Headgear

Traditional Headgear

The purpose of traditional headgear is to help correct excess "overbite" between your upper and lower teeth by inhibiting forward growth of the upper jaw, thereby allowing the lower jaw to "catch up".   It does this by using the top of your head or the back of your neck as an anchor.

It will take several days for you to get used to your new headgear. Practice putting it on and taking it off in front of a mirror. This will be difficult at first but soon with practice and patience little effort will be required. While the first week may be used to work up to the desired number of hours, the headgear needs to be worn a minimum of 14 hours/day. Hours we suggest wearing it are: after school until dinner time, after dinner until bedtime and all night while you sleep. If you wish, you may wear it to school. However, it is best not to wear it when you are eating, playing an active sport, horsing around or swimming. Please remember to bring the headgear with you to all appointments so that we can be sure that it continues to fit comfortably.

We want your treatment with us to progress as quickly and successfully as you do. The more you wear your headgear now, the sooner your treatment will be completed.  The appliance works best when worn 14 hours/day for several months until the bite is corrected, then only while sleeping for a little longer to maintain the change.

Reverse Headgear

The reverse headgear ("facemask therapy") is like wearing a baseball catcher's mask and is used for a  true "under-bite" (anterior crossbite") which is found in only a small percentage of the US population. 

The purpose of reverse headgear is to redirect the growth of the upper jaw in a more forward direction to correct underbite in a growing child.  While it is not uncommon to see children whose lower teeth are in front of their upper teeth when they bite down ("underbite"), this is often the result of them "posturing" their lower jaw forward when asked to bite down, or the result of the way the front teeth grew in.  Whether someone has a true underbite that would benefit from facemask therapy can only be determined accurately with an orthodontic xray.

The facemask is only worn around the house, after school and at night and is connected to an expander in the mouth using two rubber bands.  The appliance works best when worn 14 hours/day for several months until the bite is corrected, then only while sleeping for a little longer to maintiai the change.