Transpalatal Bars & Lip Bumpers at O’Keeffe Orthodontics, Waterford
Transpalatal Bar
A transpalatal bar is a stainless steel wire with a U loop in the middle which traverses your palate. Normally the first molar teeth are rotated inwards taking up valuable space and cause a narrowing of the dental arch. Correcting this rotation with a transpalatal bar gives extra space useful in the correction of crowding, may correct a crossbite and produces a wider arch giving a wider smile.
Transpalatal bars can also maintain space while we wait for permanent teeth to erupt. Palatal bars are not removable. Patients should clean carefully around them. The bar may irritate or mark the tongue for a few days. Wax and mild analgesics usually rectify this.
Lip Bumper
The lip bumper is a rigid steelwire covered with a plastic sleeve which is attached to the lower molar teeth and skirts round between the inside of the lower lip and lower teeth. The lip bumper is an extremely useful appliance for space maintenance, allowing the permanent teeth to erupt in a more upright position which in turn allows some spontaneous correction of crowding. Your Lip Bumper should be worn full time. If there is any reason why you can not wear your lip bumper then please contact the office. Sometimes following the placement of a lip bumper an ulcer develops inside the lip or cheek. This may just require wax to be placed over the protruding part of the bumper or may require adjusting or removing for a short period.