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.
Forsus is used to help eliminate excessive overbites, improve the fit of teeth, and possibly prevent the need for jaw surgery.
Headgear
Headgear 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.
Palatal Expander
The palatal expander "expands" (or widens) your upper jaw by putting gentle pressure on your upper molars each time an adjustment is made. 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.
Retainers
Retainers may be removable or fixed. They hold your teeth in their new, correct positions after your teeth have been straightened. 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.
Fixed Lingual Retainers
Fixed, wire or permanent retainers are placed to ensure extra stability after correction of special problems of the teeth. Long standing gaps between the upper two front teeth or severely overlapped front teeth need special attention to keep the teeth in the corrected position. Usually a wire is bonded on the tongue side of the upper front teeth and the removable retainer fits over. Severe crowding of the lower front teeth, especially if the lower canines are rotated are held in place with a wire retainer bonded to the tongue side of the lower canines. Same goes for excess spacing on the lower as well, a wire retainer prevents the canines from drifting away from the other teeth. Here again, the removable retainer fits over the top of the wire retainer.
Separators or Spacers
Separators are little rubber doughnuts that may be placed between your teeth to push them apart so that orthodontic bands may be placed during your next appointment. The separators will be removed before we place the bands. Separators do not mix well with sticky foods, toothpicks, or floss.