Temporary Anchorage Devices

Jonathan Alexander Abt

TEMPORARY Anchorage Devices

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Jonathan Alexander Abt

TEMPORARY ANCHORAGE DEVICES Te m p o r a r y An c h o r a g e D evic es (TADs) are useful w h e n i t i s n o t p o s s ib le t o u s e the back teeth as o r t h od on tic a n c h o r a g e. If t h ere is no suitable t o ot h a t th e s it e r eq u ir ed for the anchorage p oi n t , T A D s c an b e u s ed . Als o, if an anchorage t o ot h i s b ec o m in g u n s t ab le, TADs can be em p l o y e d a s a m et h o d o f s t ab ilisation.

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imilar to dental implants, TADs are small, screwlike devices placed directly into the bone of the jaw. However, unlike implants, they don’t need to become integrated with the bone, making removal easier. Implanting and removing TADs is a fast procedure which only requires the area to be numbed for pain-free treatment.

Jonathan Alexander Abt

Temporary anchorage devices have many other benefits too such as shortening overall treatment time, removing the need for rubber bands, and even making some oral surgeries unnecessary. TADs can also be used in more complex and challenging orthodontic treatment cases which orthodontists may otherwise find difficult to treat.

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he need for headgear during orthodontic treatment can sometimes be eliminated by TADs. Cases where a pushing or pulling force is required from an angle outside the mouth would previously have necessitated the use of headgear. Wearing orthodontic headgear is often uncomfortable, so TADs are a welcome development for patients.

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JONATHAN ALEXANDER ABT To read more about this topic, visit the blog of orthodontist Jonathan Alexander-Abt.