Functional Appliances

Functional Appliances

In some cases, the treatment of choice may be an appliance other than braces, particularly for children needing early intervention treatment.

Functional appliances are devices used to correct a significant disharmony in the relationship between the upper and lower jaws.  They work by influencing the growth and development of the jaw of a young patient.  The most common use of a functional appliance is to encourage the forward growth of a retrusive or under-developed lower jaw.  The functional appliance holds the lower jaw forward over a period of time, until the teeth, jaws, and joints have adapted and the desired jaw position has been obtained.

Functional appliances are generally removable and often called `plates’. There are a wide variety of both removable and fixed appliances to deal with many different types of orthodontic problems such as;

• Poor jaw development
• Deep or incorrect bite
• Excessive protrusion
• Cross bites