Square APF add another dimension to dental activators. They take into account the work of Professor Planas on oral balance. The position of the mandible in relation to the maxilla will determine whether the movement is harmonious and whether there is equal buccal space on the right and left sides, referred to as Planas’ Functional Masticatory Angles (PFMA). This is why the mandible must be square. It implies the alignment of the 4 mandibular incisors. It is a necessary condition for the physiological functioning of the mouth and the stability of orthodontic treatments.
Squaring the mandible acts on three planes:
- on the anteroposterieur and vertical, planes, producing an automatic forward movement of the mandible. This movement increases the vertical dimension, thus freeing the TMJ and helping the wisdom teeth to come through. Freeing the TMJ releases the tension produced by this joint being too compressed (headache, clicking sound, buzzing in the ears…).
- In the transverse plane: to make the mandible more square, transverse maxillary and mandibular expansion is required. Expansion improves nasal breathing and the posture of the tongue by allowing it more space.
- Squaring the mandible gives the mouth overall space of more than 25 to 30% compared to a mouth in a curved mandible.
Recurrence: equal PFMA and a squared mandible has provided the solution to problems of recurrence for decades.
The square APF which we propose have always met these expectations. Today our range has been expanded to include 6 new types of activator: square expander, curved expander, square conformer, curved conformer, curved propulsion device, curved retropropulsion device.