History points out to us that the earliest recorded attempts to straighten teeth dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Pierre Fauchard, a French dentist, published The Surgeon Dentist in 1728, outlining some of the primitive methods. He is also given credit as the first person to develop an intraoral appliance called the “bandeau”, a metal band to expand the dental arch without straightening it. Today, there are many different oral appliances made by different companies offering dentists a large variety of removable oral appliances to move teeth, expand dental arches and help patients breathe better.

There is an important difference between braces and intraoral appliances. In the case of dental braces that are attached to patients’ teeth, it is obvious that patients themselves cannot adjust, tighten, reshape and/or remove the wires while in active treatment. That is the orthodontist’s job. This allows the orthodontist to evaluate if any teeth need to be removed and plan how long it will take for the case to be totally finished and switch the patient to using a removable retainer.

In the case of the patented Myobrace removable appliance, the responsibility is shifted to a responsible adult in charge of the success of the case. On the positive side is the ability of the Myobrace, when worn well, to be able to develop the growth of the jaws so that perhaps no teeth ever need to be extracted because the teeth are being straightened, and it can be started as soon as the child fully understands its long-term benefits. Disadvantages include that a child wearing the Myobrace appliance will not be able to eat with the appliance in their mouth and/or speak very easily because of the size of the appliance.

Pentti J. Nupponen, DMD, MAGD, FIND, CNC, MIAOMT, provides Myobrace services at Colonial Dental Group, located at 4940 Linglestown Rd., in Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-901-7045 or visit CDGWellness.com.