Compared to 35 years ago, the orthodontic patient has a wide menu of choices available to him as he decides what kind of orthodontic braces he wants to wear. He can opt for the more traditional brackets with wires and elastics, or he can choose a removable orthodontic system. His orthodontist will decide which options will best move his teeth into a healthy new alignment.
Upper Removable Appliance
Passive URA's hold teeth in their original place; active URA's are used to correct the front-tooth and single-tooth cross bite. These appliances can be used for short-term, simple tooth movement to correct a bad bite.
Invisalign
Invisalign uses clear dental trays that exert continuous, gentle pressure on the teeth to move them into a corrected position. The orthodontist will glue small "buttons" onto several teeth, which will hold the trays in place; these trays are worn for 22 hours each day, and are removed only so the patient can eat or brush and floss her teeth. She will go through an average of 18 to 30 trays during her treatment, depending on how much tooth movement is required.
Hawley Retainer
Even when orthodontic treatment with braces has been completed and the patient is wearing a retainer to hold his teeth in their new alignment, the Hawley retainer is considered a "removable brace." The Hawley retainer consists of an acrylic plastic bonded to stainless steel metal clasps (for the rear molars) and a thin metal bow for the first six front teeth. The patient's orthodontist could decide to have him wear a lower removable retainer as well as an upper removable retainer.
Clear Retainer
The clear overlay retainer, which looks very similar to the Invisalign orthodontic tray, is used to hold the teeth in their new alignment once orthodontic treatment has been completed. Because of the aesthetics of a clear retainer, patients may be more willing to wear their clear retainer than they would the traditional Hawley retainer, thus being more successful in maintaining their new tooth alignment.
Simpli5
The Simpli5 is a clear orthodontic system similar to Invisalign in that it is made of a clear plastic. This orthodontic system consists of a five-aligner system designed to treat one arch or both (the upper and lower jaws). If both jaws (arches) are being treated, the patient will have 10 aligners to wear.
Red White & Blue
This orthodontic system treats only one arch (the upper or lower arch); the Red White & Blue system is meant to be used for the patient with a more mild misalignment of her teeth. The system consists of three aligners; the name comes from the colored dots placed on each consecutive aligner. The dots alert her to which aligner she should be wearing at any given point in her treatment.
RW II
This system consists of only two aligners and treats only one arch. The RWII is made just a little bit differently from the other aligners; it is lined with a flexible inner lining, which is said to allow for greater tooth movement with each aligner. This liner increases the retention action of the aligner and is more comfortable; it resembles the Invisalign system.
Tags: orthodontic system, Hawley retainer, hold teeth, hold teeth their, system consists, teeth their, tooth movement