Functional appliances are devices used to correct a significant disharmony
in the relationship between the upper and lower jaws. They work by
influencing the growth and development of a growing patient.
The most common use of a functional appliance is to encourage the
forward growth of a retrusive or "under-developed" lower
jaw. The functional appliance holds the lower jaw forward over a period
until the teeth, jaws and joints have "adapted" and the
desired jaw position has been obtained.
The effectiveness of a functional appliance depends on:
- how much the appliance is worn
- how quickly the patient is growing
Functional appliances align the jaws not the teeth, so they are usually
used as a first stage of treatment (in a growing patient with a significant
jaw disharmony) prior to the alignment of the teeth with fixed appliances
(braces).
The most common types of functional appliance are listed below:
Fixed functional appliances:
- Herbst appliance (pictured)
- Cantilever bite jumper
- Fixed Twin Bock appliance
Removable functional appliances:
- Bionator (pictured)
- Activator
- Twin Block appliance
- Teuscher appliance
- Frankel appliance
- Andreson appliance
General
Dentistry 