Herbst appliance

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#1 Post by **newbie** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:23 am

I just got the brackets on yesterday without the wires. My ortho recommended using a Herbst to correct my overbite. The wire and the Herbst will be put on in 2 weeks.

Is the Herbst appliance horrible? Or do you get used to it just like braces?

I'm a very small adult with a small mouth. I already feel like I have a mouth full of metal with just the brackets. The thought of having yet another contraption in my mouth is scary.

#2 Post by **thesallymonster** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:09 am

I'll be honest, I really didn't like the Herbst appliance.

That being said, you will get used to it, though it might take a couple weeks. Just make sure you don't open your mouth too wide as the appliance gets stuck when you do, and that's embarrassing!

Remember, the alternative to the Herbst would likely be painful (not to mention expensive) jaw surgery, or at least it would've been for me. For me, it was a very worthwhile sacrifice, and it worked! No surgery or extractions for me!

#3 Post by **TheShmo** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:18 am

I had the Herbst appliance the first time around (as a teen), and didn't it find it TOO terrible... I do agree w/ PP that its gets stuck alot (at least for me) until you get used to it, but eventually I got to where I could dislodge it with my tongue, and if it became unhinged, I could even put it back together that way (NOT advised by the ortho just FYI

). I also have a small mouth (every dentist I've been to says I have a tiny mouth with huge teeth LOL makes taking impressions difficult). The only other problem I had w/ the appliance was, I would develop cankers/ulcers where the device was connected to my teeth if I didn't wear wax, but that too went away with time.

Good luck! Hope it works well for you

#4 Post by **newbie** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:10 am

Thanks for the responses.

Maybe I'll asked the dentist about it getting stuck. I can't have that happen when I'm at work. Yikes.

I've finally come to the conclusion that I'll give it a try for 2 weeks. If I hate it than I'll have it removed. I just wish they would go ahead and install the thing. All the waiting and worrying is driving me crazy.

#5 Post by **thesallymonster** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:49 pm

I would advise you to give the Herbst a little longer than two weeks. It might take you longer than that to get used to it. I would say that you should give it a month.

Your Herbst shouldn't get stuck if you don't open your mouth wide. You can start practicing this now so you don't have troubles when the Herbst is in.

#6 Post by **newbie** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:48 am

A month? How in the world did you survive? I should probaly stock up on mushy food, right? What do you think was the worst possible part? The bulk or the pain?

I am already not able to chew. After they took the measurement for the herbst the assistant put the larger size spacers in (aqua instead of dark blue). My back teeth are killing me.

I'm not really sure this was necessary but I'm too embarrassed to go back. I've already been back in a couple of time.

#7 Post by **TheShmo** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:28 pm

I agree to try to give it a month... Personally, I didn't have much pain with it, and didn't have to do mushy foods at all (went to Furrs Cafeteria and ate Salisbury steak and mushrooms right after LOL) The next couple of days were pretty sore, and the bulk is definitely the worst part IMO... but you do get used to it quickly. OH and just so you know, in my case, both times I had braces, the spacers were the absolute WORST part of it all... I was more sore from that than from anything they did after that, so you are almost done with that pain!
KUP on how it goes... and don't feel bad about going back.. your ortho should understand that you are new to this, and be accomodating.
Good luck!

#8 Post by **thesallymonster** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:22 pm

TheShmo is right, spacers are usually the worse than the appliances (and I had them twice, so I would know!).

For me, the Herbst didn't cause too much actual pain (I was a bit sore at first, but that was it), but I had trouble chewing for like two weeks after I got it because my back teeth didn't meet. That resolved itself, though. Other than that, it was mostly the bulk of the appliance that annoyed me. I was always getting food stuck in the appliance, much more so than in just braces alone. Also, the appliance itself getting stuck or the rods coming out of the tubes, which I've already mentioned above.

Oh, and the Herbst sometimes has a lingual bar on it (mine did), so you might talk with a funny lisp at first. Don't worry, though, the speech issues should go away after about a week or so.

#9 Post by **newbie** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:43 pm

Thanks again you two. I really appreciate the advice.

It's nice to have a little insight before I venture down this road. That way I'm not totally in shock and know what to expect.

I'm getting the herbst a week from today. Right now the spacers don't hurt any longer and I'm able to eat normally. Not really looking forward to this stopping. I have a feeling the bulk in my mouth will be the worst part.

#10 Post by **newbie** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:41 pm

Just got the herbst today. Well part of it anyway.

They put in the top and bottom parts but not the bar that hooks them together. I think my dentist is trying to let me get used to the thing gradually. I respect this but in a way I would rather just get the whole thing over with all at once.

Right now the bar behind my bottom front teeth that is bothering me. Also when I close my mouth it's metal hitting on metal in the back which I don't care for. Maybe this will change once the bar goes in? I find myself keeping my mouth open all the time to prevent the feeling of my teeth hitting together. The screws at the top are starting to hurt.

It's going to be a long next couple of weeks......

#11 Post by **utmegs** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:26 pm

I have to be honest, my experience with the Herbst was horrible. I hated the way it looked, the way I talked, the way it felt, how difficult eating was, etc. But I was willing to endure it if it worked. But after about 6 weeks of wearing it (at which point I was getting more used to it, but I still hated it), one of the bottom back bands broke. In order to repair it the whole appliance had to be removed and sent back to the lab. It took 4 weeks to repair, so obviously in that time I'd lost whatever progress I'd made during the time I had it in. They put it back in, I had to readjust to it all over, and then again, after about 7 weeks it broke again (while I was asleep, so it's not like I was cracking walnuts with my jaw or anything). At that point both my ortho and I agreed that it wasn't worth messing with it anymore. There was just no way I wanted to go through that again just to have it potentially keep breaking.

I actually still have the top and bottom expanders from the Herbst in. It was sent back to the lab and they removed the connecting rods and changed the remaining bands into braces brackets. My ortho also cut off the wire that goes behind the bottom teeth (no longer necessary), which has helped a lot. Now I have the expanders along with regular braces and my ortho is going to try a different method to correct my overbite. Honestly, I think I'd take surgery over the Herbst at this point, but hopefully that won't be necessary.

I certainly hope your experience with the Herbst is better than mine was!

Megan

#12 Post by **newbie** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:44 pm

utmegs,
Wow. That was a horrible experience. How strange that it broke twice.

At this point I still haven't gotten the full Herbst yet. I just have the metal spacers and the wire that goes behind my teeth. I'm anxious to have the whole thing in so I can see just how bad it's going to be.

What else is your ortho going to do to fix your overbite? If you don't mind me asking.