The oral screen is a removable orthodontic appliance introduced in 1912 used to correct conditions like thumb sucking and mouth breathing. It works by concentrating pressure from the lips and cheeks on proclined front teeth near the incisal edges. It also prevents forces from the perioral muscles from acting on the back teeth, allowing for arch expansion. Variations include the vestibular screen, which extends into the vestibule without touching teeth, and the double oral screen for eliminating multiple issues. Small holes may be added initially if needed for breathing and gradually reduced in size.

1. Oral screen

2.  Introduced by Newell in 1912.
 The oral screen is used for the correction of the
following conditions:-
1. Thumb sucking, lip biting and tongue thrust
2. Mouth breathing
3. Mild distoclusions with premaxillary protrusion
and open bite in deciduous and mixed dentition.
4. Flaccid orofacial musculature.

3. Mechanism of action
 If the upper incisors are proclined and spaced and
there is an increase in overjet and the oral screen is
made so that it touches only the proclined incisors
and is not in contact with the teeth in the buccal
segments, the pressure of the lips and cheeks which
lie in contact with the smooth divergent lateral wings
of the oral screen will all be concenterated on the
labial surfaces of the proclined incisors near the
incisal edges.
 Oral screen also keeps the perioral musculature away
from exerting its force during functional movements
on the buccal aspect of posteriors. The lingual force
(tongue) acting on the posterior teeth is no longer
counteracted by forces of perioral musculature
resulting in buccal drifting of posteriors or the
expansion of arches.

4.  In a Mixed dentition Class II, Divison I type
malocclusion with mouth breathing are often
associated with excessive epipharyngeal
lymphoid tissue. A vestibular screen may prove to
be a psychological hazard in those cases. As
nasal breathing seems difficult, small holes ( 3
small holes) may be made in the screen, as
recommended by Krauss.

5.  These are cut in the appliances when it is first
given to the pateint and the holes may be
gradually reduced in size with acrylic as the
patient becomes accustomed to the wearing of
the appliance
GRABER AND NEUMANN
Removable Orthodontic Appliances

6. Difference between oral screen and
vestibular screen
 Krauss limited the term “oral screen” to those
appliances with the objective of controlling tongue
function.
 In his version of the vestibular screen, the
material extended into the vestibule in contact
with the alveolar process but did not touch the
teeth at all.
 Other variation of Krauss is the combine oral and
vestibular screen to make a “double oral screen”
for eliminating mouth breathing, tongue thrusting,
and dental protrusion.
GRABER AND NEUMANN
Removable Orthodontic Appliances

7. Adenoidectomy
 Hypernasality occur after removal of adenoids
from children whose soft palate is insufficent to
close the nasopharynx during speech
 Injury to eustachian tube opening.
 Nasopharyngeal stenosis
Logan Turner’s
Disease of the Nose, Throat & Ear
10th edition