Therapy of the jaw malposition
It is not always necessary to correct a tooth or jaw misalignment. Treatment of jaw malposition is only necessary if the malposition has a negative effect on the temporomandibular joint and/or the patient’s attitude to life. An orthodontic treatment is possible at any age and especially older patients decide more and more often to have their teeth straightened.
It is possible to choose between loose braces and fixed braces, although for some jaw malpositions it is necessary to use fixed braces from the beginning. Loose braces are dental appliances that are used to straighten the jaw and teeth. In contrast to fixed braces, loose braces can be removed from the mouth by the patient himself/herself and then reattached.
For this reason, loose braces are often called removable braces. With the help of these removable braces, sufficient space can be created in the jaw before the tooth breaks through and gaps between teeth that are too narrow can be widened. A fixed brace is a dental appliance that is used to correct jaw and tooth misalignments, but cannot be removed from the oral cavity by the patient himself.
It remains in the mouth for the entire duration of treatment. A basic distinction is made between appliances that are placed entirely inside the mouth (intraoral appliances) and those that are placed partially outside the oral cavity (extraoral appliances). Functional orthodontic appliances (FKO appliances), on the other hand, are used to influence the growth of the jaw in such a way that a normal bite position is achieved (neutral occlusion).If the jaw or temporomandibular joint is malaligned, a hard splint made of plastic can help.
The malposition can be caused by strong stress-related grinding of the teeth, since the grinding causes strong tension in the muscles. These can ultimately position the jaw joint in a malposition. A splint can both absorb the forces caused by the grinding and promote the correct bite.
