Herbst appliance update

Well It has been 4 months since Paige has had the Herbst appliance installed in her mouth. I see her every day so I have to admit that I don't notice change as well as someone who doesn't see her often. However, when I was looking through some old photos from the start of school I was amazed at the change in her teeth, her overbite & her top front teeth which are currently in braces. (she will have full braces put on Chen the Herbst appliance is removed. They estimate she will wear it for a year)




Can you tell a Huge difference? I sure can. The pictures on the left are from the start of the year, the pictures on the right have been snapped in the last month.

Paige has gotten used to the appliance, it really is not a big deal. The main thing Paige says is,"it is hard to brush around." It frustrates her that it takes longer to brush around it. Besides that, talking, eating, and yes even yawning is no Big deal now days.

When I take her in for an adjustment. (I bring her to the orthodontist about every 6 weeks where they adjust the appliance by moving the jaw forward a little bit more. Small adjustments are made slowly each 6 weeks to try to make the change more comfortable. For about a day or two she will take some Tylenol, but usually by the middle of the following day she forgets to ask for it.

I am really glad that we decided to do this!! The changes in her jaw line and the decrease in her overbite is so startling and we are not even halfway done!! I'm glad that we did not get scared off from doing this by some of the scary stuff we read on line!

Amy