https://dereferer.me/?https://dereferer.me/?http://dereferer.org/?https://dereferer.me/?https://www.instagram.com/p/BmRD0BElieo/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=frgz3kv16zgx

I can't imagine these would be very comfortable either...

But that is what it is like for those few seconds or a minute until they clip the ends before tucking them under.  That's how ligature wires work.  I hope you don't think they made you leave the surgery without clipping them and tucking the ends under.  The first picture, however, does not look to have any excuses.  Except it would be worse if you had to have that cemented in and then wear headgear in the buccal tubes on the molar bands after having all that in the roof of your mouth.

That's fair enough. I had no idea what it was, I just liked the look of it. OP's appliance though... that's almost intentionally devious.

https://dereferer.me/?https://dereferer.me/?http://dereferer.org/?https://dereferer.me/?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOszg_Jd1Os

I mean, at least that has a purpose; it looks like the bloke in the video has a pretty bad open bite, so that must help with stabilising it (I say, of course, based on nothing whatsoever, so take it with a grain of salt).

https://dereferer.me/?https://dereferer.me/?http://dereferer.org/?https://dereferer.me/?https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnbg8b2BSdm/?igshid=1jtcf77l009f5

I can barely believe this is actually going into a patients mouth. If so it would be absolutely brutal. How would you ever eat/talk or clean something like that?

https://dereferer.me/?https://images.app.goo.gl/ffxxWArew3g851W89

This appliance with a tongue crib at the top

I think it really depends on what you consider to be "worse", as far as orthodontics are concerned. While I don't think anyone's gonna say that most tongue related appliances are fun, I imagine most folks on this site would have pretty high opinions of headgear, whereas your common Joe would rather not have to use one.

I think if we're talking "worst" in terms of worst to wear, while I personally would love to wear it, I'd have to refer to a set of headgear I saw in a picture years ago, with a metal bite plate attached to the inner bow. Thinking it over, if you're only wearing the headgear during set hours, it might take a lot longer to really get accustom to talking with the appliance, if at all. Combo that with the fact that headgear is one of the most noticeable orthodontic appliances out there, and I think we've got a pretty good contender. If anyone can find the image, do feel free to share!  The picture was of a girl with glasses and her tongue out wearing the facebow in question.