APPLIANCES

ADDITIONAL APPLIANCES WE USE

Fretty Orthodontics is committed to enhancing the smiles of children, teenagers and adults. We offer contemporary solutions to help you achieve that straighter smile. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to determine the best orthodontic solution for you.

Herbst Appliance

One of the most common problems orthodontists treat is the discrepancy that occurs when the upper teeth protrude beyond the lower. Ordinarily, when we see a patient with upper teeth protruding, we tend to think that the upper jaw and teeth are too far forward. More often than not, however, this condition is due to a small lower jaw that is positioned further back than it should be. With these patients, we want to encourage the lower jaw to catch up in growth, and appliances like the Herbst appliance help this happen.

Even though the Herbst appliance prevents the lower jaw from moving backward, opening and closing movements can still easily occur, and patients typically do not have any problems learning to chew their food with their lower jaw in this new position.

As with all kinds of braces, patients with Herbst appliances need to be careful about what they eat. For instance, chewing on ice will crack the cement and loosen the appliance. Sticky foods such as caramels, bubble gum and candy suckers will pull the appliance away from teeth. Hard candies will bend and loosen the Herbst appliance, too. So stay away from these foods during your orthodontic treatment.

Patients can participate in sports wearing a Herbst appliance. We have many patients playing football, soccer, softball, baseball and in the band wearing a Herbst.

Expanders

A palatal expander is a dental appliance commonly used to widen the upper jaw. Reasons why a patient might need a palatal expander include:

Crossbite

When the upper teeth are positioned behind or inside of the corresponding lower teeth when biting down. A palatal expander can correct a crossbite by widening the upper jaw, preventing uneven wear, gum recession, and jaw problems.

Crowding

A narrow jaw can lead to inadequate space to align teeth ideally. The expander can create space to move teeth into their proper positions.

A palatal expander is most commonly used to treat growing children and young teenagers. Appropriate use of expansion therapy can help, in some cases, avoid the removal of permanent teeth or excess flaring (proclination) of teeth.

If crossbites are not corrected with an expander while a patient is still growing, they may experience asymmetric jaw development, abnormal tooth wear, and bite problems, which can require surgery to fix in adulthood.

Space maintainers

A space maintainer is a dental appliance used to prevent teeth from shifting and holds the space when a baby tooth is lost prematurely.

Nance Appliance

A Nance appliance is used for the upper teeth and consists of a wire that is attached to bands around the molars and a little piece of acrylic sitting against the palate. It prevents the molars from moving forward.

Lingual Holding arch

This appliance is used in kids who have lost teeth in the lower jaw. A wire is attached to bands around two molars and extends along the inside of the lower teeth to preserve the space and keep crowding from getting worse.