Toggle navigation
16775 Yonge Street Suite 400 Newmarket, ON L3Y 8J4(905) 830-1230

[email protected]

 

  • Facebook

Request an Appointment

  • Home
  • Staff
    • Meet Our Dentists
    • About Our Staff
    • Memory Lane - My Father
  • Our Office
    • Patient Forms
    • Patient Testimonials
    • Tour Our Office
    • Financial Policies
  • Our Services
    • Cleanings and Prevention
      • Bruxism and Mouthguards
      • Fluoride Treatments
      • Sealants
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Bonding
      • Bridges
      • Crowns
      • Dentures
      • Fillings
      • Implants
        • Single Tooth
        • Multiple Teeth
        • All Teeth
      • Inlays and Onlays
      • Lumineers
        • Lumineers FAQ
        • Before and After
        • Perfect Smile
        • Lumismile
      • Teeth Whitening
      • Veneers
    • Gum and Bone
      • Bone Grafting
      • Cleanings and Prevention
      • Crown Lengthening
      • Frenectomy
      • Gum Tissue Graft
      • Perio Plastic Surgery
      • Ridge Augmentation
      • Scaling and Root Planing
      • Sinus Lift
    • Oral Surgery
      • Fractured Teeth
      • MDI Mini Dental Implants
      • Oral Cancer Exams and Biopsies
      • Pericoronitis
      • Wisdom Teeth
    • Orthodontics
      • ClearCorrect
      • Common Orthodontic Treatment
      • Craniofacial Orthodontics
      • Invisalign
      • Living with Braces
      • Myths and Fact About Orthodontics
      • Orthodontic FAQ
      • Orthodontic Glossary
      • Orthodontic Treatment for Children
      • Post Op Care of Extractions
      • Retainers
      • Six Month Smiles
        • Six Month Smiles FAQ
      • Space Maintainers
      • Surgical Orthodontics
      • Treatment for Adults
      • Treatment for Children
      • Two-Phase Orthodontic Treatment
      • Types of Appliances
      • Types of Braces
    • Pedodontics
      • Pulpotomy
      • Sealants
    • Root Canal
      • Knocked Out Tooth
      • Root Canal FAQ
      • Root Canal Surgery
      • Traumatic Injuries
    • Sedation Dentistry
    • TMJ
  • Technology
    • Nobel Biocare
    • Take-Home Whitening System
    • Invisalign
    • Schick Digital X Ray
    • Zoom Chairside
    • ProForm Mouthguards
  • Patient Info
    • Dental Glossary
    • Development of the Teeth
    • FAQ
    • Fun Links for Kids
    • Patient Education
      • Acid Experiment
      • ANUG Trench Mouth
      • Bad Breath
      • Bruxism Tooth Grinding
      • Chemo and Your Mouth
      • Conditions of the Tongue
      • Dental X Rays
      • Denture Care
      • Dry Mouth
      • Fluoride Experiment
      • How to Brush
      • How to Floss
      • How to Read X Rays
      • Oncology Guide
      • Smokeless Tobacco
      • Tooth Anatomy
      • Tooth Sensitivity
      • Toothpaste Ingredients
    • Post Op Instructions
      • Crowns and Bridges Post Op
      • Dentures Post Op
      • Extractions Post Op
      • Fillings Post Op
      • Gum Surgery Post Op
      • Porcelain Veneers Post Op
      • Root Canal Post Op
      • Scaling and Root Planing Post Op
    • Teeth Trivia
    • Tips for Parents
    • Useful Dental Links
  • The Gallery
    • Bonding Gallery
    • Crowns Gallery
    • Dentures Gallery
    • Fillings Gallery
    • Implants Gallery
    • Orthodontic Gallery
    • Periodontal Gallery
    • Root Canal Gallery
    • Six Month Smiles Gallery
    • Veneers Gallery
    • Whitening Gallery
  • Contact Us
    • Appointment Request
    • Patient Privacy

Types of Appliances

Online Dental Education Library

Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.

Types of Appliances

Orthodontics is a highly advanced and specialized field of dentistry. Orthodontists use many different types of appliances to ensure effectiveness of the treatment to get excellent results for a great smile. The needs of each patient are unique and each treatment plan varies accordingly from patient to patient. Some patients require the use a single type of orthodontic appliance while others may require a combination of more than one appliance.

Separator:

Separators help to make room for the metal bands of braces. Separators are small circles made of rubber and are placed in between the teeth to intentionally create a space between two teeth so that a band can be easily placed around the tooth. Once the bands of the braces are placed, the separators are removed. Separators can easily be displaced when a person flosses or eats so be careful not to loosen them until we remove them.

Elastics:

Elastics are more commonly referred as rubber bands. The main purpose of elastics is to assist with the the alignment of the lower and upper teeth. Elastics can be worn and attached in various ways. They can be attached from back teeth to front or from the top teeth to bottom. It is vital that they are worn according to the exact instructions of the orthodontist to ensure it serves its intended purpose.

Headgear:

Headgear is an easily removable orthodontic appliance, which is used for treating patients who suffer from an underbite or overbite.

It consists of a strap with elastics or springs, and a facebow which is made of metal. The facebow may be fitted to a retainer or to molar bands. Its main purpose is to exert pressure on the braces attached to specific teeth to help in jaw alignment. The amount of time required to wear the headgear is prescribed by the orthodontist, which greatly depends upon the severity of the condition.

Herbst Appliance:

A Herbst appliance is also used for correction of overbite. The Herbst appliance grips the patient's lower jaw forward to aid in pushing the upper teeth back in the patient's mouth. The treatment period of this appliance, which is not removable, is about 12 to 15 months.

Expander:

An expander is placed in the palate and helps to widen the patient's upper palate. It is a fixed appliance, which exerts pressure on the patient's upper molars whenever it is adjusted. The need of adjustment is decided by the orthodontist and depends on how much the expansion of the palate is required.

The expander needs to be worn for several months after the desired expansion is achieved to retain the width.

Positioners:

Positioners are made of plastic that resemble the mouthpieces used in sports. The purpose of the positioner is to shorten the treatment period by using it to complete the treatment being carried out by another orthodontic device. It is often used after the braces are removed and it helps the teeth to be properly positioned.

Retainers:

A retainer is exactly what its name implies. It retains the teeth in their correct position and alignment after the treatment is finished. They are usually made of plastic with metal wires that hold the teeth in their new positions. Retainers are essential to maintain the position of the teeth and are usually removable. Some retainers can be active, meaning they intentionally move the teeth, and other retainers are fixed, meaning they are not removable.


Patient Education

Patient Education Menu
  • Dental Services
    • Cleanings and Prevention
      • Bruxism and Mouthguards
      • Fluoride Treatments
      • Sealants
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Bonding
      • Bridges
      • Crowns
      • Dentures
      • Fillings
      • Implants
        • Single Tooth
        • Multiple Teeth
        • All Teeth
      • Inlays and Onlays
      • Lumineers
        • Lumineers FAQ
        • Before and After
        • Perfect Smile
        • Lumismile
      • Teeth Whitening
      • Veneers
    • Gum and Bone
      • Bone Grafting
      • Cleanings and Prevention
      • Crown Lengthening
      • Frenectomy
      • Gum Tissue Graft
      • Perio Plastic Surgery
      • Ridge Augmentation
      • Scaling and Root Planing
      • Sinus Lift
    • Oral Surgery
      • Fractured Teeth
      • MDI Mini Dental Implants
      • Oral Cancer Exams and Biopsies
      • Pericoronitis
      • Wisdom Teeth
    • Orthodontics
      • ClearCorrect
      • Common Orthodontic Treatment
      • Craniofacial Orthodontics
      • Invisalign
      • Living with Braces
      • Myths and Fact About Orthodontics
      • Orthodontic FAQ
      • Orthodontic Glossary
      • Orthodontic Treatment for Children
      • Post Op Care of Extractions
      • Retainers
      • Six Month Smiles
        • Six Month Smiles FAQ
      • Space Maintainers
      • Surgical Orthodontics
      • Treatment for Adults
      • Treatment for Children
      • Two-Phase Orthodontic Treatment
      • Types of Appliances
      • Types of Braces
    • Pedodontics
      • Pulpotomy
      • Sealants
    • Root Canal
      • Knocked Out Tooth
      • Root Canal FAQ
      • Root Canal Surgery
      • Traumatic Injuries
    • Sedation Dentistry
    • TMJ
  • Patient Information
    • Dental Glossary
    • Development of the Teeth
    • FAQ
    • Fun Links for Kids
    • Patient Education
      • Acid Experiment
      • ANUG Trench Mouth
      • Bad Breath
      • Bruxism Tooth Grinding
      • Chemo and Your Mouth
      • Conditions of the Tongue
      • Dental X Rays
      • Denture Care
      • Dry Mouth
      • Fluoride Experiment
      • How to Brush
      • How to Floss
      • How to Read X Rays
      • Oncology Guide
      • Smokeless Tobacco
      • Tooth Anatomy
      • Tooth Sensitivity
      • Toothpaste Ingredients
    • Post Op Instructions
      • Crowns and Bridges Post Op
      • Dentures Post Op
      • Extractions Post Op
      • Fillings Post Op
      • Gum Surgery Post Op
      • Porcelain Veneers Post Op
      • Root Canal Post Op
      • Scaling and Root Planing Post Op
    • Teeth Trivia
    • Tips for Parents
    • Useful Dental Links
  • Smile Gallery
    • Bonding Gallery
    • Crowns Gallery
    • Dentures Gallery
    • Fillings Gallery
    • Implants Gallery
    • Orthodontic Gallery
    • Periodontal Gallery
    • Root Canal Gallery
    • Six Month Smiles Gallery
    • Veneers Gallery
    • Whitening Gallery
  • Technology
    • 3i Dental Implants
    • 3M Mini Dental Implants
    • AcquaBrite
    • Ankylos C/X Implants
    • BioHorizons
    • Brux-eze
    • CEREC One Appointment Crowns
    • ClearCorrect
    • Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)
    • Dash In-Office Whitening System by Discus Dental
    • DenOptix Digital X Rays
    • Dental Microscope
    • Dentrix Intra Oral Camera
    • DEXcam Intra-oral Camera
    • DEXIS Digital X Rays
    • DIAGNOdent
    • Discus Dental NiteWhite ACP Take-Home Whitening Sy
    • Discus NiteWhite ACP
    • E4D Same-Day Crowns
    • Florida Probe
    • Gendex Digital X-Ray
    • Gendex Intraoral Camera
    • Instrumentarium Panoramic X-ray
    • Invisalign
      • Invisalign Teen
    • Intraoral camera
    • Isolite Dryfield Illuminator
    • iTero Digital Impressions
    • Kodak Digital X Rays
    • Kor Whitening
    • LaserSmile
    • Lightyear Digital X Ray System
    • Lumineers
    • MagicFil
    • MDI Implants
    • Nitrous Oxide
    • Nobel Biocare
    • NTI System
    • Odyssey Diode Laser
    • Opalescense Boost
    • Opalescense Take Home
    • Opalescense Treswhite
    • OraVerse
    • Perio Protect
    • Pola Whitening for Life
    • Rembrandt Whitening
    • ScanX Digital X Ray
    • Schick Digital X Ray
    • 6 Month Smiles
    • Snap On Smile
    • SOPRO Intraoral Camera
    • Soredex Cranex D Panoramic X-ray
    • Straumann-Dental-Implants
    • Toothprints
    • Under Armour Mouthguards
      • Under Armour FAQ
    • VELscope
    • Vizilite Plus
    • The Wand
    • Waterlase
    • XDR Digital X Ray
    • Zoom Chairside
    • Zoom Take Home

Our Location

16775 Yonge Street Suite 400
Newmarket, ON L3Y 8J4
(905) 830-1230

Map & directions

Office Hours
Monday:9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday:8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday:8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday:8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday:8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday:8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday:Closed
  • Home
  • Staff
  • Offices
  • Services
  • New Patients
  • Patient Education
  • Contact Us
  • Appointment Request
  • Dentist Website Design Copyright © MH Sub I, LLC dba Officite
  • Disclaimer
  • Patient Privacy
  • Site Map