Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that “all forces between two objects exist in equal magnitude and opposite direction” - in other words, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In orthodontic treatment, the goal is for a certain tooth or group of teeth to move in the desired direction. Orthodontic tooth movement is grounded in the laws of biology and physics.

1 These programs began to see the impact of TADs on orthodontic practice and, by 2011, more than 80% had incorporated formal training in their didactic/research curriculum - which would suggest future practitioners will be well versed in the use of TADS in orthodontic treatment. In the 2008 survey, the main reason for nonutilization of TADs by orthodontists was a reported lack of training within residency programs. Usage rate in the patient population under treatment was 5.3% of patients being treated in the residency programs and 6% of patients being treated in private practice.

Based on a response rate of 70.4% for the orthodontic residencies and 63.9% for the private practitioners, the usage rate of TADs in orthodontic treatment was 82.9% for the residencies and 69.2% for private practitioners. In a later paper by Shirck et al 2 in 2011, surveys concerning TADs usage were sent to the 61 accredited orthodontic residency programs in the U.S., and to 61 orthodontic practitioners. The majority of orthodontists who responded positively to using TADs had referred the placement to either an oral surgeon (49.4%) or periodontist (15.8%), with about 35% personally placing the first miniscrew in their practice. More than half of those surveyed (564 members responded) had placed 10 or fewer TADs themselves. In a 2008 survey of members of the American Association of Orthodontists, Buschang et al1 determined that 80% of respondents had at least one miniscrew case in their practice. This article will focus on TAD design, placement and some of the ways in which these devices are currently used in orthodontic procedures.Īlthough TADs have been in existence for more than 35 years, it is only within the past decade that their use has become commonplace among orthodontic practitioners in the United States. This is opposed to a dental implant that serves as an anchor device with the intention of utilization as a dental prosthesis following its use as an orthodontic anchor. The hallmark of this device is its intended removal once it has completed its function in the treatment regimen. Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are generally miniscrews placed in either alveolar or extra-alveolar bone for the purpose of providing orthodontic anchorage. Increasingly common in orthodontic practice, the utilization of this technique can expand the horizons of conventional treatment

Tad orthodontics correcting open bite