Herbst Appliance

Hello J.. I am an orthodontist. I love the Herbst appliance! This is why. 9 times out of 10 when a patient has a Class II malocclusion, it is the lower jaw that is at fault and not the upper jaw. The Herbst brings the lower jaw in the ideal position. If headgear is used in cases where the lower jaw is at fault, it brings the upper jaw back to meet the lower jaw which is in the wrong position anyway. The teeth will be straight, but they might not look the best in the patient's face. Especially, if the patient is young they look ok becasue they're young. But as the patient ages, they may not look ok. Another alternative to treat a Class II malocclusion is to take out two upper teeth (maybe 4 if the patient is really crowded). Again, if the lower jaw is at fault, taking out 2 upper teeth and bringing the upper teeth back to match the lower jaw which is in the wrong position is not ideal. Also they may look great for now, but depending on the patient can make them look older in the future. Unfortunately, the nose and the chin continue to grow long after we stop. If some adults came to me with the same overjet that some kids have, they may actually have to have orthognatic (jaw) surgery for the ideal treatment. So a Herbst is ideal for children because you can use their growth to correct the problem. Don't know if your child snores, but bringing the lower jaw into the correct position can stop snoring. The Herbst in my opinion and in my hands treats more than just the teeth. To me it is 1000% better than headgear. I don't have to depend on the patient to wear it. Patient-wise, it takes about 3-7 days to adjust to it. At first and after each adjustment, the back teeth don't touch but in about 3 days the back teeth touch. Ask the orthodontist for some cotton rolls to place in the mouth during sleeping, especially if they sleep on their side. It takes so getting used to. I'm sure that this was way more than you wanted to know, but it hope it helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

I work for an orthodontist. The herbst appliance is a lot scary than it looks. It does take some getting used to, but the results are amazing. It is also a lot better than the alternative, which is usually pulling permanent teeth when the child is older. In my experiences in my office, the kids usually take about 3 weeks to get used to it, initially. Then when they come in and have it adjusted, they need about another week to get used to it again. In the"old" days, a kid would have to wear headgear, instead of a herbst, you probably remember some kid in junior high wearing that awful contraption on their head.
Just remember, you are getting your child orthodontic treatment to help them in the future.

I had a herbst as a 14 yr. old. Too late to really fix the issue as I had pretty much stopped growing at that point (according to another Ortho). 9 is a much better age to do it.

It's a little awkward at first but your child will get used to it. It's good that you're starting earlier. I wish I did.

I had one as an adult to help my snoring. I think anything takes a little getting used to and then, no biggie.

I stumbled upon the Herbst appliance while searching for answers on how to correct overbites. When I was young, about 40 years ago, they automatically put braces on you and pulled your upper teeth back to meet the lowers. I have such a short chin that I now feel like the entire lower half of my face is recessed. As I've gotten older it's like I have too much flesh on my face and no visible chin, and with jowls!! LOVELY! I will NOT let this happen to my son. He has inherited my overbite and though I cannot afford the herbst for him just yet, I will keep hoping I can find a way. He's now nine years old so hopefully there is still time.