The Herbst® appliance is designed to correct bites and improve facial profiles. The most common bite problem the Herbst® will correct is when the upper teeth protrude too far beyond the lower. We tend to think that the upper jaw and teeth are too far forward but, more often than not, this condition is due to a small lower jaw that is further back than it should be.

The Herbst® will encourage the lower jaw to catch up in growth. The appliance is cemented and will work for even the most sensitive patient because a constant force is much less painful and disruptive than intermittent forces, like a head gear, and is much more predictable as far as results.

It is often necessary to expand the upper jaw while the lower jaw advances, this is done with the addition of a Palatal Expander. The PSA is turned with a special key until the upper jaw is wide enough. The doctor will advise you about using the key and what to expect from this combination.

The Herbst® appliance can eliminate the need for extracting permanent teeth and/or the need for surgical corrections.

The Herbst® appliance is completely contained in your mouth, and is placed on your upper and lower teeth, staying there until the bite is corrected. At first your mouth will feel full and speaking will be temporarily awkward. You may also notice more saliva than normal, but this will decrease as you become accustomed to the appliance. Even though the Herbst® prevents the lower jaw from moving backward, opening and closing movement still occur easily and patients do not have any problems learning to chew their food with their lower jaw in this new position.

As with all kinds of braces, patients with the Herbst® need to be careful about what they eat. Hard, sticky, chewy and crunchy foods can loosen the cement and pull the braces from the teeth. Don't play with the appliance with your tongue or fingers. More braces are damaged by these careless habits than any thing else.