Headgear were made famous through their use on various teenagers in John Hughes movies. Although a lot of people see headgear as a movie stereotype, we use headgear to correct problems with your bite. No one wants to wear headgear for an extended period of time, so how can you get the most from your headgear so you can get rid of it? We have some suggestions. Headgear Headgear is another type of orthodontic appliance. We use headgear to help correct bite issues, either overbites or underbites, that you might have. Usually, we use headgear with children and adolescents, because their bones are still growing. Headgear allows your mouth to be corrected, no matter how severe the bite problems are. How to Get the Most from Headgear Wear The most important thing you need to know about wearing headgear is that you need to wear it as long as we tell you to. For most patients, this is 12 to 14 hours per day every day. We understand that this is not fun for you, especially if you are at school or you have to work. However, wearing headgear is temporary. The more often you wear your headgear, the less time you have to wear it. Also, you can’t take vacations from your headgear, you have to wear it every day. If you don’t, you aren’t taking advantage of the changes in your mouth that happen when you wear the headgear. Be sure that you are not eating while you are wearing headgear. You’ll need to take the headgear off when you’re eating. Some people don’t want to take their headgear off when they eat, but in the long run, it is better to remove your headgear. You also need to remove your headgear when you are participating in sports, because of the risk of damaging your teeth if you get hit in the face. If you have questions about headgear, why not give us a call? We love to answer questions!