Loose braces

Valeria Dahm is a freelance writer in the medical department. She studied medicine at the Technical University of Munich. It is particularly important to her to give the curious reader an insight into the exciting subject area of medicine and at the same time to maintain the content.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Loose braces correct misaligned teeth and jaws. They are also called loose braces (technically: active plate) and can be inserted and removed by the patient independently. Find out more about the different types of removable braces, when to use them and what risks they entail.

Active panels

Active plates (loose braces) consist of a base made of plastic that is individually manufactured. It is held in place with the help of clamps in the upper or lower jaw. In addition, screws and wire springs made of stainless steel ensure sustained pressure on the teeth, through which a quick correction of the tooth or jaw position is achieved, especially in children. The screws and springs are tightened at regular intervals. The patient does this himself with an adjusting key.

The loose braces must be worn for about 16 hours each day. They should only be taken out for eating, sleeping and exercising. The removable braces should be cleaned every day with a toothbrush and toothpaste or cleaning tablets.

Activator, Bionator and Fränkel function regulator

There are also removable devices that, unlike the active plate, do not exert any direct pressure on the teeth. These include the activator, the bionator and the Fränkel function regulator. These are functional orthodontic devices that regulate the tongue, chewing and lip function:

The activator is used to regulate posture in the lower and upper jaw.
The Bionator should change the bite position or induce an increase in the bite.
The Fränkel function regulator is used to treat growth and position anomalies in both jaws.

All three variants are made of a plastic body that do not require screws or wire springs. Instead, the force that the jaw muscles exert when chewing, swallowing and speaking is diverted to the teeth and jaw and used for correction. However, this is only possible in the growth phase of children. These types of loose braces also need to be left in the mouth for around 16 hours a day.

Facebow (Headgear, Facebow)

The face bow consists of metal arches, which are usually attached to the upper molars, and external straps or a head cap. The pull exerted slows down the forward growth of the upper jaw. The face bow also uses the growth potential in childhood and must be worn between 12 and 24 hours a day. A combination of face bow and activator is also possible.

Passive plates (retention splints)

When the treatment with braces is finished, the teeth may move back into their old position. Even if growth is not yet fully completed in adolescents, imbalanced muscle strength can negatively affect the outcome. Congenital anomalies in the shape of the jaw and the position of the teeth can even lead to a lifelong recurrence.

For this reason, it makes sense if the active treatment phase is followed by a retention phase. In this phase passive plates are used which only have a holding function. They may even be used for a lifetime.

What are the advantages of loose braces?

Since the braces sit loosely in the mouth, they can be removed at any time for oral hygiene. It can also be used on children with deciduous teeth. The loose braces are particularly suitable for widening the dental arches and for correcting too large a distance between the front teeth. If the lower jaw is to be shifted forward, the loose braces help using the growth. Malfunctions in the teeth or muscles can also be corrected in this way.

What are the disadvantages of loose braces?

The loose braces can only shape teeth and jaws to a limited extent and require more time for this than fixed braces. In addition, swallowing and speaking are difficult, especially in the early days. For optimal therapy success, the loose braces must be used daily.

Tags: gpp drugs alcohol