Lip Bumper
A removable intraoral arch wire device that holds the lips and cheeks away from the teeth to reduce the muscular pressure on the dental arches, thereby allowing the arches to develop or the molars to drift distally.
Full Definition
A lip bumper consists of an arch wire that fits into tubes on the upper or lower first molars and is positioned in the labial vestibule, holding the lips away from the incisors and canine region. By eliminating the inward soft-tissue pressure, the appliance allows the dental arch to widen or the molars to move distally under the influence of the lip and cheek musculature. It may be used to gain arch length as an adjunct to orthodontic treatment or to reduce lower incisor crowding in growing patients. Editors should note that 'lip bumper' is written as two words (no hyphen) in most contemporary usage, though hyphenated forms appear in older literature.
Usage
Usage note: Preferred spelling is two unhyphenated words ('lip bumper'). Distinguish clearly from a lip retractor, which is a clinical instrument, not an appliance.
In Context
- "A lower lip bumper was fitted to relieve mild mandibular crowding by utilising the patient's own lip musculature." — Mixed dentition treatment plan
- "Compliance with the lip bumper was assessed at each recall appointment by examining bracket wear marks." — Paediatric orthodontics clinic note