Removable Orthodontic Appliances Dedicated to My parents SR Kuppuswamy and K Krishnaveny My husband G Ravindran My children Arun Jai Kumar and Pradeep Kumar PREFACE Removable appliances are fabricated in the laboratory rather than directly in the patient’s mouth, reducing the dentist chair time and they can be made almost invisible if fabricated from clear plastic materials. This makes them more acceptable to especially adult patients. These advantages for both the patient and the dentist have ensured a continuing interest in removable appliance. With a few limitations, removable appliances are most useful for the first 2 phases of treatment and contemporary comprehensive treatment is dominated by fixed appliance. However, removable appliances remain to stay as retention appliance. Major part of malocclusion need either removable appliances or with combination of semi-fixed removable appliance. Moreover, the most of simple removable appliances are delivered by general clinicians than orthodontic specialists. One, who is handling with an understanding of how appliances function, is able to rationally design, select and use orthodontic appliances in an efficient manner for the patient. In view of this, I present this book useful for the undergraduates and clinicians in designing and construction of the removable appliances. I have listed the various designs and modifications of components of appliances. K Vijayalakshmi CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................. 1 2. Labial Wire .............................................................................. 7 3. Clasp ....................................................................................... 23 4. Springs ................................................................................... 47 5. Bite Planes ............................................................................. 65 6. Expansion Appliance ........................................................... 73 7. Clinical Adjustments ........................................................... 87 Index ........................................................................................ 93 ******* Removable appliances are capable of simple tipping movements and allow differential eruption of teeth using biteplanes The use of removable appliances are considerably more limited than in the past This paper explains the indications for use of removable appliances in contemporary orthodontics