Palatal Expander
The palatal expander “expands” (or widens) your upper jaw by putting gentle pressure on your upper molars each time you turn the mini-screw. Dr. Garrett will instruct you about when and how to adjust your expander. When you achieve the desired expansion, you will wear the appliance for ~6 months to hold the expansion and to prevent relapse.
Pendulum
A pendulum appliance is used to push your upper molar teeth back in the arch, to create space for crowded teeth or to reduce a large overjet. Dr. Garrett uses this appliance many times instead of Headgear or extraction of permanent teeth.
Herbst
The Herbst appliance reduces overjet/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 months. It has been successful in eliminating the need for lower jaw surgery due to a small, retrusive lower jaw in many patients.
TADs (Orthodontic Anchorage)
Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) are miniature screws that Dr. Garrett positions in the mouth to serve as fixed anchors for moving specific teeth in the most controlled and predictable way possible. TADs significantly enhance treatment capabilities and can be effective in reducing treatment time, surgeries,little sc or extractions. They eliminate the need for cumbersome appliances (e.g., headgear) and allow us to treat certain cases better and faster than ever before.
Elastics (Rubber Bands)
Wearing elastics (or rubber bands) improves the fit of your upper and lower teeth. You will likely wear them at some point during treatment, so wear rubber bands as instructed. They work far more efficiently if they’re worn as prescribed and can dramatically shorten treatment time.
Separators (Spacers)
Separators are little rubber doughnuts that are placed between your back teeth to push them apart so that orthodontic bands may be fit during your next appointment. The separators will be removed before we place the bands. Eating sticky foods and flossing can easily dislodge separators
