Bite turbos are small, bonded attachments used in orthodontic treatment to modify the way the upper and lower teeth meet. These tiny platforms are temporary tools designed to manage the patient’s bite mechanics during the process of straightening teeth. They are typically made from a dental material, often a composite resin, and are placed on the biting surfaces of the back teeth or the tongue-side surface of the upper front teeth. Since they bear the entire force of chewing, wear is expected and is a necessary component of their function in correcting a misaligned bite.
The Purpose of Bite Turbos
The primary reason for placing bite turbos is to correct a deep bite (overbite), where the upper front teeth significantly overlap the lower front teeth. In this scenario, the upper teeth can bite directly onto the brackets of the lower teeth, causing them to loosen or break off repeatedly, disrupting treatment progress. Bite turbos act as a protective barrier, preventing the upper teeth from hitting and damaging the lower braces. This separation “unlocks” the bite, allowing the teeth to move more freely and efficiently into their correct positions. The turbos also apply a specific pressure that encourages the necessary vertical movement of the back teeth, which is essential for permanently correcting the deep bite.
Material Composition and Expected Wear
Bite turbos are specifically engineered to wear down over time, but at a controlled rate, as their material is intentionally softer than natural tooth enamel. They are typically fabricated from orthodontic composite resin, which is the same type of tooth-colored material used to bond brackets to the teeth. Other materials, such as acrylic or glass ionomer cement, are also used depending on the orthodontist’s preference. The wear process is a gradual and necessary adjustment that accommodates the bite correction as it happens.
Research shows that all bite turbo materials wear more than natural enamel, which is a desirable characteristic to protect the opposing teeth. The material is chosen to maintain the separation for long enough to achieve the desired tooth movement without excessively abrading the opposing enamel. Most patients need to wear these attachments for approximately six to nine months, though the duration can extend up to a year depending on the severity of the bite issue. The controlled wear allows the teeth to gradually shift and the bite to normalize.
Factors Affecting the Rate of Wear
While turbos are designed for controlled wear, certain patient habits and biological factors can accelerate this process or cause premature failure. The force generated when a person bites down, known as occlusal force, is a significant variable. Patients who are heavy grinders (bruxism) place far more pressure on the small turbo surfaces, leading to faster degradation of the material.
Dietary choices also have a profound effect on the integrity of the attachments. Eating hard, crunchy, or sticky foods can cause the composite material to chip, crack, or even completely dislodge the turbo from the tooth surface. Patients are advised to cut food into small, manageable pieces and stick to softer items. The location of the bite turbo can also influence its wear rate. Turbos placed on the back molar teeth (posterior bite turbos) often bear the brunt of the main chewing forces and may experience faster or more uneven wear than those placed behind the front teeth.
Managing Wear and Removal Timing
The orthodontist closely monitors the condition and height of the bite turbos during regular adjustment appointments. This monitoring ensures the turbo is maintaining enough separation between the arches to protect the brackets and facilitate the necessary tooth movement. If a turbo wears down too quickly, or if it breaks off entirely, the orthodontist will evaluate the situation.
If the turbo has failed prematurely and the deep bite correction is not yet complete, the device will need to be replaced to continue the treatment uninterrupted. If failure occurs near the end of the expected treatment time, the orthodontist may decide against replacement if the bite has already corrected sufficiently to protect the lower appliances. The final removal of the bite turbos is performed only when the deep bite has been adequately corrected and the back teeth are touching properly.