ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES

There are many forms of orthodontic appliances depending on the type of problem and operator preference. The following treatments are what I have found work well, however there are many other acceptable methods for most of these problems.  Anterior crossbite is usually corrected by the use of a maxillary expander. This is at minimum a three-stage procedure. During the first visit the patient is evaluated and sedated. Whole mouth impressions are taken, and sent to the orthodontic laboratory for fabrication of the appliance. The second visit is for cementation of the appliance and instructing the owner on how to adjust the appliance. The owner adjusts the appliance until the teeth are in the correct position. Then the appliance is left in place for a period of time as a retainer. This is usually not long in these cases as the overlapping of the teeth can act as a natural retainer. Then the patient is sedated and the appliance is removed and the teeth cleaned. Arch bars and elastic ligatures or incline planes can be used as well with good success. Mesial tipped upper canines (Lance effect) is usually treated by means of elastic bands. The patient is sedated and orthodontic brackets are attached to the canine as well as posterior teeth (to act as an anchor for movement). Often several teeth are included in the anchorage, or possibly wires in the maxillary bone, or possibly extraoral anchors (headgear). Orthodontic elastics are stretched between the teeth to stimulate movement. The elastics are change by the owner usually without sedation. When the tooth is in the correct position, the retention period ensues to avoid the tooth moving back to its original position. Base narrow canines are orthodontically treated by means of an incline plane. This works by making a base over the palate between the upper canines and forward to the upper incisors, and then creating a groove starting at where the offending tooth or teeth strike the palate, and directing the teeth to the correct place in the mouth. The force is applied when the animal closes his mouth. This appliance can be created in the animal’s mouth or on models by a dental lab.

Before  During After

The advantages to creating the appliance in the mouth are that it is done in one anesthetic procedure and is slightly less expensive. The advantages to the laboratory-fabricated appliance are that there is less irritation to the palate, and that the appliance can be made to expand to allow the patient to grow. When the tooth is in the right position the appliance is removed and the palate acts as a natural retainer. An expansion device can be made to fit between the lower canines to push them out as well.

Posterior crossbite and rotated teeth are very difficult to treat orthodontically and therefore will not be covered on this page.