Progressive Appliances

Reducing Orthodontic Treatment Times

At Pure Smiles, we’ve always got our patients’ best interests and convenience in mind. For this reason, we offer many treatment forms beyond traditional braces. Progressive appliances are those that speed up orthodontic treatment and generally offer improved results. They are a fantastic option for individuals with issues that may not be satisfactorily addressed by elastics. The Empower and Insignia Braces Systems are both offered here at Pure Smiles, and we’d love to go over each in detail with you at your first consultation!

Get straighter teeth in less time

Insignia

Insignia – Accurate, Predictable Results

Once your doctor has created your treatment plan your custom archwires will guide your teeth into the correct position smoothly and directly, reducing your treatment time and giving you the smile you want sooner than you ever thought possible.

Insignia – What are the Benefits?

There are several benefits to being treated with Insignia. Here are a few reasons Insignia provides a higher quality of orthodontic treatment:

  • 100{40156503bc4b5a35574a7297c1f9ea8c9b41ab620fddf2f7ca3dc0d5102fcf5e} personalized treatment results in reduced time in braces
  • Precise bracket placement and predictable treatment outcomes
  • Custom-made archwires for efficient tooth movement
  • Fewer scheduled appointments
  • Braces that are created just for you

If you’re considering orthodontic treatment for yourself or a family member, please contact our practice and schedule an appointment. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about braces and the Insignia orthodontic system.

Forsus

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The Forsus Device promotes growth in adolescents, helping to eliminate excessive overbites, improve the fit of teeth, and possibly prevent the need for jaw surgery.

Your Forsus appliance is installed in one appointment and doesn’t require any additional lab work. There are no daily adjustments to make because the appliance provides a continuous, light force to move your jaw and teeth into their correct positions. This appliance also replaces the use of elastics, so if you know you will not wear elastics, this should be the appliance of choice.

The constant force given by the Forsus appliance means that it works without you having to do anything. Even while you sleep, Forsus is helping to move your jaw and teeth into alignment. The appliance works with your existing braces and wires, so there is no need to interrupt your planned treatment. Feel free to contact our office to learn more about the advantages of the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device. Dr. Gonzalez and her team of experts will tell you more.

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Herbst

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Aside from the obvious benefits of orthodontic treatment, like increased confidence and ease of hygiene, another benefit is not so obvious: improved jaw function. If your child has an overbite, simple treatment with braces will not correct the problem. The Herbst appliance, usually in conjunction with braces, is used to help the lower jaw develop in a forward direction. This eventually leads to an ideal bite. Left untreated, an improper bite may threaten the long-term health of your child’s teeth, gums, and jaw.

The main difference between a Herbst appliance and headgear is that the Herbst appliance is securely fastened to your child’s teeth, while headgear is removable. To be truly effective, headgear must be worn between 12 and 16 hours per day, which often poses a problem with patients who don’t like to keep it on that long. Since the Herbst appliance is not removable, you won’t need to keep track of how many hours per day your child wears it.

Another difference is aesthetics. Headgear is bulky, made of metal hooks or a facebow, and straps or a head cap to anchor the headgear to the back of the head or neck. A Herbst appliance is a much more discreet option: it may be visible when your child laughs or speaks, but it is far less obtrusive than headgear.

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MARA

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The Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance (MARA) is used to encourage forward growth of the lower jaw. This appliance causes the lower jaw and lower teeth to move forward and the upper molars/teeth to move backward thus correcting the “overbite”.  In a growing individual the MARA helps to encourage a more favorable and balanced position of the lower jaw in relationship to the upper jaw improving the overall jaw balance and facial appearance, in addition to “overbite” correction.

We often call the MARA the “invisible headgear” because in many ways it does what a traditional headgear would do but without the need to wear the actual headgear that make kids feel self-conscious about their appearance. Also, because the MARA is attached to your teeth and braces without being able to be taken out, it’s working 24 hours a day, to fix the “overbite” and improve the jaw balance quicker than traditional headgear treatment.

The MARA is typically worn for 9-12 months, with the braces, after that time the MARA is removed and braces continue to stay on the teeth until full treatment is completed. Rubber bands (elastics) are usually used with the braces after the MARA is removed to stabilize the bite correction in preparation for treatment completion.  The overall treatment time for MARA and braces together is usually 24 months, thus MARA usually stays in the mouth for about half of the time.

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Discover Your Purest Smile.

Give us a call at 512-215-2520 or fill out our contact form.