Herbst Appliance

As an orthodontist, are you wondering how you can avoid surgery for patients with malocclusions that have developed during lower jaw growth and still help them achieve the smile of their dreams? Then the Herbst appliance is a possible solution. The Herbst appliance is a widely used treatment method in orthodontics for advancing the lower jaw. The Herbst appliance is used to treat skelletal and dental class II anomalies, i.e. distal bite or mandibular advancement and laterognathia. The fixed appliance is also used when there is a lack of compliance during treatment with Class II elastics.

At RealKFO, we are a specialised orthodontics laboratory and work with dental practices and orthodontists throughout Germany to support your patients with malocclusions in their treatment thanks to our innovative appliances such as the Herbst appliance. Get in touch with us.

First introduced by Emil Herbst at the beginning of the 20th century and named after its inventor, the appliance has become an integral part of modern orthodontics. After being somewhat forgotten in the 1930s, it was later rediscovered by Hans Pancherz and is now one of the best-researched therapeutic instruments in orthodontics. It is a fixed appliance consisting of telescopic connecting bars between moulded splints in the upper and lower posterior region. It connects the first maxillary molars (molars) with the mandibular canines on the corresponding side. Alternatively, bands can be attached to the tooth. The purpose of the Herbst appliance, often referred to as the Herbst hinge, is to move the teeth into neutral occlusion by shifting the lower jaw. The telescopic mechanism of the appliance positions the lower jaw forwards bit by bit during the treatment period.

This form of mandibular advancement leads to a much faster and more reliable result than, for example, the use of class II elastics. The success of such removable appliances for bite position correction depends largely on the co-operation of the patient. The patient must participate in the treatment by regularly inserting and changing the elastics. With the Herbst appliance, on the other hand, this is not necessary as the appliance is fixed in place and works throughout the day. Treatment success is therefore visible very quickly; the treatment period is usually between six (in children) and ten months. Surgical intervention in the form of jaw position correction can be successfully avoided in many cases thanks to this appliance.

For a long time, the use of the Herbst appliance was considered the most promising for adolescent patients with permanent teeth who had passed their pubertal growth peak. In the meantime, however, this limit has shifted backwards, as many adults wish to have an aesthetic tooth appearance but would like to undergo non-surgical treatment. Accordingly, this device can be used in patients with little residual growth to be expected, i.e. in adolescents and adults up to around the age of 30, but also in Class II cases regardless of age.

However, there are some prerequisites for treatment with the Herbst appliance: an inflammation-free periodontium and healthy tooth structure, as the appliance is attached via this tissue.

RealKFO will advise you! In our specialised laboratory in Wehrheim near Bad Homburg, we manufacture orthodontic appliances of all kinds - from removable appliances and orthodontic tools to fixed or invisible appliances. We are known for our wide range of new and pioneering techniques and have earned an excellent reputation as a competent specialist laboratory that extends beyond Germany's borders.