Safety headgear products.

A survey of safety products in the U.K. demonstrates that the orthodontic companies have responded to the need for improvements, and consequently there is a wide choice available. Laboratory tests have shown that there is a large difference in the effectiveness of safety release headgear systems. Further work is needed on safety facebow design to develop a version which meets both the requirements of increased safety, and ease of use. Such a safety facebow, used in conjunction with an effective 'breakaway' headcap will produce a safer system. The safety elements are an integral part of breakaway headgears and safety facebows, and when they are used together--no additional cooperation is required from the patient to increase the margin of safety.