And while it typically takes orthodontists a few months to detect the fib, new "smart" headgear can monitor a patient's compliance, letting doctors of the jaw know exactly when the headgear's on and when it's collecting dust.

Since September, orthodontist Michael McNeil of Corpus Christi, Texas, has been using the new headgear, which monitors compliance with a small infrared device attachment that records motion and relays it to a database.

He says the results with his 30 young patients, most between 10 and 12 years old, have been tremendous.

"It definitely works better," he said. "I plan to never go back [to traditional headgear]."

McNeil says it's a combination of fear and motivation that makes children actually wear the new headgear.

"It's kind of like big brothers watching over them. They know they can't cheat," McNeil said.

Ortho Kinetics president Craig Jacobson developed the smart headgear about a year ago, and has built up a customer base of about 100 orthodontists worldwide who have pushed out the product to nearly 3,000 braces-wearing adolescents.

He said headgear was an area that needed innovation.

"It's given to people at an awkward age, and it's kind of an intrusion into the mouth," he said. "The curse of having to wear it to school during those delicate years only adds to the pleasure."

Jacobson gives credit for his idea to Michael Northcutt, an orthodontist who patented a version of smart headgear 20 years ago. Northcutt's invention, called "timing headgear," used a battery-operated timing device that strapped onto the headgear and recorded a patient's total use.

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