treatment. In addition, these devices have an extremely positive effect on improving dental issues efficiently.
Along with that, dental experts use plenty of orthodontic instruments. You can get these from GerDentUSA, which has been in the field of dentistry for the past 30 years. We provide well-finished German stainless-steel dental instruments with high tensile strength. Our aim is to provide you with the best-suited tools that aid you in accomplishing dental procedures efficiently.
