Week 7 Ch 20: Preventive and Corrective Oral Appliances

mouth guard

an appliance made of hard or pliable material; protects teeth from trauma during sport activities or from grinding of the teeth

space maintainer

a fixed or removable appliance used to prevent adjacent teeth from drifting into the space created when a tooth is lost

obstructive sleep apnea

a sleep disorder caused when the muscles that support the soft palate, uvula and tongue relax causing the airway to narrow or close

thumb sucking device

can be fixed or removable; used to discourage tongue thrusting and thumb sucking

palatal expansion device

fixed appliance used to expand the max arch by forcing the max plates apart very slowly, while max is still developing

crossbite corrector

fixed or removable appliance used to correct teeth in mal-alignment where the max teeth are positioned lingual to the mand teeth

orthodontic tooth alligners

removable appliances designed to gently move teeth into predetermined positions

stock guards

least expensive, come pre-formed, do not fit well, interfere with breathing/talking; least amount of protection

mouth formed

boil and bite; soften in warm water, mold around teeth - horseshoe shaped

custom made

most expensive, customized for clients, best fit

sports mouth guard

removable oral appliance used to protect teeth and surrounding tissues during contact sports; protects teeth by absorbing energy and spreading the force of the blow over all the teeth and by diminishing the contact between max and mand

klearway mouth

thermoplastic appliance which must be heated in hot tap water every night to make flexible; allows for side-to-side movement of bottom jaw and limited opening so that water can be sipped without removal of appliance; for sleep apnea

tracheostomy

surgery used in severe sleep apnea; small hole is made in the windpipe and a tube is inserted, air will flow through the tube and into the lungs