Bite Correction

Bite Correction Appliances

Forsus Appliance

The Forsus Appliance promotes growth in adolescents: helping to eliminate excessive overbites, improve the fit of teeth, and possibly prevent the need for jaw surgery.

Simple: Your Forsus appliance is installed during one appointment and doesn’t require any additional lab work, so you won’t have to wait to begin your treatment. There are no daily adjustments, because the appliance provides a continuous, light force to move your jaw and teeth into their correct positions.

Comfortable: The Forsus appliance has a low profile and does not bow into the cheek the way other Class II correction appliances do. Plus, it allows for a full range of motion so your speech and eating habits won’t be affected. The best part about the Forsus appliance is that there is no external apparatus (headgear) required. It sits in the back of your mouth, so no one will even notice it’s there.

Convenient: The open coil spring is designed to be easy to brush clean, and there are no gaps to trap food. You’ll be able to continue your oral hygiene habits as usual without having to worry about cleaning around a bulky appliance. As with any orthodontic appliance, hard and sticky food should be avoided and brushing is always recommended after every meal.

Effective: The constant force given by the Forsus appliance means that it works without your having to do anything. Even while you sleep, Forsus is helping to move your jaw and teeth into alignment. The appliance works with your existing braces and wires, so there’s no need to interrupt your planned treatment.

Feel free to contact our office to learn more about the advantages of the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device.

Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance (MARA)

This appliance is designed to promote forward growth of the lower jaw. It is prescribed in growing patients who have a significant overbite (Class II) and a recessive lower jaw. This fixed appliance is used mostly for younger, growing children and is worn for about 12-15 months.

The MARA is cemented onto the teeth and requires little compliance. It allows for adequate range of motion of the jaws and minimally impacts speech. Most patients will find that the MARA is surprisingly easy to wear.

It takes patients about 7 days to get use to the MARA. Initially, the patient’s bite will feel different and chewing will be affected. Occasionally, patients can develop sore spots where the appliance rests against the soft tissues of the cheeks and lips, but patients accommodate fairly quickly.

Compare to Headgear: The main difference between a MARA and headgear is that the MARA is securely fastened to your child’s teeth, while headgear is removable. A MARA is a much more discreet option: it may be visible when your child laughs or speaks, but it is far less obtrusive than headgear

Carriere Motion Appliance

It is a patient friendly motion appliance. It is used in primarily in overjet situations – where the upper teeth are ahead of the lower teeth.

The Carriere Motion Appliance is used for Class II patients, to correct at the beginning of the treatment, before braces or aligners are placed. The appliances simplicity and ease-of-use add up to more predictable results and overall shorter orthodontic treatment time.

Normal treatment time for the appliance is 3 to 5 months, but it can differ depending on your orthodontic case. When the desired movement is reached, your orthodontist will remove the appliance and will place your braces or aligners to complete your orthodontic care.

Headgear

Headgear is an appliance worn outside of the mouth to move teeth and guide jaw growth. The headgear apparatus can be described as consisting of three parts: Bands cemented to the molars, or back teeth; the U-shaped wire that attaches the headgear to the bands; and the headpiece, which slides over your head or behind your neck to hold the headgear in place.

This is a common form of treatment that is available for children who experience severe underbite and must be worn for at least 12 hours a day. This appliance is one of the most effective devices for correcting severe misalignments in the teeth and jaw.