Herbst appliance

Used in kids’ orthodontic treatment, a Herbst appliance consists of four steel caps that attach to the upper and lower back molars on the left and right sides of your child’s mouth. Two metal cylinders or arms connect the top and bottom steel caps on the outside of your teeth on either side. The top part of a Herbst appliance consists of a palatal expander that will widen your child’s upper jaw.

Herbst appliances place pressure on your child’s lower jaw while gradually pulling the upper jaw backward to bring the upper teeth and bottom jaw into proper alignment. Using a Herbst appliance will help align your child’s teeth for a long-lasting smile and an attractive jawline.

Each time your child visits our office for a checkup, we will monitor their jaw alignment. Depending on your child’s orthodontic needs, we may add a shim to the appliance to adjust the direction of jaw growth. We can also widen your child’s jaw with an expansion mechanism if needed.

Since a Herbst appliance can adjust your child’s jaw and correct their bite simultaneously, a Herbst appliance is most effective before a patient enters the teen years. A child’s upper jaw does not fully fuse until after puberty, allowing the palate expander to widen the upper jaw without the need for surgery or more invasive procedures.

If you are unsure if your child needs an overbite Herbst appliance, Owens Orthodontics offers free initial consultations to determine if this dental device is the best option.

The exact time your child needs to wear their Herbst appliance will depend on the severity of their overbite. Generally, patients wear a Herbst appliance for around 12 months.

While your child is wearing their overbite Herbst appliance, make sure they do not bother the device with their fingers or tongue. To ensure their device stays clean:

• Brush the appliance at least twice a day with a toothbrush.
• Floss the teeth around the bands of the appliance.
• Use a Waterpik to clean harder-to-reach areas and around the teeth.