The Idea Behind It
Myobrace treats the cause of crooked teeth rather than the result. That is the whole difference between it and braces.
Most crooked teeth are not caused by teeth that are too big. They are caused by jaws that did not develop wide enough for them.
Jaw growth is shaped by the muscles around it. Change how a child breathes, swallows and rests the tongue, and you change how the jaw grows.
For what the system is, see Myobrace. This page explains how it actually works.
What Is Going Wrong
Four habits do most of the damage, and all four are easy to miss because they look like nothing.
- Mouth breathing. The tongue drops low and the upper jaw loses the outward pressure that widens it.
- Low tongue posture. At rest the tongue should sit against the palate. There it acts as a natural former.
- An incorrect swallow. Some children push the tongue forward against the front teeth, thousands of times a day.
- Lips apart at rest. Lip muscles that never close leave the front teeth unsupported.
Thumb sucking and prolonged dummy use add to the same picture. So does chronic congestion, which forces mouth breathing.
Straightening teeth without changing these habits means the same forces are still there afterwards.
What the Appliance Does
The appliance is a soft, removable device that sits over both arches. It is not fixed to the teeth and nothing is glued on.
It works in three ways at once.
- A raised tag holds the tongue in the correct position against the palate.
- The shape encourages the lips to stay closed, so the child breathes through the nose.
- Channels guide the teeth towards better alignment as the jaw develops.
The alignment part is the smallest part of the job. Most of the work is retraining muscles.
The Daily Routine
Your child wears the appliance for one to two hours during the day, and then overnight while sleeping.
Daytime wear is active. It is paired with a short set of exercises for breathing, tongue position, swallowing and lip closure.
Overnight wear is where the habit change holds. Sleeping with the mouth closed is the single biggest change for most children.
The exercises take a few minutes. Doing them every day matters far more than doing them perfectly.
The Stages
Habit correction
The first appliance focuses on breathing and tongue position. Teeth are barely touched at this point.
Arch development
Once the habits are improving, the focus moves to widening the arches so there is room for the adult teeth.
Dental alignment
A later appliance refines the position of the teeth themselves, once the space exists for them.
Retention
Wear reduces gradually. Because the habits have changed, the result is held by the child's own muscles.
How Long It Takes
Myobrace is measured in years, not months. Most children are in the programme for around two to three years.
That is slower than braces would be, and it is worth knowing before you start. You are waiting on growth and on habit change.
Visits happen every six to eight weeks. Progress is checked, exercises are corrected, and the appliance is changed when your child is ready.
What Decides Whether It Works
Compliance decides the outcome, more than anything the dentist does. The appliance does nothing in a drawer.
- Daily wear, both the daytime hours and overnight.
- The exercises done consistently.
- A parent who supervises rather than reminds.
- Blocked noses treated, so nose breathing is possible.
- Starting while the jaw is still growing.
If your child cannot breathe through the nose, that is treated first. Asking them to keep their lips closed otherwise will not work.
The Right Age
Between about three and fifteen, with the strongest results in younger children. Growth is what the system uses.
Waiting until all the adult teeth are through means the jaw has largely finished developing. At that stage braces are usually the realistic option.
Whether it suits your child is decided at the Myobrace evaluation, not on a website.
Severe crowding and some jaw problems need braces regardless of age. Your dentist will say so plainly rather than start a programme that cannot deliver.
Related Reading
- Myobrace
- Myobrace patient evaluation
- Crooked teeth, and why they happen
- Early interceptive treatment