braces question- anyones child have a Herbst appliance??

[allicat]

Wondering if anyones child has had one of these Herbst appliances put in? DD has had braces for over a year and her teeth look great but apparently her jaw his misaligned due to her overbite(which has never been noticeable)

Now the ortho says she needs this Herbst appliance for her jaw.
This appliance looks painful and very large for a little mouth like hers.
She is not very happy and that was when she thought she could take it in and out of her mouth. She was beside herself when she found out its permanent for 9 months!!!

 

[Narnian_Princess]

I had this. It is only painful for the first little while (my braces hurt for a month, and the Herbst only hurt for 3 weeks, so it is painful on the teeth for a shorter time than the braces). It is VERY hard to get used to; for the first few weeks I couldn't talk right, and I would unlatch the bars in my sleep because my mouth did NOT like them! I wanted it out so badly, (mine was on for a year) but my mom made me stick with it and I'm glad I did. After 2-3 months I didn't even notice it anymore. One thing that it did for me (this may be because I'm kind of older than most with braces; I was 17-18 when I had it) is it made my cheekbones ache something awful. Weird, I know. And it still hurts to yawn extremely wide even though the darn thing has been off for a year and a half. But you'd never believe how much better my face shape is! I have a state ID photo from before braces and a Drivers License from just before I got them off, and my facial structure actually looks pretty in the DL photo. It really, really does help a LOT, and it was worth all the aggravation, frustration, and pain. to your DD.

 

[Ms. Belle]

My son had one. His jaw was misaligned also. I don't know how he was able to have it in his mouth for as long as he did; they look completely medieval. He did ok with it though, he didn't complain about it at all unless they adjusted it and then he went through regular adjustment pain. It did a good job - his jaw looks really good now.

 

[Katie]

My DD(15) had to wear it for about 18 months. She did NOT wear it all the time, as she was told, or I am sure, she would not had to wear it that long.

She could take it out to eat and to cheer.
However, she took it out ALOT more, the orthodontist threatened to cement it to the top of her mouth....finally, she wore it almost 24/7.

It made a HUGE difference. Her lower jaw was very far back, and now it is almost equal to her upper jaw. Her profile is great.

I know it stinks, but it will be worth it. Just be glad your DD is 9..mine had to wear it 7 and 8th grade.

 

[WDWBarb]

My DD had one as well. She was told 9 months to a year to wear it but ended up only needing it for about 6 months. DD is VERY much a complainer (I love her more than life itself but she loves to fuss!!) but only really grumbled for about 2 days. I couldn't believe how easily she adapted to that thing in her mouth. It really does look HUGE!

DD was 10, BTW.

 

[merrily]

One of my sons had one with no problems. My other son has one currently. The only issue he had was the bars would sometimes unattach. That was resolved with the replacement of a slightly longer bar. Neither on has ever complained about discomfort other when they first got it and occassionally on adjustment. Both had theirs on before they got their braces.

 

[mla973]

I had one prior to braces. It looked weird and akward and was hard to eat at first, but did make a big difference. It hurt a bit when it was time to "turn the key" to tighten (or loosen - don't know which mine was).

 

[coles1mom]

Make sure to give some Motrin or Tylenol before each visit. It helps.

Judi

 

[allicat]

Thanks for the replies everyone. We will just have to deal with it-In the end, its worth it and I will keep telling DD that.
Katie-DD isnt nine, she has to wear it for nine months. Shes 12 going on 13 and becoming very appearance conscious which I fear will be a problem.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

Thanks for the replies everyone. We will just have to deal with it-In the end, its worth it and I will keep telling DD that.
Katie-DD isnt nine, she has to wear it for nine months. Shes 12 going on 13 and becoming very appearance conscious which I fear will be a problem.

I know this is a very old thread, but my DD13 just got the Herbst appliance on yesterday and she can't make her teeth meet. Also it seems like it is making her jaw move to the left when she closes her mouth. Going in this am to see if he put it in wrong? She hates it and can't eat, and just wanted to see if anyone else tortured their child like I am doing.

 

[GinCar]

My son just had this put on. He is doing pretty well, but I am not so sure about sports.
Can anyone reccommend a mouth guard? The ortho gave him one, but it looks kind of flimsy and does not have a strap.

 

[mbedwell]

My DD had a Herbst for about 6-7 months. It was a real pain for the first week or so. Her teeth did not meet either. She ate alot of ice cream pasta and pudding. It was almost a month before her teeth met. They learn very quickly how to eat without using their back teeth. And, in her case, each time it was adjusted her teeth wouldn't meet again.

 

[GinCar]

After searching the internet and posting here, I am beginning to think my DS is the only one who has played football with this appliance!

I can not find information anywhere, and the orthodontist's office is pretty clueless in this area, too.

 

[beachlover9395]

Replying to this old thread, cause I want to show everyone a picture. My son didn't have Herbst, but did have the Mara appliance and palate expander at the same time. Go take a look at these medieval devices he had to live with for about a year - I don't think they could have gotten more metal in his mouth, LOL. He had all of this in his mouth (braces, Mara appliance, and palate expander):


http://www.johnsdental.com/images/ortho/fixpics/mara/Mara.JPG

BTW, his before and after teeth molds are unbelievable! It was definitely worth the price (pain and $$$). *Not his molds in the above pic

 

[sharlon]

My DD13 has a Mara. Her Ortho is one of only two in town that is board certified in Orthodontics. He won't put in a Herbst because there have been problems with the rods with coming apart (as someone mentioned above) or not slliding properly. He said the doctor he bought the practice from was always having emergency calls to fix Herbsts. The Mara is a much newer appliance that doesn't have those problems. DD13 has an unusually small mouth (though you would never know it from how much she talks, LOL), and the Mara has not been an issue from a size standpoint. She also has been able to continue to play her oboe and wore a mouthguard for basketball, no problem.

 

[Green Tea]

My son just had this put on. He is doing pretty well, but I am not so sure about sports.
Can anyone reccommend a mouth guard? The ortho gave him one, but it looks kind of flimsy and does not have a strap.

The mouth guard was a real issue. We tried modifying one with scissors. That was the only problem.

Those that talk about taking it out, you must be thinking about something different. This is adhered with bands to the teeth. It is part of the braces, not a removable thing.

 

[dreamin_disney]

My dd12 will be getting this in April 5th 2011. I feel sooooo bad. I'm worried she will be in pain and unable to eat. She is a picky eater as it is and doesnt need to lose weight. She's in good spirits about getting it in so hopefully she will be fine. I just hate seeing my baby in pain.

 

[TanyaS]

My oldest son has one. The first few days he had trouble eating, but now it's been a few months and he is mostly used to having it.

The other nightmare is brushing and flossing. Ugh. I will be very glad when he is out of his braces, but they appear to be doing the job well. Both his regular dentist and his grandfather/dentist have commented on the good changes in his bite.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Wondering if anyones child has had one of these Herbst appliances put in? DD has had braces for over a year and her teeth look great but apparently her jaw his misaligned due to her overbite(which has never been noticeable)

Now the ortho says she needs this Herbst appliance for her jaw.
This appliance looks painful and very large for a little mouth like hers.
She is not very happy and that was when she thought she could take it in and out of her mouth. She was beside herself when she found out its permanent for 9 months!!!

DS11 just got his in a month and a half ago. He was awkward for about a week, trying to figure out how to eat. Sore fro just a couple days but he never needed tylenol.

 

[TheDrPeps79]

Wondering if anyones child has had one of these Herbst appliances put in? DD has had braces for over a year and her teeth look great but apparently her jaw his misaligned due to her overbite(which has never been noticeable)

Now the ortho says she needs this Herbst appliance for her jaw.
This appliance looks painful and very large for a little mouth like hers.
She is not very happy and that was when she thought she could take it in and out of her mouth. She was beside herself when she found out its permanent for 9 months!!!

I currently have a herbst appliance and it's only been a day and I'm not enjoying it. Depending on the shape of your daughters jaw, she may not be able to swallow or chew, swollen tongue and mouth, drool will drip every time she opens her mouth because she can't swallow, and can loose all or any speech with slurred "s" and eventually will become very irritating. Especially if it seems too large, it would be a complete waste of up to $3000 dollars just for severe uncomfort and possibly crying depending on her age. I will have mine for two years and its been less than 12 hours and I have all those symptoms plus cuts on my tongue and gums. Plus, of her overbite is unnoticeable, I strongly advise you to NOT go through with it. That is just my opinion and some may be fine with it but it all depends and the person wearing the applince.