Functional Braces

Functional braces are removable and used to correct prominent teeth in growing children. By repositioning the lower jaw to a more forwards position the functional brace encourages the lower jaw to reach its potential growth position and decrease the prominence of the upper front teeth.

The brace comes in two separate parts, a top removable brace and a bottom removable brace, which fit together in the mouth. For best results, they should be worn all the time, including sleeping and if possible, eating.

This brace usually takes 9-12 months to work and will need adjusting by your orthodontist every 10-12 weeks. Functional appliances are often used as a first stage in treatment and will be followed by a further 12-18 months of fixed braces to fully straighten teeth.

When can Functional Braces be removed?

• during daily teeth cleaning sessions
• after eating – for cleaning with a toothbrush
• when playing contact sport or swimming
• when playing wind instrument

When the brace is taken out, you should keep it safely stored in a protective brace box, which may be purchased from our reception.