A clinical evaluation of a locking orthodontic facebow

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Biomaterials and Medical Devices

Background:

• Standard orthodontic facebows are prone to accidental detachment during sleep.
• Detachment can compromise extraoral traction effectiveness and pose injury risks.
• A novel facebow design incorporates a locking mechanism to prevent nighttime detachment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new locking facebow in orthodontic treatment.
• To assess patient and orthodontist experience with the modified facebow design.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 706 orthodontic patients across 9 practices.
• Data collected over 2 years from patient and orthodontist feedback.
• Analysis of facebow fit, usage, and accidental detachment incidents.

Main Results:

• All participating orthodontists successfully fitted and adjusted the locking facebows.
• 697 out of 706 patients (over 98%) successfully used the facebow.
• Accidental detachment incidents were reported in less than 1% of nights.

Conclusions:

• The locking orthodontic facebow demonstrates a significant improvement in safety.
• Reduced detachment enhances treatment predictability and patient compliance.
• This design offers a more reliable solution for extraoral traction therapy.