At Paventy Brown Orthodontics, we utilize a variety of orthodontic appliances to help you achieve a healthy and beautiful smile. These appliances work in different ways to correct misalignments and guide jaw growth. From elastics and expanders to retainers and more, this page provides an overview of the various appliances we may use as part of your personalized treatment plan. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook!
Elastics (Rubber Bands)
Wearing elastics (or rubber bands) improves the fit of your upper and lower teeth. Wear rubber bands as instructed, and remember that the rubber bands work far more efficiently if they’re worn as prescribed.
Forsus™
The Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device is an alternative to headgear which promotes growth in adolescents, helping to eliminate excessive overbites, improve the fit of teeth, and possibly prevent the need for jaw surgery.
Headgear
These headgears is used to treat patients whose teeth are in an overbite, with the upper jaw forward of the lower jaw, or an underbite with the lower jaw forward of the upper jaw. Headgear gently “pulls” on your teeth to restrict further forward growth of your upper teeth and jaw.
Herbst® Appliance
The Herbst® appliance reduces overbite by encouraging the lower jaw forward and the upper molars backward. Orthodontists mostly use this fixed appliance for younger, growing children, who wear it for about 12-15 months.
Palatal Expander
The palatal expander “expands” (or widens) your upper jaw by applying gentle pressure on your upper molars each time we make an adjustment. Your orthodontist will instruct you about when and how to adjust your expander. When you achieve the desired expansion, you will wear the appliance for several months to solidify the expansion and to prevent regression.
Positioners
Positioners complete the final tooth movements in your orthodontic treatment. With your full cooperation, you should only need to wear the positioner appliance for four to eight weeks.
Retainers
Our custom retainers may be removable or fixed. Retainers hold your teeth in their new, correct positions after we have straightened them. Your orthodontist will instruct you on how to care for your retainer and about the duration of the wear. Wearing your retainer as directed is crucial to prevent regression of your treatment.
Separators or Spacers
We may place separators, which are little rubber doughnuts, between your teeth to push them apart. This allows us to place orthodontic bands during your next appointment. We will remove the separators before placing the bands. Separators do not mix well with sticky foods, toothpicks, or floss.
