To help you get the best possible smile results from braces or Invisalign® treatment at our East Bradenton, North Tampa, South Tampa, or Wesley Chapel orthodontist offices, you may wear an orthodontic appliance before, during or after treatment!
If you haven’t scheduled your complimentary consultation yet, get started today. You have nothing to lose, only confidence to gain!
The Herbst device treats overbites by shifting the lower jaw forward and the upper jaw backward.
The Herbst appliance is generally used for younger patients with growing mouths and can be used with or without braces (although most often it is used with braces). Made of stainless steel bands, the Herbst appliance wraps around the molars, applying pressure to the jaw bones to promote proper development and create a healthy jaw alignment.
Palatal expanders are a common appliance used in early orthodontic treatment for children whose jaw bones are still developing. These appliances serve to widen the upper jaw to create the necessary space for teeth to erupt in a healthy alignment. Palatal expanders can help prevent crowding and impaction by guiding proper development of the jaw bone.
The rapid palatal expander (the most common type of palatal expander) is bonded to the upper molars on both sides of the top jaw, with a screw located in the center of the appliance. To activate the palatal expander, you’ll insert a special key to turn the center screw, which expands the device ever so slightly and widens the palate gradually over time.
If your child requires a palatal expander, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about cleaning it, activating it and caring for it!
Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are temporary dental implants embedded into the jawbone to create an “anchor” that assists with tooth movement. These appliances are generally used when certain teeth require shifting, and others don’t. TADs enable us to treat individual teeth with greater efficiency.
These anchorage devices appear as tiny metal buttons, strategically implanted into an area of the jaw bone. A small wire or elastic may be attached to the TAD to connect it with the specific tooth (or teeth) in need of treatment.
Spacers, also called separators, are small rubber bands that help to create the space necessary for braces to be placed. With braces, a metal band is placed around the back molars to anchor the arch wires in place. In cases where the molars are too close together to allow these metal bands to be placed, separators may be used.
Separators are temporary appliances that are only worn for about one to two weeks before active treatment begins.
Our team wants to hear from you! We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have about fixed or removable orthodontic appliances.
We are here for you in North Tampa, South Tampa, Wesley Chapel, or East Bradenton!
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