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headgear

headgear

2 6.2
A device worn on the head to help move the teeth or jaws
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛdˌɡɪr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : aparato de tracción extraoral
  • My orthodontist recommended that I wear my headgear for at least 14 hours a day to improve my bite.
  • wear headgear

I had teeth extracted, I had braces, I had headgear, I had retainers.

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Examples

  • After the installation of my braces, I had to adjust to new rules about when to wear my headgear.

  • She wore braces and headgear.

  • This is the headgear I wear for my teeth.

  • Do not remove your headgear.

  • The four of us all had headgear and braces together.

  • Meanwhile, I'm just a freshman with headgear.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I had teeth extracted, I had braces, I had headgear, I had retainers.

  • Many teenagers feel self-conscious about wearing headgear because it can be quite visible.

How Corrective

headgear
  • Specialized
2 6.2
aligner
  • Specialized
4.0
retainer
  • Specialized
15 5.6

Surface Forms

headgear singular
headgears plural

Morphology

headgear = head + gear (transparent) = head + gear

Refers to equipment worn on the head (orthodontic apparatus), which is directly interpretable from 'head' + 'gear'.

Etymology

Headgear is the simple compound head + gear, with gear meaning 'equipment' and head showing where it is worn. In orthodontics the name tells you it is the equipment worn on the head to help move the teeth or jaw, like a bigger form of 'braces'.