head gear

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#1 Post by **tamsteve** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:05 pm

hello anyone in headgear i was wondering if you knew you were going to wear it before the braces? I just got braces on top and my ortho never said i needed head gear but, i was wondering if he tells you later on in treatment...thanks

#2 Post by **RainyDay** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:10 pm

Hi Tamsteve, I don't know if they tell you right away at your consultation meeting, but mine did tell me that I will most likely need to wear headgear. He didn't say for sure, but he did throw it out there!

#3 Post by **ShinySmile** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:46 pm

I had no clue i was getting it..my ortho gave it to me after I had expanded the top palate for a month, just for some minor adjustments that would have been harder to fix with rubber bands...It was only supposed to be a month, we'll see what he says on Friday!

#4 Post by **Dark_angel** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:00 pm

ShinySmile wrote:It was only supposed to be a month, we'll see what he says on Friday!

Mine was only supposed to be for 6 months but its been 12.

#5 Post by **donnamac** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:15 pm

I don't remember exactly WHEN it was, but my ortho first told me that he didn't think I would need headgear. Welllll, 2 adjustments ago, they put in the top wire that would accomodate....HEADGEAR...so, it looks like I will be wearing it, whether I wanted to or not. ... anything to get me closer to having straight teeth. I am 10 months into my braces, and that 18 months my ortho first told me is closer. Of course, I know that was only an estimate and that is was only an estimate. I'm prepared for that.

#6 Post by **ssfw** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 7:52 am

Hi tamsteve,

I agree with KK that I would hope the orthodontist would have mentioned this to you during the consultation. I do understand sometimes things won't go the way they should and the treatment plan can change but something as important as headgear should be discussed with the patient beforehand and the headgear should not suddenly appear while the patient is sitting in the ortho's chair.

At my consultation, I asked my orthodontist if I would need headgear during my ortho treatment to reduce my overjet and he said I wouldn't need it and he does not usually use headgear on his adult patients. He will be using elastics to reduce my overjet.

Good luck and keep us posted.

ssfw

#7 Post by **Clo** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 7:53 am

Hi,

normally, headgear is part of a whole plan to correct a bite.
Like for example retracting the upper teeth to correct an overjet without
doing extractions. So they know from day one the big steps they will need
to take to correct a bite. At least in almost all cases. So, if they did not
mention it, or if you do not have big bite issues, then most probably, you
will not have to wear a headgear.