Worn during all phases of orthodontic treatment, orthodontic appliances can be effective treatment components to prevent a problem from occurring, correct a current orthodontic concern, or help direct jawbone growth. Examples of oral appliances include Palatal Expander Devices (PED), Habit Appliances, Space Maintenance, and Retainers.
Your orthodontist will review the options with you and provide specific instructions on orthodontic appliances if deemed a necessary component of your treatment.
Space maintainers are used to keep teeth from drifting into an empty tooth space due to early loss of primary (baby) teeth. Baby teeth act as a guide for the eruption of the permanent teeth. A space maintainer is made of stainless steel and/or plastic. It can be removable or fixed to the teeth.
A palatal expander is used to widen or expand the upper jaw. It can address crowding and other orthodontic issues by creating more room to accommodate tooth and/or jaw alignment. Expanding the upper jaw also affects the floor of the nasal cavity, helping to increase airflow and making breathing easier.
A temporary anchorage device (TAD) is a device temporarily placed in the mouth to target teeth that may need specialized treatment without affecting the surrounding teeth. These tiny pins can be quickly and comfortably placed in the jawbone and provide a fixed anchor for a number of tooth movements, such as space closure, molar rotation, and correction of open bites.
Embrace Orthodontics is one of the only orthodontic offices in the Delmar, NY area to offer Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expander Devices (PED).
Offering reduced risks and recovery time, MARPE is a non-surgical orthodontic procedure that uses mini-screws to expand the upper jaw to improve breathing and oral health. A small expander device attached to the roof of the mouth with mini-screws is used. As an alternative to surgical methods, MARPE patients periodically turn a key to open the palate slowly.
MARPE is effective for young adults and adolescents whose palatal sutures have started to fuse but still have some flexibility. By increasing nasal volume by up to 25%, it can also be used for patients with airway concerns, such as difficulty breathing through the nose or mouth.
Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (SARPE) is an orthodontic procedure that combines surgery and orthodontics to widen the upper jaw and palate. It’s typically performed on adults when other techniques aren’t effective.
SARPE can help with:
Breathing: Widening the palate can help with breathing through the nose and relieve obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
Teeth: Creating space to align crooked teeth and correct crossbites
Jaw Balance: Rebalancing the width of the jaws when the upper jaw is too narrow
TMJ Disorders: May help prevent TMJ disorders
A habit appliance is useful to help stop a thumb or finger habit and/or to help re-train an improper tongue position or swallowing pattern. It is sometimes necessary to place an appliance to minimize the harm and distortion the habits or tongue posture can have on teeth. Most habit appliances are banded for adhesion to the back molars and are not removable.
It is critical that patients wear their elastics all the time, with the exception of when they are eating. With proper elastic wear, patients’ bites can be corrected in just months, depending on the severity of each case.
Once treatment is complete, a retainer is worn for a period of time, usually just at night. The retainer helps maintain the new smile and allows for small adjustments if needed, once the braces have been removed.
Your orthodontist will go over the options with you and provide specific instructions on the use of your retainers.
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