A Functional Appliance is an orthodontic device that works in conjunction with a person’s jaw movement (for example, while eating or speaking), as well as their normal jaw growth (in children). Functional Appliances can be fixed (cemented to the teeth) or removable. There are more than 125 different functional appliances, used for various purposes in children and adults. A technical name for Functional Appliances is Dentofacial Orthopedic Appliances.
Functional Appliances can be divided into the following categories:
1. Fixed Appliances
- Distalization Appliances
- Class II Correction Appliances
- Class III Correction Appliances
- Intrusion appliances
- Mesialization appliances
- Vertical Dimension appliances
2. Removable Appliances
- Class II Correction Appliances
- Class III Correction Appliances
- Transverse Appliances
- Distalization Appliances
Synonyms:
Dentofacial Orthopedic Appliances