The differrent appliances

These fixed appliances consist of brackets glued to the teeth, connected to each other by a metal arch.

Fasteners can be named indifferently: brackets, rings, plates...

They are there to connect each tooth to the metal arch which is the driving force behind the treatment.

We use the EXPERIENCE range of self-ligating brackets from GC Orthodontics.

These fasteners are made in Japan and guarantee us an irreproachable quality. They reduce friction while providing optimal control of the positioning of each tooth, according to our prescriptions.

Self-ligating metal brackets

Self-ligating ceramic brackets

Is your child’s upper jaw too small in relation to the lower jaw ?

This is no doubt linked to the lack of tongue pressure on the palate. However, as your child is still growing, we can widen the upper jaw as the two halves of the upper jaw will not yet have fused together. This is done with a palatal expander. It is fitted over the permanent molars to the right and left of the upper jaw. The appliance has two halves that are connected in the middle with a screw. To activate the device, you turn the screw with a key and the two parts will widen by a quarter of a millimetre.

You will need to activate the device every evening for 30 days.

This is a gentle activation. It is important not to activate it more slowly as the desired effect will not be obtained : the teeth will move apart but not the bone.

The discomfort for the tongue, due to the presence of the expander will quickly disappear.

The slight pain that may be felt during activation on the molars generally disappears after the first 5 or 6 activations.

It is important

- to insert the « key » into the hole of the screw until it is firmly in place
- to push the « key » as far back as it will go, another hole will be visible
- to remove the « key » by pushing back and down towards the tongue without going backwards or it will be difficult to find the hole the next time
- to not worry about the space that may appear between the upper front teeth, it will close naturally later.

After getting used to the expander, it is possible to eat as before with the exception of « chewing gum and sticky sweets ». Teeth can be cleaned with no risk for the expander.

This type of activator is used to stimulate the growth of the lower jaw.

It is generally worn for 1 year in order to have an effect on the bone.

It is alot more comfortable than the Andressen appliance and must also be worn for 11 to 12 hours per day.

The Herbst appliance

The Herbst appliance

You can choose the colour of your appliance

A series of transparent aligners are made in order to correct certain small malocclusions. Each aligner is worn for around two weeks and makes each tooth move by about 1/4 mm. You should wear the aligner night and day and only take it off for eating. The number of aligners will depend on the degree of malocclusion at the start.
The most well know system is INVISALIGN but many others exist. The final aligner is for stabilization and only needs to be worn at night.

A transparent thermoformed retainer enables results to be stabilized and should be worn every night for several months. After this, it can be worn a few nights per week and stopped after 12 months.

A very fine wire is fixed to the 6 lower front teeth at the end of treatment. There is no discomfort, it is completely invisible and must be kept for life.