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       #Post#: 815--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Pull headgear without braces?
   DIR By: ma6
       Date: September 17, 2014, 9:44 pm
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       PUMA,
       I asked CrystalBraces if they use elastics, and they do not. So,
       I don't think I will use them. I'd have to rig my own elastics
       or headgear, and in that case I could use a DIY "invisible"
       retainer instead which would be cheaper.
       I'm contemplating 3 options for my particular problem:
       - Invisalign with class III elastics (ie: elastics between the
       top and bottom teeth, not headgear)
       - Full braces with reverse-pull headgear (possibly in addition
       to class III elastics)
       - DIY clear retainer tray, and I cut hooks for elastics that I
       use with my own reverse-pull headgear
       #1 isn't really face-pulling since it's pulling against my lower
       teeth, and I would rather not affect them.
       #2 is going to be expensive.
       #3 may be risky.
       I plan to schedule some consultations with orthos and ask them
       how they would treat me, and ask them if #1 would fix my
       problem.
       After I talk to a few orthos and learn what I can from them, I'm
       leaning toward #3. It will be SO much less expensive that I
       might as well give it a try. Even if it fails, I'm not out that
       much money. Worse case is I mess up my bite/teeth somehow. But,
       that wouldn't happen overnight. Teeth don't move that fast. So,
       I would watch things carefully and I may have to give it up and
       use a real orthodontist.
       This PDF explains how Invisalign uses "precision cuts" to create
       elastic hooks and Button cutouts:
  HTML http://provider.invisalign.com/documents/PrecisionCuts.pdf
       One thing that says is:
       --- Quote ---
       > Class II - Elastic Hooks on the upper cuspids and Button
       Cutouts on the lower first molars
       > Class III - Elastic Hooks on the lower canines and Button
       Cutouts on the upper first molars
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       So, they use a button for the one that's pulling forward. I
       wonder why they can use a hook on the bottom tray for class III
       elastics, but not both the top and bottom. They must have a good
       reason. This concerns me. I wonder if there's not enough grip on
       the back molars. An advantage I might have is that I don't need
       to pull downward, I could pull straight forward, or possibly
       even an upward angle.
       I was not planning to ask Invisalign if they would use reverse
       pull headgear. I'm assuming the answer would be no. There's a
       lot of information about Invisalign publicly available, and
       searching their whole site for headgear (and synonyms) returns
       nothing. If headgear was an option, I think their site would
       mention it. I still think it's possible. If you can pull against
       the bottom teeth, I don't see why you can't pull against
       reverse-pull headgear. Maybe they just haven't tested it yet.
       Maybe they would need to get FDA approval and maybe they don't
       think it would pay off. I'm just speculating.
       I'll be curious to hear what you learn as well. Thanks.
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