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Functional Appliance

Photo of a functional appliance

Functional appliances use the muscle action from speaking, eating, and swallowing to create forces that move teeth and align the jaws. Some functional appliances are removable, and others are bonded to the teeth. A functional appliance may fit between the upper and lower teeth or may span across the mouth between the molars, pressing the bone outward.

By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer William F. Hohlt, DDS - Orthodontics
Last Revised January 11, 2011

Last Revised: January 11, 2011

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & William F. Hohlt, DDS - Orthodontics

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