Treatment planning by appliance selection.

Today, there is a wide variety of orthodontic appliances, each of which has its own particular advantages and disadvantages. Some of these appliances move teeth; others move elements of the skeleton, modify growth of hard tissues or modify functions of soft tissues. The modern orthodontist should select the appropriate "blend" of appliances in order to treat the individual problem, rather than follow a particular technique. This article discusses the merits of the various bracket systems that are available and explores how they may be combined to produce an individual appliance for each patient.