page_title: Orthodontic headgear
section_title: Forms of headgear treatment
hierarchical_section_title: Orthodontic headgear / Forms of headgear treatment
caption_attribution_description: English: Full orthodontic headgear with headcap and fitting straps
context_page_description: As the name implies, orthodontic headgear is a type of orthodontic appliance typically attached to the patient's head with a strap or number of straps around the patient’s head or neck. From this, a force is transferred to the mouth / jaw of the subject.
  Thus a headgear is an orthodontic appliance used to correct bite and support proper jaw alignment and growth. Headgear is typically recommended for children whose jaw bones are still growing.
  Unlike braces, headgear is worn partially outside of the mouth. An orthodontist may recommend headgear for a patient if their bite is more severely out of alignment.
  The device typically transfers the force to the teeth via a facebow or J hooks to the patient's dental braces or a palatal expander that aids in correcting more severe bite problems or is used in retention of the teeth and jaws of the patient.
context_section_description: Headgear needs to be worn between 12 and 23 hours each day to be effective in correcting the overbite, typically for 12 to 18 months depending on the severity of the overbite, how much it is worn and what growth stage the patient is in. Typically however the prescribed daily wear time will be between 14 and 16 hours a day.
  Orthodontic headgear will usually consist of three major components:
  Facebow: first, the facebow (or J-Hooks) is fitted with a metal arch onto headgear tubes attached to the rear upper and lower molars. This facebow then extends out of the mouth and around the patients face. J-Hooks are different in that they hook into the patients mouth and attach directly to the brace (see photo for example of J-Hooks).
  Head cap: the second component is the headcap, which typically consists of one or a number of straps fitting around the patients head. This is attached with elastic bands or springs to the facebow. Additional straps and attachments are used to ensure comfort and safety (see photo).
  Attachment: the third and final component – typically consisting of rubber bands, elastics, or springs – joins the facebow or J-Hooks and the headcap together, providing the force to move the upper teeth, jaw backwards.
  Soreness of teeth when chewing or when the teeth touch is typical. Patients usually feel the soreness to 2 to 3 hours later, but younger patients tend to react sooner, (e.g., 1 to ​1 ¹⁄₂ hours). The headgear application is one of the most useful appliances available to the orthodontist when looking to correct a Class II  malocclusion.
caption: Full orthodontic headgear with headcap, fitting straps, facebow and elastics
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