Introduction
Objective
The aim of this paper is to describe the role of removable appliances in modern, contemporary orthodontics, and to discuss how this role has changed in recent years. For the purposes of this article we will not discuss removable appliances that are used regularly and successfully for growth modification (functional appliances) or retention (retainers). This article will focus on removables used as active appliances.
How removable appliances work
Removable appliances work by simple tipping movements of the crowns of the teeth about a fulcrum close to the middle of the tooth. They also allow differential eruption of teeth, for example by using bite planes. They differ from fixed appliances, which are capable of complex movements of multiple teeth, including bodily movement, root torque and rotation.
Advantages and disadvantages of removable appliances
Advantages of removable appliances
- They are removable and therefore easier to clean
- They can provide increased vertical and horizontal anchorage due to palatal coverage
- They can produce efficient over-bite reduction in a growing child
- They can transmit forces to blocks of teeth