Functional appliances (e.g. the Twin Block) are a popular type of reducing the projection of the front teeth in patients who are growing.
Key Points:
The size of your jaws is determined by your parents
The size and shape of our jaws is determined by genetics (DNA). Orthodontists can measure the size, shape, and position of the dental and skeletal structures of the face using an accurate technique called cephalometrics. This technique involves tracing and measuring standard structures on an x-ray of your head. Such analysis performed on siblings of the same parents reveals that their underlying skeletal structures are very similar and mostly inherited. Even if your teeth are arranged differently than your siblings, the size and shape of your jaws are primarily determined by your genealogy.
Research shows that functional appliances work by moving the teeth, not the jaws
Another important use of cephalometrics is determining the effects that orthodontic devices have on the mouth during treatment. A tracing made before treatment can be compared to a tracing made afterwards to reveal how correction was really achieved. If there has been jaw growth, the tracings will indicate that. If the jaw sizes remain the same and only teeth have been moved, the analysis also shows this. University-based cephalometric studies conducted over the past several decades have all come to the same conclusion. The changes produced by functional appliances of all types are primarily DENTAL in nature. In other words, the size and shape of the jaws remains almost unchanged while the teeth in both arches are shifted so that they come together better.
Source:
https://www.bos.org.uk/BOS-Homepage/Orthodontics-for-Children-Teens/Treatment-brace-types/Functional-appliances
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