Aura Dental

Removable Appliances

Testimonial

Removable appliances (braces) include removable aligners and functional appliances as well as simple conventional types.

Clear aligners

Clear removable aligners are a relatively new way of correcting mild-moderate orthodontic problems following a comprehensive assessment and discussion of the all the available options.

"Invisible" removable aligners are perhaps the highest profile orthodontic appliance, with widespread advertising in magazines and television. Whilst they have become increasingly sophisticated and refined it remains important to be clear about the circumstances in which these devices are best used and by whom.

After any aligner treatment, retainers will be required to ensure the teeth maintain their corrected positions.

What are aligners?
Aligners are thin clear flexible plastic 'mouthguards' which fit closely over the teeth. A series of aligners is used to move the teeth incrementally according to a treatment plan developed by the dentist. Aligner appliances are ideally suited to adult patients whose life-style or work commitments make it difficult for them to wear more visible conventional fixed appliances.

As with any other form of orthodontics, a proper assessment, diagnosis and treatment plan is essential to successful aligner treatment. An accurate impression of the mouth is used to create the customised aligners. Each appliance moves the teeth a small distance towards the intended position before moving on to the next in the series until the final result is achieved. Aligners need to be worn full-time, day and night except for meal times.

When can aligners be used?
Aligners are most commonly used in cases needing alignment of teeth without extractions.
Routine aligner treatments include:

The following cases are examples of when an aligner treatment may require the use of additional techniques such as fixed appliances to achieve an ideal result:

Palate Expander

Also known as a Rapid Palate Expander, or RPE, it is an appliance used to widen the roof of the mouth. It is routinely used in cases where the upper jaw is abnormally narrow. It may or may not make a difference in the need for removal of teeth in crowded cases. This appliance is primarily used in patients less than 10 years-old.

Pendulum Appliance

The Pendulum appliance is used to correct class II malocclusions by distalising (moving back) upper molars. The Pendulum appliance band around specific teeth and a plastic "button" that touches the roof of the mouth. Resilient wire springs act in a broad swinging arc to move the molars back. The appliance uses the roof of the mouth as an anchor to move the molars back into their correct positions. Patients usually wear this appliance for 4 to 6 months in preparation for "regular" braces.

Biteplate

A biteplate is a removable appliance that looks similar to a retainer but is designed to prop the mouth open to keep the back teeth apart and encourage bite opening or control grinding habits. Some biteplates are also used to keep the front teeth apart during correction of a front tooth crossbite.

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