--- type: Article title: "Removable Appliance" description: "Removable appliances for children in Cologne: gentle correction of misaligned teeth. Process, wear time, and costs – schedule a consultation at JUST KFO." resource: https://www.just-kfo.de/en/competencies/removable-braces/ language: en tags: [orthodontics, services] timestamp: 2026-09-12T08:37:31+02:00 --- # Removable Appliance Expertise · Removable Appliance Removable Appliance in Cologne – Treatment, Before & After Removable appliances guide jaw and facial growth at an early stage, help correct habits such as thumb sucking and support speech and swallowing – gently and in a child-friendly way. Book an appointment onlineWhich appliance fits? ★5,0 · 228 Google reviews At a glance The removable appliance is used primarily in orthodontics for children and adolescents : it guides harmonious jaw and facial growth, supports myofunctional therapy (swallowing, speech), and helps break habits such as thumb sucking. A gentle introduction to orthodontic treatment. Removable does not mean invisible: unlike clear aligners, the activator, bionator, and active plate are visible in the mouth. Mainly for: children (early treatment)Effect: guiding growth & habitsBenefit: removable & gentleInsurance: for KIG 3–5 covered by statutory health insurance, 20% co-payment refunded after completionDuration: Early treatment approx. 12–18 months 5,0228 Google reviews Child-friendlygentle early treatment 50 weeksopen per year In-house master dental laboratoryappliances made in Cologne 1 Consultation2 Impression3 Appliance Book an appointment online OverviewTherapyFAQVideo Removable appliances can be useful as early as the first years of life. Speech disorders, incorrect swallowing or other developmental problems can be treated with braces. In very young patients, the focus is therefore less on correcting misaligned teeth than on supporting healthy development. Harmonious facial growth with a removable appliance To guide harmonious facial growth, we use removable appliances in growing patients between the ages of 6 and 14.1 These include: Fränkel function regulator Bionator according to Balters Active plates Activator Since every child is different, the oral cavity also differs from patient to patient. We at JUST KFO tailor the treatment individually to the child's needs. Using our digital diagnostics we determine the position of the temporomandibular joint. A connection between jaw position and body posture is debated in the field but is not proven – therefore, we base treatment planning on the findings in the mouth. Removable appliances are used above all during the early growth phase (approx. 6–10 years) in order to guide jaw growth.1 Removable appliances for different needs The Bionator according to Prof. Dr. W. Balters and the activator guide the growth of the lower jaw toward the upper jaw when the lower jaw is positioned too far back. The function regulator III according to Prof. Fränkel, on the other hand, is preferred in cases of a reverse overbite. These functional orthodontic appliances are used in children as long as growth is still taking place. In boys this is possible until about age 14, in girls until about age 12. In adults, treatment with the Bionator can no longer be carried out! Especially in children with jaw misalignment combined with headaches, neck and back pain as well as a temporomandibular disorder (TMD, often called TMJ), we frequently use the Bionator as part of a holistic treatment. Myofunctional therapy with a removable appliance In cases of incorrect swallowing, a speech disorder or habitual mouth breathing, we recommend speech therapy and / or myofunctional therapy2. A special removable appliance is then used. In childhood, normal swallowing and a normal tongue position shape the upper jaw. This creates important conditions for jaw growth and for speech development. A tongue dysfunction can lead to the following orthodontic problems: narrow upper jaw Crossbite open bite protruding incisors In infants and toddlers up to the age of three, the tongue may lie between the upper and lower incisors. This type of swallowing is called “infantile swallowing”. In the mouth there is a balance between the firm structures (jaw and palate) and the surrounding muscles (lips, cheeks, tongue). A change in the surrounding muscles, for example the open mouth during mouth breathing or infantile swallowing, changes the firm structure for the worse. It is always the soft tissues that shape the hard tissues, or to put it differently: “Form follows function!“ Speech therapy and / or myofunctional therapy If we or your pediatrician find incorrect swallowing, a speech disorder or habitual mouth breathing , we recommend speech therapy and / or myofunctional therapy. In myofunctional therapy, the correct resting position of the tongue at the palate is practiced first, then step by step the new swallowing movement. This then has to become automatic so that your child also swallows correctly (“somatically”) without thinking about it, for example while sleeping. In speech therapy, myofunctional therapy is combined with exercises to improve articulation. If there is a neurological dysfunction such as constantly confusing right and left, a neurological reorganization (for example Padovan therapy) should be carried out. This should take place before speech therapy and myofunctional therapy. Myofunctional therapy can be supported with a Bionator or a functional regulator. Thumb sucking and treatment with a removable appliance Misaligned teeth and jaws are partly hereditary, but to a greater extent functionally caused. Thumb sucking, incorrect swallowing or breathing through the mouth instead of through the nose lead to abnormal development of the chewing system. Sucking should stop by the end of the oral phase, that is, by the third year of life. Some children continue to suck beyond that age; how large this proportion is varies considerably across studies. Serious consequences for the permanent teeth are to be expected if sucking continues beyond the age of 5. The pacifier is generally the lesser evil compared with the thumb. A properly shaped pacifier leads to fewer developmental problems of the chewing system and is also easier to give up than the thumb. It is often difficult to stop sucking habits. We would like to help you and your child with this. First, we have a talk with your child. In some cases we recommend simple removable orthodontic devices such as an oral vestibular screen. A removable appliance can therefore also help. In addition, your child can hand the pacifier over to the pacifier fairy, or learn from the thumb princess what happens to the thumb king when a child sucks its thumb. A sucking calendar also helps to stop thumb sucking. Ask about the next appointment, and at our practice for we will find the right solution for your child. Removable Appliances on Video How a removable appliance works and how treatment with clear aligners proceeds — explained in just over a minute and a half. ▶ Removable Appliances: How Invisalign Works Click loads the video from YouTube (youtube-nocookie.com) Frequently Asked Questions / FAQ: Removable Appliance Tap a question to open the answer. How much does a removable appliance cost? + The cost depends on the type of appliance and the scope of treatment, and it varies from region to region and from practice to practice. A removable appliance corrects milder misalignments or stabilizes the result after treatment. Please discuss the cost and possible coverage by your health insurance with us in advance. From KIG 3 onward (the German classification of orthodontic treatment need), statutory health insurance covers the standard care; the initial patient contribution of usually 20% is refunded after the treatment has been completed successfully. Which is better, removable or fixed braces? + That depends on the findings. Fixed braces are suitable for more pronounced misalignments: they apply continuous pressure and therefore work faster. A removable appliance is suitable for milder cases or for stabilizing a completed result – and it can be taken out. Which option fits your goals is something we clarify together. In a randomized comparative study, pain and discomfort were overall low to moderate with both types of appliance, and both were well accepted by the children – the choice therefore depends on the misalignment, not on the design. How and how long should a removable appliance be worn each day? + The wearing time depends on the treatment plan. Usually it is 14 to 16 hours a day, including the night; depending on the appliance and findings, the instructions may differ. If worn too infrequently or for too short a time, treatment slows down or comes to a standstill. Follow the wearing instructions and keep your scheduled appointments. Most patients get used to the appliance within a few days; clean it regularly to avoid discoloration and odor. What happens if you don’t wear your removable appliance? + If the removable appliance is not worn regularly, tooth movement slows down or comes to a standstill. During longer breaks, the teeth can move back toward their previous position – treatment then takes longer, or the result does not last. Wear the appliance as recommended; if you run into problems, talk to us and we will find a solution. To work, a removable appliance should generally be worn 14–16 hours a day, ideally at night as well. What is the cheapest type of braces? + The most affordable option is typically the removable appliance – it is simpler to fabricate and is not permanently bonded. Standard versions made of acrylic or plastic correct minor shifts and cost the least. Higher-quality materials are more durable but more expensive. The exact costs depend on the diagnosis. For KIG 3–5, statutory health insurance covers 80 percent of the costs directly; the 20 percent co-payment is refunded once treatment is completed as planned. Can you sleep with a removable appliance? + Yes – many people wear their removable appliance at night so that the teeth are adjusted continuously. Especially when the appliance is new or has just been adjusted, wearing it at night makes sense. Once the teeth are stable, it can also be taken out at night. If you sleep poorly with it at first, you can wear it during the day only until you have gotten used to it. What matters is the individual instruction you receive at the practice. Objective measurements with built-in sensors show that removable plates are worn on average about three and a half hours a day less than prescribed – which makes the night the most important and at the same time the easiest wear time. How often do you need to clean a removable appliance? + Clean the removable appliance regularly so that bacteria and plaque do not build up – this protects the appliance, your teeth and your gums. Recommendation: rinse it with water after every meal and clean it thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Store it in a clean, dry container and clean that container regularly as well. If a removable appliance is worn for longer than three months, the oral mucosa is measurably more often colonized by yeast fungi – once the wear period ends, this returns to normal. When do you get used to a removable appliance? + How long it takes to get used to it varies depending on the type of appliance (e.g. retainer, aligners or functional regulator) and on individual sensitivity. Most people get used to it within a few days to a few weeks. It helps to wear the appliance regularly, to increase the wearing time slowly and to keep it clean. In studies on speech, the initial changes in sound production caused by a removable appliance had largely disappeared after about seven days; individual sibilant sounds may take somewhat longer. How quickly does a removable appliance work? + A removable appliance usually works more slowly than fixed braces because it applies less force to the teeth. How quickly something becomes noticeable depends on the degree of misalignment, on age and on the daily wearing time – it usually takes several weeks to months before a visible change appears. As a rule, this requires a wearing time of 14–16 hours per day; check-up appointments are usually needed every 6 to 8 weeks. +Sources & studies Sources: Batista, K.B.S.L., Thiruvenkatachari, B., Harrison, J.E., & O’Brien, K.D., 2018. Orthodontic treatment for prominent upper front teeth (Class II malocclusion) in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3):CD003452. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003452.pub4 Grippaudo, C., Paolantonio, E.G., Antonini, G., Saulle, R., La Torre, G., & Deli, R., 2016. Association between oral habits, mouth breathing and malocclusion. Acta Otorhinolaryngologica Italica, 36(5), S.386–394. https://doi.org/10.14639/0392-100X-770 de Bittencourt Neto, A. C., Saga, A. Y., Pacheco, A. A., & Tanaka, O. (2015). Therapeutic approach to Class II, Division 1 malocclusion with maxillary functional orthopedics. Dental press journal of orthodontics, 20(4), 99–125. https://doi.org/10.1590/2176-9451.20.4.099-125.sar Mahfouz, M., & Mahfouz, Y. (2015). Orthodontic Management of Occlusal Prematurity in Early Mixed Dentition. Open Journal of Stomatology, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.4236/ojst.2015.52006. Fränkel, R., & Fränkel, C. (1983). A functional approach to treatment of skeletal open bite. American Journal of Orthodontics, 84(1), 54-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9416(83)90148-3 Marşan G. (2007). Effects of activator and high-pull headgear combination therapy: skeletal, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue profile changes. European journal of orthodontics, 29(2), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejo/cjm003 Meng, M., Xie, Y., Cao, J., Yu, Y., Zhou, X., & Zou, J. (2023). Effects of bonded spurs, fixed and removable palatal crib in the early treatment of anterior open bite: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics : official publication of the American Association of Orthodontists, its constituent societies, and the American Board of Orthodontics, 163(3), 298–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2022.10.017 Jacob, H. B., dos Santos-Pinto, A., & Buschang, P. H. (2014). Dental and skeletal components of Class II open bite treatment with a modified Thurow appliance. Dental press journal of orthodontics, 19(1), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.1590/2176-9451.19.1.019-025.oar Vogel, D., Ostermann, T., Vogel, H., Loskamp, K., & Fetz, K. (2022). Recommendation of Neurorehabilitation according to the Padovan-Method Neurofunctional Reorganization® for Treating Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review. Complementary Medicine Research, 29(4), 330-361. https://doi.org/10.1159/000522571 Liu, Y., Zhou, J. R., Xie, S. Q., Yang, X., & Chen, J. L. (2023). The Effects of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy on Children with OSAHS’s Craniomaxillofacial Growth: A Systematic Review. Children (Basel), 10(4), 670. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10040670 Almeida, M. R., Henriques, J. F., Almeida, R. R., Almeida-Pedrin, R. R., & Ursi, W. (2004). Treatment effects produced by the Bionator appliance. Comparison with an untreated Class II sample. European journal of orthodontics, 26(1), 65–72. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejo/26.1.65 Koretsi, V., Zymperdikas, V. F., Papageorgiou, S. N., & Papadopoulos, M. A. (2015). Treatment effects of removable functional appliances in patients with Class II malocclusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of orthodontics, 37(4), 418–434. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejo/cju071 Lose Zahnspange in Köln – so finden Sie zu uns Sie interessieren sich für Lose Zahnspange in Köln? Unsere Fachpraxis liegt im Kölner Süden – gut erreichbar aus der ganzen Stadt, mit eigenem Meisterlabor im selben Haus. Fachpraxis für KieferorthopädieHauptstraße 50 · 50996 KölnÖffnungszeiten werden geladen … Termin online buchen0221 – 93 53 02 0 Mit dem AutoKostenfreie Parkplätze im Innenhof – an der Schranke einfach klingeln. Über die Rheinuferstraße aus der Innenstadt, über die A555 aus Richtung Bonn, über die Rodenkirchener Brücke vom rechten Rheinufer. Mit Bahn und BusZwei Haltestellen in Gehweite: Bahnhof Rodenkirchen (Linien 16 und 17, Bus 130, 131, 134, 135) und Heinrich-Lübke-Ufer (Linien 16 und 17, Bus 130, 134). Jugendliche kommen so allein zum Kontrolltermin. Aus ganz Köln erreichbarKurze Wege aus Rodenkirchen, Sürth, Weiß, Hahnwald, Marienburg, Bayenthal, Raderthal, Zollstock, Rondorf und der Südstadt – über die Rodenkirchener Brücke auch aus Porz und dem rechtsrheinischen Köln, aus dem übrigen Stadtgebiet über Rheinuferstraße und Militärring. SprechzeitenMo–Do 8:00–12:30 und 13:30–18:00 Uhr, Fr 8:00–12:30 und 13:30–16:00 Uhr. Geöffnet an rund 50 Wochen im Jahr, Termine auch online rund um die Uhr. Questions about removable appliances? Schedule your no-obligation initial consultation at JUST KFO – Dr. Steinmaier & Kollegen in Cologne. 0221 – 93 53 02 0 Mon–Thu 8:00–12:30 & 13:30–18:00 · Fri 8:00–12:30 & 13:30–16:00 Book an appointment online