• Elastics (Rubber Bands)
• Habit Appliance
• Herbst^® Appliance
• RPE (Rapid Palatal Expander)
• Retainers
• Separators (or Spacers)
• Space Maintainer
• T-Rex

To successfully complete your orthodontic treatment plan, patients must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the elastics (rubber bands), headgear or other appliances as prescribed.

The following paragraphs describe the types of appliances that may be used during your treatment.

Elastics (Rubber Bands)

Wearing elastics (rubber bands) improves the fit of your upper and lower teeth. Wear rubber bands as instructed because the rubber bands work far more efficiently if they are worn as prescribed.

Habit Appliance

The Habit appliance serves the purpose of keeping the tongue from between the front teeth. It is usually kept in long enough to correct the habit of pushing the tongue forward or thumb sucking. The biggest adjustment will be with speech.

Herbst^® Appliance

This Herbst appliance reduces overbite by encouraging the lower jaw forward and the upper molars backward. This fixed appliance is used mostly for younger, growing children and is worn for about 12-15 months.

RPE (Rapid Palatal Expander)

The palatal expander "expands" (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. We 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.

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 or with toothpicks and floss.

Space Maintainer

The Space Maintainer is a special appliance recommended to preserve the space when baby teeth have been removed or lost prematurely. The appliance can also serve as an anchor to prevent adult teeth from drifting into space reserved for unerputed or additional teeth.

T-Rex

The T-Rex appliance is an expansion appliance that widens the upper jaw. It is also used to push the upper six year molars back, usually with the help of the headgear. It is usually left in the mouth for 6-9 months, depending on the patient's level of cooperation.

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