NON SURGICAL JAW ALIGNMENT
Lower Jaw Repositioning
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Orthopaedics.
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Orthopaedics involves the correction of misaligned bones including jaws.
Orthodontics involves the correction of misaligned teeth.
Dr Links has years of successfully diagnosing and treating orthodontic orthopaedic cases.
Often patients come to the clinic complaining that their front teeth stick out too far. They may have a history of trauma to the front teeth and may be teased by classmates at school.
In many cases, a careful examination leads to a diagnosis that the lower jaw is in fact too far back. This results in the lower lip being too far back and actually becomes trapped behind the upper teeth, constantly applying a forward force on the upper teeth and causing them to procline (become buck).
In orthodontics, the correct diagnosis is key to building the best treatment plan.
If the diagnosis is an incorrectly positioned lower jaw, than the treatment should include repositioning the lower jaw to a permanently corrected position.
There are two ways of doing this. Either jaw surgery, or orthopeadic appliances.
Dr. Links use a number of different orthopaedic appliances to reposition the lower jaw, to help patients achieve a perfect bite as well as an optimal facial balance and profile, whilst negating the need for jaw surgery.
Advance sync II.
This is a modernized Herbst appliance.
Like twin blocks, Herbst appliances hold the lower jaw in a forward position for about a year and will cause remodeling of the jaw joints as well as an adaptation of the muscle attachments between the upper and lower jaws, effectively causing the lower jaw to find a new permanent corrected forward position.
They are a little less comfortable than fitted twin blocks, more comfortable than removable twin blocks but have a greater tendency to break and require more maintenance.
Twin Block
This tried and tested orthopaedic appliance works by guiding the lower jaw onto a forward posured position. When held there for about twelve months both the muscle attachments between the upper and lower jaws, as well as the jaw joint its self, adapt and effectively hold the lower jaw permanently in a forward position when the teeth are closed.
Fitted Twin Block
This tried and tested orthopaedic appliance works by guiding the lower jaw onto a forward posured position. When held there for about twelve months both the muscle attachments between the upper and lower jaws, as well as the jaw joint its self, adapt and effectively hold the lower jaw permanently in a forward position when the teeth are closed.
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This works in the same way that the removable twin blocks work, only they are glued on to the teeth, so we don't need to rely on patient cooperation. Also they have much less plastic than the removable twin blocks and so are more comfortable.