Can months of use lead to material fatigue?

Question

My son has been using his FaceFormer regularly for almost 7 months. In principle, we are happy with it, but I discovered today when cleaning it that small cracks have formed in the material. Can the FaceFormer still be used or do we need to buy a new one?

Answer

The FaceFormer is subject to high loads during use. However, the material is designed to be relatively wear-resistant, but not indestructible. The FaceFormer may also need to be replaced after a certain period of use, which is often important for hygienic reasons. Comparable devices, such as bite splints, which are made by dentists and cost at least € 800.00, wear out after approx. 3 months. They then need to be replaced.

A further and not uncommon problem that limits the durability of the FaceFormer arises because children bite on the mouth shield and then pull on the appliance. This type of misuse can be recognized by the fact that clear bite marks can be seen on the mouth shield. Cracks can appear at the edges of the mouth shield or at the base of the lip wedge. When used correctly, no marks are visible on the mouth shield.