Functional Braces

Functional braces align the jaws not the teeth. Some problems that orthodontists are trained to deal with involve correcting jaw disharmonies using dentofacial orthopaedics. In growing patients, functional appliances can be used to put the jaws in balance, achieve good facial muscle function and create natural facial proportions.

Assessment for a functional appliance is done by 10-11 years of age as the treatment has to be timed with your growth spurt.

Functional appliances can sometimes be used alone to correct a problem but often correct treatment can only be provided by a combined approach using functional appliances as a Stage 1 treatment, to be followed by a stage of fixed appliances.

Photos courtesy of Sheffield Orthodontics