While braces are often the stars of the show when it comes to straightening smiles, they are not the only members of the ensemble in an orthodontic play. Orthodontists sometimes use other appliances when a bite condition is difficult to treat. However, whatever the instrument, they typically have something in common—they employ the concept of anchorage.

What is Anchorage?

Anchorage is the balance between the tooth motions necessary to rectify a malocclusion and any other teeth movement that is unwanted. Miniscrew implants are subjected to different forces than normal dental implants when used for orthodontic anchoring. 

Different Types of Anchorage Tools

Here are the  three distinct forms of orthodontic anchorage:

Extraoral Anchorage

An extraoral anchorage is a form of anchorage that is fixed outside the mouth to support the force of our orthodontic treatment's tooth movement.

Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) and Osseointegrated Implants

Orthodontists employ bone from your oral structures to anchor your orthodontic appliance in this sort of anchorage. Additionally, osseointegrated implants and TADs are referred to as skeletal or bone anchoring.

Dental Anchoring

Our orthodontists make the most of teeth, they can serve as an excellent anchorage. Our dentists will incorporate as many teeth as necessary into the anchoring to secure orthodontic braces or other mouth appliances.

The Procedure

Orthodontic headgear, worn around the back of the head or neck and attached to orthodontic brackets on the teeth, is often used for this purpose, as seen in the illustration. It still requires an anchor, but the patient's skull serves as the anchor in this instance.

An orthodontist may feel they need extra anchorage in certain cases since the teeth alone may not be adequate. For this, they could build a second or extra anchor point utilizing a temporary anchorage device (TAD) (TAD). A TAD resembles a little screw put into the jawbone near the tooth that the TAD device will move. The TAD may then be attached to the braces hardware by the orthodontist, who will use elastics to do so. They then remove the TAD when the therapy is completed.

Jeanne V. Devi, DDS, and her dental assistant team are here to help you help you with your complex bite problems. Contact us today to book your Anchorage consultation with us and get the smile you always wanted- call us at (626) 795-2544 or visit our website. We are located at 595 E Colorado Blvd Suite 603, Pasadena, CA 91101.