When your upper teeth protrude
One of the most common problems orthodontists treat is the discrepancy that occurs when the upper teeth protrude beyond the lower. Ordinarily when we see a patient with the upper teeth protruding, 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. With these patients, we would like to encourage the lower jaw to catch up in growth, and braces like the Herbst/MARA appliance help this happen.
Even though the Herbst/MARA appliance 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, if you have an Herbst/MARA appliance, you need to be careful about what you eat. So stay away from these foods during your orthodontic treatment:
Cold foods such as ice slushes, Popsicles, and ice freeze the cement and make your brace loosen.
Sticky foods such as caramels, bubble gum, and candy suckers pull the brace away from your teeth.
Hard foods like crisp vegetables and hard candies bend and loosen the Herbst/MARA appliance too.
Your Herbst/MARA appliance is checked and adjusted at your appointments. If sometimes, between appointments, you develop some sore areas on the inside of your cheeks, please do not try to adjust the appliance yourself. Call (619) DENTIST for an appointment so that Dr. Hoss can make the necessary adjustments.
Wearing an Herbst/MARA Appliance At first, your mouth will feel unusually full and speaking will be awkward. But if you practice reading aloud, your ordinary speech will return quickly. You may also notice more saliva than normal, but this will decrease as you become accustomed to the appliance.
To make your or your child’s first appointment with Dr. Hoss, call (619) DENTIST (336-8478) today!