Now that I got braces, what gadgets are in my mouth?

After much thought and consideration, you've finally decided to get braces. You are on your way to achieving a beautiful smile that you always wanted. Your teeth will line up straighter. Your bite will come together better. You will chew food better. You will speak better.

However, first you want to know what gadgets are in your mouth. Below are some orthodontic components that Dr. Nancy Phan uses in her orthodontic practice:

Braces refer to a combination of brackets, bands and wires used in orthodontic treatment:

• Brackets are handles to move your teeth.
• Bands are rings around your molars to carry a bracket
• Wires are tracks for your teeth to slide. .
• Spacers are little rubber bands that go in between your back molars. They create spaces for insertion of bands or orthodontics devices.

Orthodontic devices refer to apparatus that are inserted in the mouth to aid in tooth movement:

• Expanders are used to widen your jaws and to create spaces. A Palatal expander can separate your palatal bone to make your upper jaw larger and fit better to the lower jaw. It creates space while the jaw is still growing to allow the permanent teeth to erupt more easily. A Quadhelix expander can be used in both upper and lower jaws to create more space.
• A Bite Plate is used to correct a deep bite. When your lower teeth come up too far and hit hard on the back of your upper teeth causing heavy pressure or swollen gums, then a bite plate is needed to correct the deep bite.
• Space Maintainers are used to anchor the back teeth and maximize your orthodontic outcome. A Trans-Palatal arch is used to anchor a molar. A Nance Holding Arch is to hold space for the permanent premolars to come in. A Lingual Holding Arch can be used to hold space or it can also be used to lift an impacted tooth.

Retainers are used after braces come off to hold the shape of the jaw and position of the teeth:

• A Hawley retainer is a removable retainer that has a wire in front of the teeth with an acrylic plate on the back of the teeth and the roof of the mouth to hold teeth in place and maintain the shape of the jaw.
• An Essix retainer or Clear retainer is a shape performance tray that holds teeth in place. It is clear and durable and helps to maintain the position of the teeth after orthodontic treatment.

Other orthodontic devices are added tools to aid the orthodontist in correction of your teeth and jaw. They are customized and recommended based on an individual's age, pubertal growth stage, maturation phase and specific orthodontic needs to correct the bite and jaw.

• A Headgear is an orthodontic appliance that aids in the correction of a long upper jaw or an excessive overjet (or often referred as "overbite").
• A Facemask is an orthodontic appliance that aids in the correction of an anterior crossbites (or often referred as "underbite"). 
• A Bite Corrector is an orthodontic appliance that aids in the alignment of the upper and lower jaws.
• TADs (Temporary Anchorage Devices) are mini-implants or fixed anchorage that assists in the efficiency of orthodontic treatment 
• Soft Tissues Laser, such as a Diode Laser, is used to correct uneven gum height, remove gummy smile, remove excess nodules in the mouth, remove thick frenum, uncover thick fibrous tissues that impact permanent teeth, and many other applications. The benefits of laser surgery are huge, such as no suture, comfortable patient's experience, minimal bleeding, minimal pain, minimize infection, and quick recovery. For example, 2% of the population has tighten frenum, an over-pulling gum tissue that cause teeth to space apart, tongue tie, or gum recession. Patient who has a laser frenectomy can go back to work or school within the next day and have very little pain or swelling.  Dr. Nancy Phan is a Certified Laser Provider for many orthodontic-related procedures.

Contact us at www.CareOrthodontics.com for more information.