Orthodontic Headgear - Adverse Effects

Adverse Effects

Orthodontic headgear has some unpleasant side-effects. These include fear of mockery and harassment with regard to the appearance of the headgear, difficulty when eating, sleeping, and performing head-and-neck motions, and in the case of older teen and adult wearers, interference with relationships by the inhibition of kissing or any other closeness to the face. In some cases, eye injuries have been reported, which is minimized with the use of safety release straps.

The need for headgear in orthodontics and its application by practitioners has decreased in recent years as more orthodontists use temporary implants (i.e., temporary anchorage devices) inside the patient's mouth to perform the same tooth movements.

Soreness of teeth when chewing, or when the teeth touch, is typical. Adults usually feel the soreness 12 to 24 hours later, but younger patients tend to react sooner, (e.g., 2 to 6 hours). Adults are sometimes prescribed headgear but this is less frequent. The headgear is one of the most useful appliances available to the orthodontist, but many patients find it difficult to comply with daytime wear, so it is mainly worn in the evenings and when sleeping. A similar appliance is the reverse-pull headgear or orthodontic facemask, which pulls the patients teeth forward (rather than back, as in this case).