DAVID WALTON
THE HERBST MECHANISM
DAVID WALTON
O riginally designed for orthodontics , the Herbst components are now widely used in mandibular advancement devices and are one of the most widely used designs in the industry . As more dentists become registered with Medicare the demand for a Herbststyle device has increased . This is not a bad thing as there are many advantages to a Herbst design , such as freedom of vertical movement , lateral movement , simple titration , and Respire even offers micro versions for patients with small mouths .
What is being improved ?
The manufacturer of the Herbst component , Scheu Dental have added a locking bolt so that the titration mechanism cannot migrate back , or retrude , while the patient is wearing the device . Although we have seen this occur in only a few cases , there was feedback that the mechanism needed to be tighter
IS CHANGING
to maintain the desired position . Respire listened and improved the design .
How does it work ?
There are now 2 bolts on the advancement arm . In the image below we have numbered them # 1 and # 2 . # 1 is a locking bolt and # 2 is an advancing bolt . You would use # 2 to advance to the desired position , as you normally would , then advance # 1 the same number of turns until it meets up with bolt # 2 .
To finally lock the bolts together , you turn them in opposite directions . We have provided a video to help explain this process . On the Respire designs , we include millimeter markers so that you can gauge how far the device has been adjusted , these are now to be lined up with bolt # 2 .
Can I choose the original design ?
Scheu Dental have discontinued the original design with immediate effect , through their exclusive U . S distributor , Great Lakes Orthodontics so whichever lab you use , they will be switching in time . However , there will be no price increase for this new development . Just as dental sleep medicine continues to evolve so does Respire .
If you have any further questions on this change , please feel free to contact me at : David @ respiremedical . com .