Leading Dentist in North Miami Beach FL Shares Common Dental Appliances
Although dental appliances are a common aspect of the dental industry, many people may be unaware of exactly what they are.
The term dental appliance refers to any sort of device that is used as part of a patient’s dental treatment plan. These devices are often used to help straighten crooked teeth, repair damaged teeth or as a replacement for missing teeth.
In most cases, dental appliances are permanent fixtures that are secured to your teeth. However, there are also removable dental appliances such as prosthetics and mouth guards. Below, your dentist in North Miami Beach, FL shares some of the most common types of dental appliances.
Removable Dental Appliances
Mouth guards and orthodontic retainers
Mouth guards and orthodontic retainers are some of the most common types of removable dental appliance. Traditional mouth guards are typically designed to be worn to protect a person’s teeth while playing sports or performing some other types of boisterous activity. However, other people may wear a mouth guard while they sleep to prevent them from grinding their teeth.
Orthodontic retainers are used to keep your teeth in place after you have braces, or other type of orthodontic device removed.
Prosthetic Dental Appliances
Another very common type of dental applying are dentures which come in two different forms: full or partial. As you can guess, a full set of dentures is meant to replace a full set of teeth, whereas a partial denture is only used to replace a few missing teeth.
Snoring Appliances
It’s not uncommon for people to snore at night. And, while this may not bother you since you’re asleep anyways, it could also mean that you’re not breathing properly while sleeping.
Fortunately, there are snoring dental appliances that are designed position your tongue and jaw in such a way that you’ll no longer snore while you sleep. As a bonus, while wearing a snoring apparatus, you won’t be able to fully clench your jaw together. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about grinding your teeth while you sleep.
Permanent Dental Appliances
Dental Bridges
These are installed between two of your existing teeth where a tooth has been pulled or has fallen out. Dental bridges are quite like partial dentures. However, bridges are permanently fixed to your teeth and are not removable.
Filling and Crowns
While fillings and crowns aren’t technically dental appliances, they are devices that are used to replace the parts of your teeth that are removed when your dentist repairs a cavity.
Orthodontics and Braces
Braces aren’t permanent in the sense that they are meant to be worn your entire lifetime. However, they are permanent in the sense that they are worn for extended periods of time. Also, there are many different types of orthodontic appliances that are used by dental professionals to treat all sorts of teeth and jaw problems.
