November 21, 2019
The Bionator is an orthodontic appliance that is used to extend the lower jaw and correct overbite. Overbite causes chewing difficulties, tooth damage and damage to the gums. The Bionator is used when the lower jaw is back or posterior to the upper jaw and the upper teeth jet forward. Its popularity lies in ease of use for the patient.
Though it is meant to be worn all the time, it is actually a removable appliance. The only time it should be removed is while eating and when brushing teeth. It is also advisable to remove it during contact sports. The patient should also clean the bionator orthodontic appliance to maintain proper oral hygiene.
Purpose of the Bionator
The main purpose of the Bionator appliance is to promote growth of the lower jaw. It channelizes the natural growth of dental tissues and bone of the lower jaw in the forward direction. This ensures meeting of the upper and lower incisors at the correct points. As it corrects overbite, it reduces chewing stress and damage to teeth and gums.
Once the upper and lower jaw are in alignment they make lip seal possible, achieve proper mouth closure and prevent mouth breathing.
The Bionator creates more space in the oral cavity by expanding the lower jaw. It ensures proper alignment of the back of the tongue which is essential for natural development of dental arches and teeth.
An added benefit is, it improves aesthetics by improving the smile and a better growth of the face structures. In some cases it can be used to relieve TMJ in adults to control muscle spasm.
What is the ideal age to use a Bionator?
The bionator orthodontic appliance is used at a young age, at about 7-10 years when the jaw and muscles are still under development. This ensures that the jaw bone and muscles extend to the required position. At a later stage when the patient has attained skeletal maturity it does not provide any benefit to the structure of the jaw. However, it does help to change the position of the teeth.
What are the different Bionator types?
1. Bionator I to open the occlusion
The purpose is to treat a closed bite and improve jaw relationship. The lower front teeth are covered with acrylic so that the lower incisors do not come in contact with the roof of the mouth. The acrylic at the back is shaped in such a way to guide the proper eruption of the molars and premolars. It also ensures that the back teeth are not tightly packed together and permits arch development, if required.
2. Bionator II to close the bite
This is used to correct open bite when the upper and lower front teeth do not come in contact on closing the mouth. In such cases the Bionator appliance is designed in such a way that it closes the bite along with bringing the lower jaw forward. In this the back teeth are covered completely with acrylic. The front teeth are not covered allowing them to erupt completely so that the gap is closed. It also brings the tongue in contact with the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth.
3. Standard Bionator
The standard Bionator orthodontic appliance is used to slowly move the lower jaw forward in such a way that the vertical dimension is not altered. In this acrylic covers both the forward and back teeth of the lower jaw. It also adjusts the back of the tongue to lie correctly in the mouth.