Orthopedic Appliances Question And Answers

Orthopedic Appliances

Write short note on orthopedic appliances.
Answer. Following are the commonly used orthodontic appliances.

• Headgear.
• Protraction face mask.
• Chin cup appliance.

Headgear

• Headgears are the most widely used extraoral orthopedic appliances.
• They are mainly used in the management of skeletal class 2 malocclusion by growth modification.
• They are also used for the distalization of maxillary molars, as well as for reinforcing intraoral anchorage.
• A typical headgear is attached to the teeth via a face bow and is anchored from the back of the head/neck using head cap/neck strap.

Read And Learn More: Orthodontics Question And Answers

Indications

• Growth modification: Headgear can be used to treat a variety of skeletal class II problems. However, ideal circumstances to use the extraoral orthopedic effect of headgear is when skeletal class 2 malocclusion is caused by ma axillary protrusion (anteroposterior excess of maxilla) with normal mandibular skeletal and dental morphology, and when there is continued active mandibular growth in a forward direction.
• For visualization of maxillary molars.
• To reinforce intraoral anchorage.

Face Mask

• The face mask is also called “reverse pull headgear or “protraction headgear”.
• Face masks have been used in the treatment of patients with class 3 malocclusion and maxillary deficiency.
• It exerts a mesial force on the maxilla with an equal and opposite force on the chin and forehead, thereby causing a forward movement of the maxilla.

Indications

• The face mask can be used in the treatment of mild to moderate skeletal class 3 malocclusions with a retrusive maxilla and a hypo-divergent growth pattern.
• It can even be used for selective rearrangement of the palatal shelves in clef patients.

Chin Cup

• The chin cup is an extraoral orthodontic appliance used to treat skeletal class 3 malocclusions caused due to mandibular prognathism.
• It covers the chin and is connected to a headgear.
• The chin cup appliance is aimed at restraining the forward growth of the mandible.

Indications

Chin cup appliance is indicated in:

• Patients with a mild skeletal prognathism of the mandible.
• In the case of decreased facial height.
• Patients who have well-aligned or protrusive, but not retroclined mandibular incisors.