MOVABLE APPARATUS
These are devices that the patient can put on and remove himself. Removable appliances are generally used to move a single or a group of teeth and their capacities are limited. It is generally used in children (between the ages of 7 and 12) who have not all their permanent teeth and are in the mixed dentition period. The aim here is to expand the jaw by taking advantage of the potential of the developmental period if there is a lack of space in the jaw bone, thus creating the necessary space for the erupting permanent teeth. Sometimes, what we call two-stage treatment can be completed with the early treatment, in which removable appliances are used for jaw expansion, and then the second stage treatment, in which fixed brackets are glued after all permanent teeth emerge.
Removable appliances used for expansion purposes are produced specifically for the individual and contain one or more screws according to the physician's planning. The screws, which are placed in the acrylic material body of these appliances prepared by orthodontics laboratories based on the measurements taken from the patient's mouth and placed according to the plan drawn by the orthodontist, are opened by the patient or his/her relative with a special key and expansion is achieved. The physician explains to the patient or the patient's relative how often and how much the screw will be opened and gives the screw wrench so that they can apply it at home. In this procedure, which usually involves opening screws once or twice a week, the physician continues his routine checks monthly or every two months to monitor whether the expansion is at the required amount. After the active expansion phase is completed, patients are given the same appliances for a period of time (between 6 months and 1 year) to provide reinforcement.
Appliances used for space maintainer or space closer (diastema closure) do not contain screws. However, the compatibility of the device, the activation of the springs, if any, etc. The physician continues the routine check-ups of the patient. These types of appliances should continue to be used for at least a year or until the teeth with space are seen in the mouth.
The body parts of mobile devices made of acrylic materials can be prepared from colored acrylic and presented to children in various colors or patterns.
These appliances, which are mobile as their name suggests, should be placed in special appliance boxes provided by the doctor so that they can be stored hygienically and not lost when removed during eating and brushing teeth. It is recommended to give a spare apparatus box to be kept in the school bag, especially for school-age children.
Appliances Applied Extraorally
These are devices that give strength to the teeth and jaws by taking support from areas outside the mouth, such as the nape, forehead, and tip of the chin. These are used to support intraoral appliances during the collective movement of a group of teeth or to direct the development of the entire upper or lower jaw bone. These devices, which are generally used in children of developmental age, can be used when the child is at home, apart from daily activities such as school, and when going to bed at night.
With the developing new technology, extraoral appliances have been replaced by microimplants that are applied from the inside of the mouth and are not visible from the outside.
Microimplants:
Nowadays, instead of large and disturbing appliances that are supported outside the mouth, mini screws (microimplants) that remain inside the mouth and are invisible are offered to orthodontists. By placing one or more microimplants in the required areas, they can be removed when the desired tooth movements are completed without leaving any scars or causing damage, and they have a wide range of uses.
Functional Appliances:
These are appliances used to correct the deteriorated relations of the lower and upper jaw relative to each other at an early age. Most of the time, orthopedic treatment (the harmony of the jaws is ensured) and orthodontic treatment (the harmony of the teeth is ensured) are carried out together. Removable and removable functional appliances, as seen in the picture above, have now been replaced by new technology fixed functional appliances, as shown in the picture below, due to their large size and dependency on patient use.
Reinforcement Appliances
Reinforcement devices installed at the end of orthodontic treatment protect the tooth in its new position until the newly formed bone hardens completely. Reinforcement treatment is performed until the teeth take the desired position and the newly formed alveolar bone hardens. Reinforcement apparatus can also be mobile or fixed. Removable reinforcement appliances can be in the form of transparent plaques or acrylic appliances, but it should not be forgotten that they depend on the patient's use and if the patient does not use these appliances regularly at the end of the treatment, undesirable distortions and reversals may occur in the corrected teeth. Fixed reinforcement appliances are thin wires that are glued to the tongue side of the teeth and are preferred especially by adult patients because they are not visible and do not affect speech.
The duration of the consolidation phase should last at least 3 years, depending on the duration and type of treatment. In some cases, fixed reinforcement devices may never be removed due to the need for lifelong reinforcement