Headgear
The purpose of your new headgear is to help correct the overbite (protrusion) between your upper and lower teeth. Headgear uses the top of your head or the back of your neck as an anchor. By faithfully wearing your headgear, you are playing a big part in straightening your own teeth.
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 to begin with. This will be difficult at first but will soon take little effort. During the first week patients work up to the desired number of hours. Typically, the headgear must be worn a minimum of 10 hours per 24 hour day, unless we indicate otherwise. We suggest wearing it after school until dinner time, after dinner until bedtime and all night while you sleep. You have the option of wearing it to school or the workplace.
The more you wear your headgear, the better and faster your teeth will move. You cannot wear your headgear for too many hours. You can try snacking or drinking through a straw with your headgear on, but it is best not to wear it when you are eating, playing an active sport, horsing around, or swimming. Please keep track of the total daily hours on the calendar we give you. Please bring the headgear and calendar with you to all appointments.
If any part of your headgear breaks or gets bent so that it fits improperly, or just does not seem to fit correctly, please call the office for an appointment to have it adjusted or repaired. If you lose your headgear, there is a replacement charge.
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 daily hours will be reduced and the sooner your treatment will be completed.
Reverse Headgear (Facemask)
The purpose of your new facemask is to help correct the underbite between your upper and lower teeth. It does this by using the front of your head as an anchor to move the upper teeth and jaw forward.
By wearing your facemask, you are playing a big part in straightening your own teeth. You must wear it faithfully for successful results. It will take several days for you to get used to it. Practice putting it on and taking it off in front of a mirror to begin with. This will be difficult at first but with practice it will soon become much easier. During the first week you will work up to the desired number of hours. The facemask must be worn a minimum of 10 hours per 24 hour day unless we indicate otherwise. The more you wear your facemask, the faster your teeth will move. You cannot wear it too many hours. We suggest wearing it after school until dinner time, after dinner until bedtime and all night while you sleep. You may also wear it to school or work. You can try snacking or drinking with a straw with your facemask on, but it is best not to wear it when you are eating, playing an active sport, horsing around or swimming. Please keep track of the total daily hours on the calendar we give you and please remember to bring the facemask and calendar with you to all appointments.
The chin can sometimes become irritated and chafed from the facemask. Try using only the plastic piece to begin or put moleskin (replace it regularly) or pads to protect your skin. Use any moisturizing cream a couple of times a day on any dry skin. If the skin gets too uncomfortable, discontinue the facemask for a few days. If this irritation returns again upon wearing the facemask, please call the office. We do have a silicon putty that can be applied to the chin piece at your next appointment.
If the jaw joint next to the ear becomes sore or it is difficult to open or close your mouth, please stop wearing the facemask and call the office. You may need a differently designed facemask. If any part of your facemask breaks or gets bent so that it fits improperly, or just does not seem to fit correctly, please call the office for an appointment to have it adjusted or repaired. If you lose your facemask, there is a replacement charge.
We want your treatment with us to progress as quickly and successfully as you do. The more you wear your facemask, the sooner your daily hours will be reduced and the sooner your treatment will be completed.
Lip Bumper
The Lip Bumper is a wire and tube that is placed between your lower teeth and lower lip. It changes unfavorable muscle imbalances of your lip and cheeks. It moves teeth into a more favorable position, creating additional space for crooked and crowded teeth to align.
You may experience one or two days of soreness in your lower back teeth which have bands on them and are used to anchor the Lip Bumper. We recommend that you eat soft foods that do not require a lot of chewing and take Tylenol if the soreness bothers you. The soreness will gradually go away in two to three days. After several days, you may notice redness or a slight groove in your cheek or lip in the area of the lip bumper. This is normal and is not a cause for concern. If the area becomes extremely irritated, please call the office so we can make the proper adjustments.
We will show you how to brush your teeth around the Lip Bumper. This is very important as the Lip Bumper acts as a shield and you must angle your toothbrush to remove all the plaque from your teeth (and from the Lip Bumper).
You will probably be wearing the Lip Bumper for 12-18 months so we want to make sure it is very comfortable. The Lip Bumper significantly reduces the possibility of extracting teeth, reduces the amount of time for braces on all your teeth, and will give you the healthy teeth and beautiful smile that is our goal.