What is bite turbos in orthodontics?
Bite turbos are attachment on the occlusal surface of upper or lower posteriors. They may be made out of blue or tooth-colored composite resin or other restorative materials. Once placed, the bite will be raised and teeth with bite turbos can be occluded.
What is the purpose of the bite turbos?
The aim of bite turbos can be
- To prevent bracket dislodgement
- To correct crossbite.
- To protect periodontally compromised tooth (tooth with mobility from TFO (trauma from occlusion)
Side effects of bite turbos
I used to use bite turbos a lot during my orthodontic residency. It wasn’t only me. Majority of orthodontic residents were the same. But after finishing the residency program, I stopped using it except handful of patients. There are a few problems with the bite turbos.
- Intrusion of the tooth with bite turbos
- Discomfort during eating
- Trauma from occlusion (TFO)- if bite turbos are place in the anteriors
- difficulty to assess occlusion during the treatment
- Extrusion of remaining teeth
Alternatives to bite turbos
So, what did I start to used instead of bite turbos since 2017?
- Bite plate: This is best for adolescent. I usually band upper 1st molars and scan and send it to the lab.
The advantage of bite plate is extrusion of posteriors to improve deep bite.
The bite plate can be also made without banding. - Mini-tube appliance- Because of extremely low profile, the Mini-tube appliance can be used even in sever deep bite patients.
Types of bite plate
- Banded bite plate
2. Semi-removable bite plate
