What Are Myofunctional Appliances?

Myofunctional appliances are those appliances in orthodontics, which take help from the muscles to act on the desired treatment plan. The conventional orthodontic appliances make use of mechanical force in order to alter the position of tooth/teeth into a more favorable position. The scope of all these fixed appliances is limited to a great extent by certain morphological conditions. These are caused because of aberrations in the process of developing the neuromuscular capsule surrounding the orofacial skeleton. In order to get rid of this limitation, functional appliances had come into being.

Types of Myofunctional Appliances -
There are certain types of Myofunctional Appliances, which are effective but lesser known, compared to the conventional braces as well as retainers. They include:

1. The Nance Button: This is basically a holding arch, used to maintain space inside one’s mouth. It is ideal for those children who have lost their baby teeth and are waiting for their premature teeth.

2. Lower Lingual Holding Arch: This particular holding arch plays the same role for the lower teeth as the Nance does for the upper jaw. It prevents the back teeth from moving forward.

3. Twin Blocks: Twin blocks are those functional orthodontic appliances, which rectify major overjets in a year or less than that. An overjet refers to the misalignment in the jaw, which causes one’s child’s upper teeth to stick itself out in front of the lower teeth further than normal.

Tips Regarding Myofunctional Appliances -
The following are some of the tips regarding Myofunctional Appliances. They include:

• The Nance can either be fixed or removable in nature, so one can take them out while getting indulged in sports or some other leisure activities.
• The Nance is invisible in nature, so it can be used along with treatments also because nobody knew that it is present.
• It is important to maintain oral hygiene while wearing The Nance as food and bacteria can get accumulated between the palate as well as the appliance.
• There is a good thing about Lower Lingual Holding Arch as well. It is also invisible apart from the bands that are kept around the lower back teeth.
• Maintaining Dental Hygiene is also simple in Lower Lingual Holding Arch as there is no portion of the soft tissue that remains covered by the appliance.
• Initially, the arch could cause mild discomfort and irritation but rinsing with pain-relief products can help get rid of all kinds of discomfort and irritation.
• Use of Twin Blocks can work wonders and deliver appropriate results in a very short time. People can speak normally during the treatment.
• Twin Blocks require to get fitted at the appropriate time. So, it is important to go for early screening in order to get the timing right.