TAD’s :
Orthodontics deals with moving the teeth into their proper positions. You cannot omit the fact that there will be resistance offered by the teeth to this movement. In some cases these resistances can greatly affect the results of the treatment leading to movement of teeth which were not intended to be moved. To overcome this problem, temporary anchorage devices or TAD’s are used.
Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) are devices which are temporarily implanted to the bone in order to enhance orthodontic anchorage by supporting the teeth of the reactive unit. TADs are subsequently removed after the orthodontic treatment. As temporary anchorage devices are fixed to the bone either biochemically or mechanically, TADs can be located subperiosteally, transosteally, or endosteally.
Temporary anchorage devices are known my many names among which are mini-screws, mini-implants, and micro-implants. They are about the size of a small screw (6 to 10 mm long).
They are made out of biologically inert materials that will not corrode in the mouth or be rejected by the body. They are designed to hold fast in bone and be compatible with the soft tissue through which they pass.
The placement process is very simple. A topical and a very small dose of anaesthetic are placed into the area of soft tissue overlying where the TAD will be placed. The soft tissue is the only part of the mouth that can feel anything as bone itself feels no pain. Since the gums become numb when the local anaesthetic is administered, the procedure will be completely painless. Insertion takes less than a minute.
After a TAD is in place, it provides an immovable object that can be used to push, pull, lift, or intrude teeth that are being straightened. The removal of a TAD is even easier than its insertion. Because the implant is being removed, there is already a breach of the soft tissue and there will be no pain associated with just unscrewing it.
Since TAD’s don’t move, they can be used to move teeth in directions and amounts that previously were not possible.