Appliances

Along with braces or aligners, some patients need an appliance to guide jaw growth, create space, or help with a specific movement. Here are some we commonly use:

Elastics (rubber bands)

Small bands hooked between upper and lower braces to improve how the teeth fit together. Wear them exactly as instructed for the best results.

Palatal expander

Widens a narrow upper jaw by gently separating the two halves of the palate while a child is still growing. It's often used to correct crossbites and create room for crowded teeth.

Headgear

Applies gentle force to guide jaw growth or hold back upper teeth. It's typically worn in the evening and overnight.

Herbst appliance

A fixed appliance that encourages the lower jaw forward to reduce an overbite, most often used in growing patients.

Space maintainer

Holds the space left by a baby tooth that came out early until the permanent tooth arrives.

Mouthguard

Protects teeth and braces during sports.

Appliances like retainers and nightguards are made right in our in-house lab.