Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are 6 mm titanium bone anchors that look like a miniature version of a wood screw. It serves as an anchor for moving specific teeth in the most controlled and predictable way possible. TADs are made of a sterile medical-grade titanium alloy and are painlessly placed in our office.

TADs have revolutionized orthodontic treatment. It allows our team of doctors to use new techniques to accomplish tooth movement that would otherwise not be possible. These new techniques are lessening the need for jaw surgery and the use of less desirable things such as headgears and elastics.

How are TADs placed?

The area in which a TAD is placed is first numbed with a powerful, topical anesthetic gel and then with a small amount of anesthetic through the gum tissue into the bone.

After numbing the area where the TAD is to be placed, we use gentle pressure to insert it through the gums and into the bone between your teeth. While it’s normal to assume that the procedure would be painful, it is actually pain-free. You may feel some slight pressure during insertion but no pain. The entire procedure takes only a couple minutes.

How long will the TAD need to stay in place?

As the name implies, the anchorage device is temporary and is typically removed in a few months when it is no longer needed to assist in tooth movement. The process is painless and only takes a few seconds to remove the TAD.