Orthodontic headgear was a common solution many years ago, but advances in orthodontics and dental technology have allowed dentists to treat many patients without the use of such bulky, awkward and ugly equipment. Headgear was typically used for young patients to help fix a severe overbite. The headgear would control the growth of the maxillary arch, as opposed to the mandibular arch.

         There are two main types of orthodontic headgear, the facebow and the j hook. The J Hook headgear uses wires that attach to your braces on one end and a strap that fits over your head to create the prssure for correcting the overbite. The Facebow is made of a bow that fits into brackets on your back teeth as well as a strap that fits over the back of your neck to apply pressure in a particular direction, holding the growth of the arch.

        There are a great many drawbacks to using orthodontic headgear to fix a malocclusion, meaning "bad bite". First of all, the headgear is very ugly. No person of any age would want to wear the headgear for around 14 hours a day, the minimum necessary to affect any changes. With children especially, the headgear can be socially crippling. Children are also rather rambunctious, and heavy physical activity could lead to the headgear being damaged.

        Our dentists do not use orthodontic headgear for orthodontic treatment. This is because we believe that other orthodontic alternatives have provided us with other ways to solve orthodontic problems. The dentists at the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You are welcome to join our family of patients. If you are interested in learning more about orthodontic treatments and would like to discuss your alternatives with a dentist who provides orthodontics, consider scheduling a free orthodontic consultation appointment with Atlanta Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, by calling 404-874-7428.