Will my Herbst appliance disfigure me?

[Naveen]

The lower cap of my Herbst appliance is pushing against my cheeks. It's evident from the outside and makes my face look like that of a monkey. I read a quora answer by someone who had a similar experience. Their face retained the shape even after removing the appliance. Will my face end up being in the same manner?

 

[MattKW]

No, it won't change your cheeks.

 

[Naveen]

No, it won't change your cheeks.

I'm extremely happy that I got a reply so quickly. However, I'm still concerned since the protrusion of the cap ends and the bars is quite pronounced. The other Quora user wore it for a year and had the changes stay. On top of that, the cap ends rubbing against my cheeks are causing pain.

 

[MattKW]

The other Quora user Vs the thousands of cases with same or similar appliances and no side-effects. We'd have stopped using such devices if there were these sorts of problems. If they are causing you unremitting pain, talk to your dentist. My own daughter spent years in braces and a functional appliance which was uncomfortable, but the alternative would have been surgery.

 

[Naveen]

The other Quora user Vs the thousands of cases with same or similar appliances and no side-effects. We'd have stopped using such devices if there were these sorts of problems. If they are causing you unremitting pain, talk to your dentist. My own daughter spent years in braces and a functional appliance which was uncomfortable, but the alternative would have been surgery.

That's true. I guess I should discuss it with the dentist. The pain I have in my cheeks is what's fretting me. Thanks for the help, doc. I can't articulate how great a boon it is to get free help from an expert.