Among the range of teeth-alignment methods, a special place is held by the use of special overlays or mouthguards. This is a dental tool made of clear polymer material — a flexible, invisible cover for the teeth. Mouthguards cause no discomfort and make it possible to correct the bite in both adults and children.
By how they work, mouthguards are divided into:
- aligners;
- trainers.
The first type of mouthguard is used to correct teeth. With aligners it is possible to correct crowding, gaps between teeth and rotation around the axis.
Treatment works through constant pressure. The correction requires fixing the result with braces. This type of mouthguard should be worn around the clock, except during meals. The total period of using aligners is from two months to two years. Correction happens smoothly and in stages, which requires replacing the covers about once every two weeks, depending on how the treatment progresses and the position of the teeth.
Trainers are created to normalise the tone of the facial muscles in cases where muscle tension has become the main cause of the bite defect. They can be used:
- to correct deep-bite disorders;
- to influence bad habits (for example, to stop putting fingers in the mouth)
- to correct speech disorders.
A trainer is not worn constantly: during the day for 2-3 hours and throughout the night. The maximum duration of a treatment course with trainers is 12 months.