The Twin Block

The aim of this retainer is to promote the growth of your lower jaw. After treatment, your jaws will fit together better, allowing you to use your mouth, teeth and molars better and your lower lip will no longer be between your front teeth. Your appearance will also change.

The Twin Block strengthens the muscles attached to your lower jaw. In the beginning, you will feel some muscle pain. When the muscles have become strong enough, they will hold the lower jaw in the new correct position; only then can the lower jaw begin to grow (through bone production at the joint)

A Twin Block only works if it is worn (almost) 24 hours a day, and works especially well if you eat with it.You may remove it while swimming or brushing your teeth. Make sure you keep the brace in the appropriate box. Make sure that your braces and the box are clean and dry, otherwise, they will start to smell a bit musty.

At first, you will have to get used to your Twin Block, but after that most patients find it a pleasant type of retainer. Many patients are troubled by the following issues in the beginning:

much more saliva production (maximum two days); don’t slurp, just swallow your saliva.
a feeling of fatigue and pain in the masseter muscles (up to four days)
difficulty speaking and also lisping (usually a week)

In the beginning, the retainer may also have sharp edges, which can lead to small blisters in the mouth. These generally go away by themselves within two days. If not, try to keep wearing the retainer and give us a call; we will then make some adjustments.

Take good care of your Twin Block. Brush it three times a week with toothpaste or soap using a separate brush. If deposits build up on the retainer, clean them with a denture brush no more than once a month. If necessary, cleaning vinegar can be used more often than once a month; rinse the retainer well after cleaning.