Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) are very small screw-like devices which can be placed by Dr. Swelstad to greatly enhance treatment outcomes, especially when difficult tooth movements are required. Dr. Swelstad has received advanced training in the placement and use of TADs to enhance overall treatment outcomes. With today’s improvements in technology and orthodontic treatment, temporary anchorage devices can be placed in the office during a regular orthodontic appointment without any surgery and with minimal topical anesthesia. These temporary devices allow for an increased range of tooth movement and greatly expanded treatment options.

Temporary anchorage devices greatly enhance treatment possibilities by reducing the need for headgear, elastic wear, surgeries and extractions, while at the same time increasing patient comfort, clinical efficiency and control, and reducing treatment time.  For example, the mechanics involved in molar up-righting, molar intrusion, retracting front teeth, moving the back molar teeth forward, correcting uneven bites or planes of occlusion, assisting in closing open bites and pulling impacted teeth into position can be simplified by incorporating extra anchorage, in the form of a temporary anchorage device.

After the necessary treatment is completed, Dr. Swelstad easily removes these devices. This is a viable alternative for many people who would not willingly undergo orthodontic treatment because of the need for more comprehensive surgeries to achieve their esthetic goals and straight teeth. Temporary anchorage devices are rapidly becoming an excellent, cost-savings procedure to improve overall outcomes.

TADs

The purpose of temporary anchorage devices (TADs) is to provide the clinician with alternative means to treat a full range of orthodontic cases without compensating for the inadvertent reciprocal movement of adjacent teeth. This allows the clinician to reduce treatment time, anchorage demand, patient compliance and to employ more simplified mechanics frequently without surgery.