REMOVABLE ORTHODONTIC

APPLIANCES

BY
KRITHIKA
LAKSHANA
 INTRODUCTION
What is a removable orthodontic appliances?

Removable orthodontic appliances as

the term suggest , are devices that can be inserted into
and removed from the oral cavity by the patient at will.

TYPES

PASSIV
ACTIVE
E
 ADVANTAGES

Removable nature of appliance make it possible for the patient to

maintain good oral hygiene during treatment
• take less chair side time for orthodontics , as they are fibricated
in labrotary
• Damaged appliances can be removed by patients .
• Apparently simple to fabricate, use and adjust. Hence require
minimal chair time
• Less orthodontic scars compared to fixed appliances such as
decalcification, caries under molar bands and white spots around
bonded brackets and gingivitis.
 DISADVANTAGE

Not effective with uncooperative patient

• Only treat the minor cases of malocclusion
• Only capable of tipping tooth movement
• Limited control over tooth movement
• Only certain types of malocclusion can be corrected.
• Tooth movement in three dimensions is not possible.
• May hinder with speech and eating
 COMPONENTS OF REMOVABLE APPLIANCES

ACTIVE RETENTIVE
COMPONENTS COMPONENTS
• SPRINGS • VARIOUS
TYPES OF BASE PLATE
• BOWS
• RETRACTOR CLASPS
S
• ELASTICS
 RETENTIVE COMPONENTS

These are components that help in keeping the

appliance in place and resist displacement of the
appliance

The wire components that aid in retention of a

removable appliance are called clasps
 MODE OF ACTION OF CLASPS

clasps act by engaging certain constricted areas of the teeth that

are called undercuts. When clasps are fibricated the wire is
made to engage these undercuts so that there displacement is
prevented .
 CIRCUMFERENTIAL CLASP

They are simple clasp that are designed to engage the bucco-
cervical undercut
JACKSON’S CLASP
This clasp was introduced by Jackson in the year 1906.

This clasp engages the bucco-cervical undercut and also the mesial as
well as distal proximal undercuts
 ADAMS CLASP
Adams clasp was first described by professor Philip
adams.It is also known as Liverpool clasp,universal
clasp,and modified arrowhead clasp

Two arrowheads

bridge

Two retentive arms

 MODIFICATION OF ADAMS CLASP

1. Single arrowhead adams clasp

2.Adams clasp with j hook

3.Adams with additional arrowhead

4.Adams with helix

5.Adams with soldered buccal tube

6.adams with distal extension
7.Adams on incisors
 SOUTHEND CLASP

The southend clasp is used when

retention is required in the anterior
region.The wire is adapted along
the cervical margin of both the
central incisors
 TRIANGULAR CLASP
They are small triangular shaped
clasps that are used between two
adjacent posterior teeth

INDICATIONS- These clasps are

indicated when additional retention is
needed
 BALL END CLASP
This clasp is fabricated using
stainless steel wires having a
knob or a ball like structure on
one end.The ball can be made at
the end of the wire using silver
solder
 SCHWARZ CLASP
The schwarz clasp or the arrowhead clasp
can be said to be the predecessor of the
adams clasp.
Number of arrowheads engage the inter-
proximal undercuts between the
premolars and molars

CROZAT CLASP
ACTIVE COMPONENT OF REMOVABLE ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES

BOWS
SHORT LABIAL BOW

LONG LABIAL BOW

SPLIT LABIAL BOW

ROBERT’S RETRACTOR

HIGH LABIAL BOW WITH APRON SPRING

 SHORT LABIAL BOW
The short labial bow
consists of a bow that
makes contact with the
most prominent labial teeth
and two U loops that end
as retentive arms distal to
the canines

INDICATION- ONLY IN
CASES OF MINOR
OVERJET REDUCTION
AT THE TERMINATION
OF FIXED
ORTHODONTIC
THERAPY
 LONG LABIAL BOW
This labial bow is similar to the short labial
bow except that it extends from one first
premolar to the opposite first premolar

INDICATIONS
-MINOR ANTERIOR SPACE CLOSURE

-MINOR OVERJET REDUCTION

-CLOSURE OF SPACE DISTAL TO

CANINE

-AS A RETAINING DEVICE AT THE END

OF FIXED ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT
SPLIT LABIAL BOW
This is a labial bow that splits in the
middle.This results in two separate buccal arms
having a U loop each.
Activated by compressing the U loop 1-2 mm
at a time.
 ROBERTS RETRACTOR

This is a labial bow made of thin

gauge stainless steel wire having a
coil of 3mm internal diameter mesial
to the canine.As very thin wire is
used for its fabrication , the bow is
highly flexible and lacks adequate
stability in the vertical plane.

INDICATION-Patients having
severe anterior proclination with
overjet of 4mm
 HIGH LABIAL BOW WITH APRON SPRING

It consists of a heavy wire bow of

0.9mm thickness that extends into the
buccal vestibule.Apron spring made of
0.4mm wire is attached to the high
labial bow.This type of labial bow is
highly flexible and thus used in cases
of large overjet