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Orthodontics is all about pitting a lot of teeth against a few teeth and hoping those few teeth move the way you want them to. Implants short circuit the whole equation. Implants do not move. Implants are absolute anchorage.
Our office is in the forefront of using implants for orthodontic anchorage. Dr. Engen is one of only 20 dentists in the country who is dual trained in both Periodontics and Orthodontics.
There are many different forms of implant anchorage including implants, mini-implants, palatal implants, and ONplants.
Implants within the arch are an efficient method of placing teeth exactly where we want them to be. The key to utilizing this technique is to place the implant in the post-orthodontic position before you move the teeth. These implants are left in the mouth and restored with crowns after orthodontic treatment is complete.
Mini-implants are small bone anchors which can be used for direct forces in tight spaces. Mini-implants offer easy insertion, straight forward mechanics, as well as versatility. When treatment is done the mini-implants are removed. This does not hurt.
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| Mini screws to retract 6 teeth in mass movement |
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| Mini-screws to move upper 2nd molar forward to replace lost 1st molar |
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| | Mini-screw to move lower left 2nd and 3rd molar forward without any unwanted movement of front teeth backwards |
Palatal implants are short (4-6mm) implants placed in the roof of the mouth. A thick wire runs from the palatal implant to selected teeth. The absolute anchorage value of the implant is transmitted to these selected teeth. From that point on it is standard orthodontic mechanics but in complete controlled direction of movement.
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| Palatal implant used to drive 4 molars back without any unwanted movement of front teeth forward |
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| Palatal implant used to pull 1st, 2nd, and 3rd molars forward to close gap anchored off of 1 single front tooth |
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| Palatal implants used to intrude open bite thereby avoiding jaw surgery. Implants were placed by Dr. David Engen. Orthodontics was done by Dr. Steve Gregg |
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