I'm 20, will a hersbt device still work?

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#1 Post by **beatbox32** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:23 pm

I have overbite, not sure how much but when i bite my top teeth cover all my bottom perfectly.

My teeth are PERFECT. They're straight so i wouldn't need braces. Its just i have a small lower jaw. There is no way i can afford sugery.

When i move move lower jaw forward and align my top teeth with bottom my profile improves dramatically..

So can a 20 yr old still get the device? Please say yes. I have not seen anyone about this in case i ever save up for sugery because i would want to get insurance so they would cover it and if i saw anybody now without insurance they won't cover it. Hopefully it doesn't have to come to that though.plz Help!

#2 Post by **beatbox32** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:44 pm

my bad, i spelled herbst wrong.

#3 Post by **Clo** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:05 am

Hi,

there is only 1 member here who has a Herbst. She is called "thesallymonster".
I think she is 19 or 20.

My orthodontic treatment is already quite long. And once there was a time that
a Herbst could also be a solution for me to correct my overjet. But such a device
tends to open the bite, and since I already have a big open bite, my ortho didn't
want to go that route. But I found on the internet that when the overjet is not
that bad, it is indeed doable to correct using a Herbst. Like in this article :

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1664 ... stractPlus

and :

http://www.angle.org/pdfserv/i0003-3219-069-03-0239.pdf

Their conclusion is that a Herbst can be an alternative to surgery in borderline
class II cases. I know though that it'll change quite some bit the relation of all
teeth, so I am almost sure that a Herbst alone will not be sufficient, you'll need
braces as well to make a good bite. To conclude, it is doable if your overjet isn't
so bad. But maybe it will also be difficult to find an ortho who will or can do this.

#4 Post by **KatieBug** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:15 am

I am 20 and I will be getting the Herbst at the end of the month. My ortho is confident that it will do the job perfectly and says that surgery is too dramatic because the herbst is still an option. I would discuss your concerns with your ortho...One of my very good friend got his herbst when he was 19 and now 21, it worked absoultley perfect on him. I am confident that it will be the best solution for me. I am exited that another user on this forum is going to be getting this appliance!

#5 Post by **beatbox32** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:22 pm

KatieBug wrote:I am 20 and I will be getting the Herbst at the end of the month. My ortho is confident that it will do the job perfectly and says that surgery is too dramatic because the herbst is still an option. I would discuss your concerns with your ortho...One of my very good friend got his herbst when he was 19 and now 21, it worked absoultley perfect on him. I am confident that it will be the best solution for me. I am exited that another user on this forum is going to be getting this appliance!

Thanks guys. Katie what kind of condition do you have? overbite?

#6 Post by **KatieBug** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:21 pm

I have a deep overbite/overjet from sucking my thumb too long...when are you getting your herbst?

#7 Post by **beatbox32** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:27 pm

KatieBug wrote:I have a deep overbite/overjet from sucking my thumb too long...when are you getting your herbst?

Scheduling consultations this week .Not sure if im getting it. Hopefully though i am getting one. That or nothing i guess. Can't afford anthing else.

So you have overbite because of a small lower jawline as well i'm guessing?

Also when the herbst is in place does it over correct the bite right? So your profile will immediatly change when worn

Shout back at me , you're the only other person out there i know that getting one ha..

#8 Post by **KatieBug** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:22 am

Yes, that is one of the best benefits of the herbst...it will immediatly (sorry about spelling) correct your profile. I have an overbite because I sucked my thumb as a child. My lower jaw is slightly smaller than my upper. There is a lot of information out there in the internet. Cruise through some ortho's websites and they will explain everything about the herbst. That is how I learned so much about it. Good luck and keep me posted because you are right...we are the only two here with this torture device.

#9 Post by **BellBoy** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:57 pm

What determines whether a Herbst will work or not? I'm 19 and have an overbite/overjet and I plan on booking an apointment with an orthodontist at the end of january (pay day). Since December Ive being doing lots of research on the internet and it all seems doom and gloom saying at 19 I have probably stopped growing so I will need jaw surgery. Where my teeth chew is not where my "bite" is. My jaw seems to be able to go where ever I want it to. I can give myself and underbite and conciously keep my jaw there with no discomfort. I can correct my overbite by conciuosly holding my lower jaw in place (still have a week chin apperance because of my overjet) So I don't really have a bite. When I'm not conciouslly thinking about my teeth (pretty rare) my lower jaw just kind of hangs a couple of mm down, giving me that mouth breather appearance (which i'm not I wear a chin strap at night to make sure) So I'm kind of speculating here but I think a Herbst may work for me by training the muscles to hold my jaw in the correct place.

When I go to an orthodontist I'm going to mention I'm dead set against jaw surgery for may reasons but do you think I should ask if a Herbst would work? They seem more of a US appliance than a UK one.

#10 Post by **KatieBug** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:51 pm

You know Bell Boy I am not sure how they determine if it will work. My ortho seems to think that it will on me. I am 20 years old and I asked about jaw surgery and she said that it would not be necessary. You can look at my pics of my overbite on the Braces Journal link under KatieBug's Journey. Check it out and let me know how yours is compared to mine.

#11 Post by **beatbox32** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:01 pm

BellBoy wrote:What determines whether a Herbst will work or not? I'm 19 and have an overbite/overjet and I plan on booking an apointment with an orthodontist at the end of january (pay day). Since December Ive being doing lots of research on the internet and it all seems doom and gloom saying at 19 I have probably stopped growing so I will need jaw surgery. Where my teeth chew is not where my "bite" is. My jaw seems to be able to go where ever I want it to. I can give myself and underbite and conciously keep my jaw there with no discomfort. I can correct my overbite by conciuosly holding my lower jaw in place (still have a week chin apperance because of my overjet) So I don't really have a bite. When I'm not conciouslly thinking about my teeth (pretty rare) my lower jaw just kind of hangs a couple of mm down, giving me that mouth breather appearance (which i'm not I wear a chin strap at night to make sure) So I'm kind of speculating here but I think a Herbst may work for me by training the muscles to hold my jaw in the correct place.
.
When I go to an orthodontist I'm going to mention I'm dead set against jaw surgery for may reasons but do you think I should ask if a Herbst would work? They seem more of a US appliance than a UK one.

OMG. You basically described myself. I too can move my jaw to have a massive overbite and then and underbite(to make my profile look normal). I have an appointment Monday and i'm going to find out exactly the questions you're asking for myself. I too have been researching for quite some time and can't really find the anwsers i'm looking for.

I've lost about all self confidence in myself that i once had and becoming really depressed just looking at people with normal jawlines. But then again 15% of the population over 21 is running around with small jaws/abnormal overbites so i guess that a little more comforting knowing that.

I'm gonna throw my photos out there for the hell of it. All of the upclose photos are with me biting all the way down(overbite). I have ones with me looking like i have a more normal profile but kinda pointless posting them.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/561788885EAZKyE

I'll report back too you bellboy what my ortho says Monday. HOPEFULLY, a herbst can still be used, otherwise i'm screwed.

Well now theres 3 of us around the same age on here wanting/getting this

#12 Post by **ohmyjaw** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:49 pm

In order to put your jaw in its natural biting position, first relax your muscles, then push your jaw all the way back and up. That is likely how the ortho is going to test it.

Just retraining your muscles to hold your jaw forwards is not going to help, and that's not what a Herbst does - it actually makes your lower jaw grow.

Hope it works for you!

#13 Post by **beatbox32** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:46 pm

ohmyjaw wrote:In order to put your jaw in its natural biting position, first relax your muscles, then push your jaw all the way back and up. That is likely how the ortho is going to test it.

Just retraining your muscles to hold your jaw forwards is not going to help, and that's not what a Herbst does - it actually makes your lower jaw grow.

Hope it works for you!

Thanks for the input. Do you know how the herbst exactly is put in? Like does it lock on so you have an overcorrected bite right? I still don't really understand it.

#14 Post by **ohmyjaw** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:31 pm

Sorry, I don't know a lot more about it. If you google herbst device you will find some stuff, but the best source of information is your ortho!

#15 Post by **BellBoy** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:24 am

As far as I understand it, the Herbst can only impact bone structure in a growing patient. In adults, I would imagine it only effects purely dental change (i.e. just moves the teeth)

I just did the tounge on the roof thing and my "bite" was a couple of mm, 2 or 3 behind my front teeth but they are protruding at an angle anway. I guessed that the herbst would not alter any jaw growth but maybe train the muscles where to bite correctly (maybe in conjunction with a bite plate) Its crazy but i can give myself about a 5mm underbite or a 5mm overbite it's as if my jaw doesn't have a normal place of rest. I think my molars may have not grown enough which means my two jaws don't meet naturally, thus the overbite, thus the mouth breather apearance. I have no idea I'm just guessing.