Fixed and Removable Appliances in Tupelo, MS

Orthodontic care may be necessary for a wide range of patients, including children, teens, and adults. As a comprehensive family dental practice, Tupelo Smiles Family and Cosmetic Dentistry offers fixed and removable orthodontic appliances that may be used to facilitate orthodontic care, performed as a single treatment to enhance cosmetics, or as a pre- or post-braces retention service. These appliances include fixed space maintainers and removable Hawley retainers and may be recommended by general dentists Dr. Richard Caron and Dr. John Kenney to aid in a number of scenarios, from maintaining teeth in their positions to facilitating jaw development and growth in younger patients. To make getting comprehensive care for your family convenient, easy and personalized to your needs, we invite you to schedule a visit with our Tupelo, MS team to learn about your options of fixed or removable appliances.

At Tupelo Smiles, fixed and removable orthodontic appliances installed and worn before or after traditional orthodontic treatments like braces or Invisalign can help align teeth, enable teeth eruption, and improve a smile's aesthetic. Benefits of fixed and removable appliances administered at our Tupelo, MS office include:

• Improving the look of your smile
• Preventing teeth from shifting or being misaligned
• Benefitting oral health
• Decreasing the likelihood of future orthodontic treatments
• Promoting normal chewing and biting functions

Hawley Retainers: While a common use for Hawley appliances is keeping the teeth in their new positions after braces, this versatile removable device can also be used to make minor cosmetic adjustments to the teeth. Patients who have slightly rotated or misaligned front teeth may benefit from wearing a Hawley appliance for a short period of time.

Space Maintainers: Space maintainers are often utilized for children who have lost baby teeth but have not yet experienced the eruption of the corresponding permanent teeth. These appliances are typically fixed (cemented) to teeth in the upper or lower arch to maintain the space needed to allow for the proper eruption of the adult teeth.

During a comprehensive exam and consultation, doctors Caron or Kenney may recommend a fixed or removable appliance to facilitate proper tooth eruption for children or to address minor cosmetic concerns in patients of all ages. Our team will use an advanced iTero intraoral scanner to capture highly detailed impressions of the upper and lower arches, which our dental lab will use to custom-create these appliances. Hawley retainers and space maintainers are made from top-grade materials, like smooth stainless steel metal and acrylic, and customized for each individual patient. When the appliance arrives in our office, typically 1 – 2 weeks later, we will bring you or your child back in to have it placed and adjusted as necessary. Space maintainers will be securely attached to the teeth through a resin bonding agent and may sit unilaterally or bilaterally across the upper or lower arch.

It is important that you or your child wear these appliances exactly as recommended by doctors Caron or Kenney in order to achieve the desired oral health or cosmetic result. Our team will provide you with specific instructions on how to wear and maintain your device each day. While Hawley retainers can be easily removed to clean the teeth and gums, cleaning around bonded space maintainers may be more challenging, especially for younger patients. Tips on brushing and flossing around a fixed space maintainer and how to best help your child care for this appliance on a daily basis will also be provided. Following the placement of your appliance, doctors Caron or Kenney will let you know how long the device will need to be worn and when to schedule follow-ups at Tupelo Smiles Family and Cosmetic Dentistry to monitor treatment progress.

Hawley retainers and space maintainers from our Tupelo, MS practice may be an important part of your family’s oral health treatment plan to enhance or maintain tooth alignment or allow for the proper eruption of permanent teeth. Find out more about your family’s options for fixed or removable orthodontic appliances by scheduling a visit with doctors Caron or Kenney at Tupelo Smiles Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.