Facemask Therapy
An extraoral orthopedic appliance treatment that applies forward traction to the maxilla to correct Class III skeletal discrepancies in growing patients.
Full Definition
Facemask therapy, also called reverse-pull headgear, uses an external frame resting on the forehead and chin to apply elastics that pull the upper jaw forward. It is most effective during the mixed dentition phase when sutural growth is still active. Editors will encounter this term in case reports, treatment planning documents, and clinical outcome studies. The appliance is prescribed primarily to redirect maxillary growth in patients with a deficient midface. It is distinct from conventional headgear, which applies rearward force to the maxilla.
Usage
Usage note: Do not abbreviate to 'facemask' alone in clinical documents without context, as the term can be confused with surgical face masks.
In Context
- "The author described facemask therapy as the first-line intervention for the seven-year-old patient's Class III skeletal pattern." — Clinical case report
- "Results of facemask therapy are most stable when treatment begins before the pubertal growth spurt." — Systematic review abstract