Pendulum Appliance

This is a fixed brace for the upper jaw and it is used to distalize (i.e. move backwards) the 1st molars. One of the reasons for undertaking this difficult movement of the teeth is to make room for all the remaining teeth or to correct a distal occlusion. After treating the distalized molars for about 6-9 months with a pendulum appliance, the teeth are then stabilised with a Nance Button. Amongst all the numerous fixed braces that exist for distalizing the 1st molars, the pendulum appliance is the best researched and is the most effective of all such appliances, all of which are supposed to replace a Headgear. The advantage is that they do not depend on the patient’s cooperation whereas the disadvantage is that genuine extensive distalization is not possible. Nevertheless, such appliances have been used with considerable success and are generally well-tolerated by the patient.