Functional Appliances & Retainers

Functional Appliances

Functional appliances utilize the muscle action produced when speaking, eating and swallowing to produce force to move teeth and align the jaws. Examples of functional appliances are bionators, twin blocks and Herbst appliances.

Functional appliances are used primarily in growing patients 7 to 13 years of age with overbites and closed bites. These types of malocclusions are associated with overdeveloped upper jaws, underdeveloped lower jaws and overclosure of the jaw due to a lack of vertical facial development.

The effects of functional appliances are to restrain the forward growth of the upper jaw, encourage forward and downward development of the lower jaw and increase the vertical eruption of the posterior teeth in both jaws.

The results achieved with functional appliances result in an improved bite and chewing ability, better dental health due to less occlusal wear problems and an enhanced facial appearance with a smile that one can be proud of.

Retainers

Orthodontic retainers are either removable or fixed appliances that are placed after the completion of orthodontic treatment. They are used to stabilize the teeth so that the surrounding bone and soft tissues can conform to the new dental alignment.

Many factors can cause teeth to change position throughout life. Factors such as tongue thrust habit, facial growth changes, mouthbreathing, clenching habits and a natural tendency for teeth to move with aging may result in dental changes without retention.

The goal of retention is to limit dental changes after orthodontic treatment and maintain the teeth in a good functional and attractive position. In this way, patients will maintain their beautiful smile that was achieved as a result of orthodontic treatment.