Myobrace® at SmileHouse
Myobrace® for children: treating crooked teeth at the cause
A removable appliance, no brackets, short daily exercises: Myobrace® works on the habits that push a growing jaw and teeth out of line. Dr. Steffi Koychev treats children from Zug, Cham, Baar, Lucerne and the Seetal with it – in Hitzkirch, in English or German.
Myobrace® is an early orthodontic treatment system for children aged roughly 3 to 15. A soft, removable appliance is worn for one to two hours a day plus overnight and combined with short daily exercises. The aim is to correct mouth breathing, low tongue posture, an incorrect swallowing pattern and thumb sucking – the habits behind narrow jaws and crooked teeth in many children. At SmileHouse in Hitzkirch (Bahnhofstrasse 3, canton of Lucerne), Myobrace® is provided by Dr. med. dent. Steffi Koychev, MSc Orthodontics, SSO member, who is trained and licensed for the Myobrace® System. The practice is about half an hour by car from Zug, Cham, Baar and Lucerne.
Dr. med. dent. Steffi Koychev is trained and licensed as a Myobrace® provider. As an orthodontist (MSc Orthodontics, SSO member) she first assesses whether Myobrace® is the right tool for your child – and tells you plainly when it is not.
What Myobrace® does differently
Crooked teeth are rarely only about the teeth. When a child breathes through the mouth, rests the tongue low in the mouth or pushes it against the teeth when swallowing, the upper jaw misses the gentle pressure it needs to grow wide enough. Parents usually see the result years later: crowding, protruding front teeth, a crossbite. Conventional braces straighten the teeth afterwards. Myobrace® starts earlier and trains the habits that steer growth in the right direction on its own.
The appliance
A soft, removable silicone trainer matched to the stage of dentition. It is worn for one to two hours during the day and while sleeping – not at school, not at meals. There are no brackets and no wires.
The exercises
Short breathing, tongue and lip exercises that fit into daily life, introduced step by step at the practice. They are the real core of the treatment: the appliance reminds the child of what it has practised.
The follow-up
Regular check-ups in Hitzkirch where we assess breathing, tongue posture and tooth position, fit the next trainer and talk through what is working at home and what is not.
What parents notice
None of these is a diagnosis, but each is a good reason to have your child assessed early – even if the teeth still look straight.
Mouth open at rest
Your child breathes through the mouth while watching TV, reading or sleeping; the lips are rarely closed.
Snoring and restless sleep
Loud breathing at night, teeth grinding, tired in the morning.
Thumb, dummy, lips
Thumb sucking or a dummy beyond the age of three, lip biting, tongue thrusting when swallowing.
First signs in the teeth
Protruding upper front teeth, crowding in the lower jaw, a crossbite, a gap between the rows of teeth when biting together.
Which age
Myobrace® comes in series matched to the stage of dentition. Which series and which stage fits is decided by the examination – not by age alone.
Myobrace® for Juniors
Primary teeth, roughly 3 to 5 yearsThe earliest start: establishing nasal breathing, letting go of thumb and dummy, showing the tongue where it belongs. The exercises are simplified and playful, and expectations of compliance are realistic for the age.
Myobrace® for Kids
Mixed dentition, roughly 6 to 10 yearsThe stage at which most children start. While the permanent teeth are coming through, habits are corrected and the jaw is supported in developing its width. Often the best window to avoid later treatment or make it simpler.
Myobrace® for Teens
Permanent teeth, roughly 10 to 15 yearsFor teenagers who are still growing. Whether Myobrace® is enough on its own here or is combined with another treatment depends on the findings – we discuss that openly.
How it works at SmileHouse
- 1
First examination in Hitzkirch: we look at breathing, tongue posture, swallowing pattern, jaw shape and tooth position and take a digital scan instead of impressions. The appointment is charged according to the SSO dental tariff.
- 2
Assessment and plan: we tell you whether Myobrace® makes sense for your child, whether another treatment fits better, or whether waiting is the right answer. You receive a written cost estimate.
- 3
Start: fitting the first appliance, introducing the first exercises, clear rules for home – so that child and parents know exactly what to do each day.
- 4
Check-ups: regular appointments to review progress and compliance, adjust the exercises and move to the next stage when ready. Check-ups are short and can be scheduled after school; on Tuesdays we see patients until 7 pm.
- 5
Completion: once nasal breathing, tongue posture and swallowing are stable, wear time is reduced. If braces are still needed later, they are usually simpler and shorter.
What Myobrace® can do – and what it cannot
Compliance decides
Myobrace® only works if the appliance and the exercises are done every day. For children who dislike it, or families where it does not fit into daily life, another method is the better choice. We raise this before the start, not afterwards.
Not for every misalignment
Significant jaw discrepancies, severe crowding or individual badly rotated teeth will still need fixed braces or aligners afterwards. Myobrace® can shorten that treatment and make the result more stable, but it does not replace it in every case.
Assessed by an orthodontist
We offer Myobrace® because it is the right tool for many children – not because it is the only one. Removable and fixed braces and aligners are all available here, and we recommend what fits the findings.
Getting to Hitzkirch from Zug, Cham, Baar and Lucerne
SmileHouse is at Bahnhofstrasse 3 in Hitzkirch, between Lake Baldegg and Lake Hallwil, about half an hour by car from Lucerne and from Lake Zug. Parking is available near the practice.
Lucerne
About 30 minutes by car (26 km). By train, the S9 Lucerne–Lenzburg runs every half hour directly to Hitzkirch station, about 55 minutes door to door.
Zug and Baar
About 30 minutes by car (29 km) – from Zug via Cham and Sins, from Baar via the motorway. After-school check-ups are easy to fit in; on Tuesdays we are open until 7 pm.
Cham, Hünenberg, Rotkreuz
About 25 minutes by car (22 to 23 km) – the shortest link from the Ennetsee side of Lake Zug into the Seetal.
Costs and insurance
Myobrace® treatment is an early orthodontic treatment; the cost depends on its length, the number of stages and the check-ups involved. After the first examination you receive a written, binding cost estimate before you decide. Basic health insurance in Switzerland covers orthodontic treatment only in a few, medically defined cases; supplementary dental insurance for children, taken out early, often covers part of it. We help with submitting the estimate to your insurer.
Typical prices for braces and what the IV and health insurers cover
Frequently asked questions about Myobrace®
From about age 3, once the primary teeth are all through, and into the teenage years while the child is still growing. Most children start in the mixed dentition between 6 and 10. Whether your child is ready is something the first examination shows – there is no minimum age that applies to everyone.
One to two hours a day plus overnight while sleeping, together with a few minutes of exercises each day. Not at school, not while eating or doing sport. Depending on the starting point and compliance, the whole treatment usually takes one to two years.
No. The appliance is soft and sits loosely; it does not apply force to individual teeth. It often falls out during the first few nights – that is normal and improves as the child gets used to it.
Sometimes yes, often not entirely. With mild to moderate misalignment and good compliance, later braces may not be needed. With more pronounced problems, fixed braces or aligner treatment will still be necessary, but are usually simpler, shorter and more stable afterwards. We tell you what is realistic for your child after the examination.
The cost depends on the length of treatment and the number of stages; you receive a written estimate before treatment starts. Basic insurance covers orthodontics only in a few, medically defined cases; supplementary dental insurance for children often covers part of it. The first examination is charged according to the SSO dental tariff.
No. You can request an appointment with us directly. Your family dentist remains responsible for check-ups and hygiene; we take care of the orthodontic part and keep your dentist informed.
Yes. Consultations and the exercise instructions are available in English as well as German, which matters for families around Zug and Lucerne where one parent often does not speak German.
Request a Myobrace® consultation for your child
Tell us briefly what you have noticed and how old your child is – we will get back to you with an appointment proposal.
Myobrace® is a registered trademark of Myofunctional Research Co. SmileHouse is an independent orthodontic practice.