So now that I have a longer tongue, it doesn't quite fit in my mouth the same. It kept bumming my teeth, especially the lower ones. I decided to sell out an orthodontist to help.

I'm also mostly Paleo and familiar with the with of Dr. Weston A. Price, so I went to his sure first to look for a recommendation. From there I found Dr. You in San Diego.

I had never heard of the Myobrace and it was mentioned in his site. This sent me on a long tangent of research...which I love to do anyway. From there I found out about Dr. Mew, claiming power.com, and a few other sites and videos. It all made sense to me due to my already more natural leanings.

In April I started with the Myobrace, given by Dr. You. I probably could have paid way less and just got one online, but I wanted to be safe. Who knows what material is used in the ones online and from China.

I was given the largest teen model, that would be similar to the A1. I think it is the same thing. I am 6'4", so I'm not a small person. I also already have a pretty pronounced jaw, but my top teeth aren't quite wide enough for my new tongue, and there is some crowding.

So I've been using the first version of the Myobrace for over 2 months. When I put it in, it brings my jaw forward. After wearing it overnight, my front teeth are generally sore, especially the lower ones. After about 30 minutes, the soreness goes away but the truth remain a little loose (you can feel then wiggle. After 2 months, there has been little movement that I can tell, but things are happening.

I have a cross bite on one side, which gets exacerbated by the myobrace after wearing it all night. It seems to move my jaw in the opposite direction. When I had my last visit with Dr. You he seemed very pleased though. Something is happening.

I bought some mastic gum that I chew as long as I can when I remember. I also mew whenever I think of it. Both of these weren't specifically recommended by the doctor, but I trust some of the anecdotal evidence online. 

Occasionally I wonder if it is all a bit of woo being the skeptic I am, but the premise makes sense.

I also logged in to the kids Myobrace sure where they have videos on tongue posture that were actually helpful. I think I mostly have good posture in the front but need more room in the back. When I mew, I try to push out in the back. I also probably don't always swallow the right way, but swallowing with you tongue constantly pressed against the roof of your mouth doesn't allow you to fully taste liquids. Oh well.

That's about it for now. I have an appointment later this week where I will ask for the A2.

Thanks for your posts @shane! Both of the adult cases in the "proven results" section of the myobrace website also included the use of fixed braces with their myobrace treatment (  /community/community/main-forum/myobrace-effect-and-treatment-time/#post-4686 ), so I am curious to hear about what results are possible in adults with the myobrace alone. 

Someone posted on the forum a few weeks ago about a consultation with Dr. Mew where he considered the use of a myobrace (  /community/community/case-discussions/my-journey-so-far/#post-4019 ). Another contributor has been using the myobrace for a couple months with some results (  /community/community/main-forum/myobrace-effect-and-treatment-time/#post-4920 ). I am wondering if the myobrace might help improve the symmetry and curve of my upper arch, and reduce the crowding of my lower incisors. Please keep us posted on your progress!

Thanks, Apollo.

One thing of interest is that my doctor said the Myobrace keeps your tongue and lips off your teeth so that they are free to move. 

I have pictures taken during each visit. I'll try to post before/after pics after my checkup on Thursday.

Posted by: Shane

Thanks, Apollo.

One thing of interest is that my doctor said the Myobrace keeps your tongue and lips off your teeth so that they are free to move. 

I have pictures taken during each visit. I'll try to post before/after pics after my checkup on Thursday.

I'd love to see pictures of your progress!

I also have a crossbite on one side so I'm wondering if your tongue tie release was posterior and if they mentioned the crossbite side being more tied?  Did it include any lip ties? 

Posted by: Lee

I also have a crossbite on one side so I'm wondering if your tongue tie release was posterior and if they mentioned the crossbite side being more tied?  Did it include any lip ties? 

My tongue tie was the front one, in the middle. I didn't know what a crossbite even was until I saw this new dentist, which was after the frenectomy. The doctor that performed the frenectomy didn't seem to know much about teeth at all, and seemed to scoff at the idea that my teeth would move once my tongue was released. 

No lip ties.

Here's a before pic:

And here is after:

Here's 2 month+ progress:

Notes from the doctor. The bottom pic is my bottom teeth. Don't look at the teeth orientation (still crooked), look at the shape of the jaw. Pretty big difference! The top is a little slower going, but there is some small expansion.

The Myobrace seems to fit easier and easier every day, so I'm hoping that once the bottom is sorted out, the top starts to do its thing. 

Thanks for sharing your progress pictures! I agree that your bottom arch does look more rounded, especially in the front, and there looks to be some slight improvement in the crowding of the bottom teeth. It's hard to judge without a consistent scale, but I don't doubt that you've had some minor expansion on top too. Did your dentist give you an idea of approximately how long to expect the total course of treatment to last?

The assistant just returned from a Myobrace refresher, and they are recommending 4 months for stage 1 (ugh). So, I will be in stage 1 for another 1-2 months.

The plan was that we would give it a solid go for 6 months and then reassess. If the expansion wasn't going well, we would try the ALF device. 

Posted by: Shane

The assistant just returned from a Myobrace refresher, and they are recommending 4 months for stage 1 (ugh). So, I will be in stage 1 for another 1-2 months.

The plan was that we would give it a solid go for 6 months and then reassess. If the expansion wasn't going well, we would try the ALF device. 

You have enough crowding that it probably makes sense to stick with stage 1 for a while, based on the description of each stage on the myobrace website. Please keep us updated as your treatment progresses!

I can't see the pics :-(

yes i cant see the picture either

Hmm. Probably because you don't have a Google account and they are hosted by Google. I'll see what else I can do later.

I have a google account, but can't see the pictures, either.

Tried another way by attaching the files and then linking to them. You should see them now, and if not just click on the attachments.

do you have a before pic of your tongue tie extended? I have a tongue tie and i was curious if it felt easier to put force on the roof of your mouth after it got released

I don't have a before pic really. Trust me it barely went past my lips. It was just a blob.

My tongue didn't really affect my sleep, breathing, speech (except for rolling Rs), but my tongue didn't naturally go to the roof of my mouth when closed. I think it touched my lower teeth. Also, the dentist said I was reverse swallowing/tongue thrusting, and I bet that was definitely tied to my tongue (pun intended).

im thinking about getting mine cut because i feel like i cant get the proper force or growth with it. Its known that the jaw will only grow as far as the tongue allows it so if your tongue is restricted by 30% your growth is limited in some way

One thing I have started to notice is that my front lower teeth are PERFECTLY aligned in the morning when I take the Myobrace out, but shift back to the position you see in the pictures above after about an hour or so. I'm hoping that over time they maintain the perfect alignment, but perhaps this is why braces are used in combination. These teeth are definitely loose and have been since I started.

Posted by: Shane

One thing I have started to notice is that my front lower teeth are PERFECTLY aligned in the morning when I take the Myobrace out, but shift back to the position you see in the pictures above after about an hour or so. I'm hoping that over time they maintain the perfect alignment, but perhaps this is why braces are used in combination. These teeth are definitely loose and have been since I started.

This sounds promising to me. I suspect the pressure from the upper teeth is what shifts the lower teeth back into a crowded conformation after you remove the myobrace. What is your intermolar width?

Posted by: Apollo

What is your intermolar width?

No idea.

Just wanted to give a quick update. I skipped my appointment this month, but I never posted last month's results. 

As you can see, bottom teeth good, top teeth not so good. This month I have added some hard mewing on my own to see if I can get things moving on top.

One major thing I have done though is to try to remineralize some cavities. In the process, I have found some awesome toothpaste that has made my forever yellowish teeth much, much whiter. You might be able to see them on next month's pictures, but it is pretty significant. I am using the Apagard Tooth Polish Royal stuff on Amazon and trying to leave it in as long as possible before spitting it out. Definitely make sure to do it before I go to bed every night.

These comparison pictures are great! You're still using the first stage rigidity, right? Do your upper incisors fit down into their channels all of the way?

@Apollo yeah I'm still using the first stage. I'm starting to question it since it only seems to be moving my lower teeth and jaw. Not seeing any results on the upper teeth, so I have taken to hard mewing. I've even thought of flipping the Myobrace upside down...

I don't think my incisors fit all the way down. I have to bite/suction to get a good grip, and I often wake up and my top teeth are loose fitting in the brace. The Myobrace seems to prioritize the bottom teeth for me. I've also considered buying a $12 Myobrace clone on Amazon in the second stage just to see if I have a different reaction.

Posted by: Shane

@Apollo yeah I'm still using the first stage. I'm starting to question it since it only seems to be moving my lower teeth and jaw. Not seeing any results on the upper teeth, so I have taken to hard mewing. I've even thought of flipping the Myobrace upside down...

I don't think my incisors fit all the way down. I have to bite/suction to get a good grip, and I often wake up and my top teeth are loose fitting in the brace. The Myobrace seems to prioritize the bottom teeth for me. I've also considered buying a $12 Myobrace clone on Amazon in the second stage just to see if I have a different reaction.

I wouldn't use the Myobrace upside down because it would protrude the mandible beyond the maxilla, and I assume that the channel for the lower arch is slightly narrower than the channel for the upper arch. I'd recommend trying to increase your daytime hours so that you can consciously hold the teeth down in their channels. When I first started using my Myobrace, I couldn't sleep through the night with it and often woke up with my teeth separated from the brace. After about a week using it during the day as much as possible, I got better about keeping my jaws together with it in place during sleep. Now I mostly only use it overnight and a couple hours before sleep. 

Posted by: Apollo

Posted by: Shane

@Apollo yeah I'm still using the first stage. I'm starting to question it since it only seems to be moving my lower teeth and jaw. Not seeing any results on the upper teeth, so I have taken to hard mewing. I've even thought of flipping the Myobrace upside down...

I don't think my incisors fit all the way down. I have to bite/suction to get a good grip, and I often wake up and my top teeth are loose fitting in the brace. The Myobrace seems to prioritize the bottom teeth for me. I've also considered buying a $12 Myobrace clone on Amazon in the second stage just to see if I have a different reaction.

I wouldn't use the Myobrace upside down because it would protrude the mandible beyond the maxilla, and I assume that the channel for the lower arch is slightly narrower than the channel for the upper arch. I'd recommend trying to increase your daytime hours so that you can consciously hold the teeth down in their channels. When I first started using my Myobrace, I couldn't sleep through the night with it and often woke up with my teeth separated from the brace. After about a week using it during the day as much as possible, I got better about keeping my jaws together with it in place during sleep. Now I mostly only use it overnight and a couple hours before sleep. 

Do you think it might promote forward growth or just fix maloclusion

good luck

@fioralaurent It is suppose to train your tongue as well as keep your lips away from your teeth allowing:

1. You learn better tongue posture so you can expand your teeth if necessary.

2. Remove your lips from holding your teeth in place so they are free to move to where they want to go. In practice, your teeth/jaw try to align with the shape of the myobrace. Guess I'll see if this actually works. It certainly does on my bottom teeth.

@fioralaurent It is suppose to train your tongue as well as keep your lips away from your teeth allowing:

1. You learn better tongue posture so you can expand your teeth if necessary.

2. Remove your lips from holding your teeth in place so they are free to move to where they want to go. In practice, your teeth/jaw try to align with the shape of the myobrace. Guess I'll see if this actually works. It certainly does on my bottom teeth.

Quick update. About a week ago I bought a different "myobrace" off of Amazon for $8 made by AZdent. I like it much better than my Myobrace, so I've been wearing it exclusively. 

Although I purchased the "hard" version, the hardness is very similar to the stage 1 Myobrace.

Some notes:

1. I've modified the Mybrace to allow my tongue to sit on the roof of my mouth. My dentist removed the tongue tag after the first 2 weeks (I hated it), and I eventually shaved off the rest.
2. The Myobrace has grooves for teeth. I think this is a disadvantage between the two because my top teeth are out of line. It moves my lower jaw instead of my top teeth - which I think is probably the wrong thing to do. I don't know.
3. The AZdent trainer is supremely comfortable (having used the Myobrace), even with the tongue tag. I rounded the corners a bit with a Dremel to make it more comfortable.
4. I stick my tongue over the top of of the tongue tag and recess it back a bit in my mouth when I sleep. For whatever reason, I think this where your tongue should be.
5. The AZdent puts pressure on my top and bottom teeth more evenly. I don't feel the top teeth as much with the Myobrace -- more on my jaw as I mentioned.
6. Dimensions are pretty much the same, except I think the height is a little larger on the AZdent.

@shane, I have the "adult" version (A2) without the grooves for the individual teeth. Does the "teen" version (T1) always have those grooves? I don't see them mentioned on the myobrace website. If you decide to advance beyond the AZdent you're using now, maybe you could try the A2.

Posted by: Apollo

@shane, I have the "adult" version (A2) without the grooves for the individual teeth. Does the "teen" version (T1) always have those grooves? I don't see them mentioned on the myobrace website. If you decide to advance beyond the AZdent you're using now, maybe you could try the A2.

I was told that they are exactly the same by the dental assistant. I asked the same question. The fact that you said the A2 doesn't have the same teeth grooves concerns me. I just did a quick search, and the A1 doesn't have those grooves either. That sucks. Now I feel like I was using the wrong thing for 4 months. Thanks for pointing that out. I will definitely be addressing that during my next visit.

I found some older images of the T1 with grooves, but it looks like there's a new model without. I can understand why because they suck lol.

Since you said the grooves don't really fit your upper incisors, I can see how they might prevent you from getting the teeth all the way down into the channel and could explain why you haven't seen much improved alignment on top.

@shane since cutting your tongue tie what differences have you felt? more pressure? better posture?

@rockyp33 Huge difference. My tongue is a legit 2-3" longer.

I didn't get any magic relief in neck tightness or posture or anything else though.

@shane so u only got a longer tongue? no other benefits so far

@rockyp33 Well a longer tongue has lots of benefits :). 

I look forward to rolling Rs soon though.

LMAO 

you dont feel like u can mew easier because the ties not holding u down

Posted by: Rockyp33

you dont feel like u can mew easier because the ties not holding u down

@Rockyp33

The frenectomy brought me to the path of oral posture, Myobrace, Mew, etc. I was unaware of mewing before I had my frenectomy. Since your mouth is closed when mewing, I don't think a frenectomy is necessary. However if you want long-term results, I would recommend having a "normal" tongue.

How's the AZDent trainer working out? Do your upper incisors feel achy after using it?

@Apollo It is much better than the Myobrace I was using. Definitely feel it on my front top teeth now as well as the bottom. Very easy to wear, and lately I've notice that I have been using the tongue tag as intended, instead of going over the top.

Just got back from my checkup after 2 months. 

The lower teeth are looking good, but not the top (no surprise). Dentist said my tongue isn't "going up". I'm not sure that's quite correct, but I'm not going to argue it. We talked about the original Myobrace I was given (T1), and he was surprised when he saw it. He even said "this isn't ours, is it?" when I showed it to him. I have a feeling the first Myobrace had something to do with my top teeth not moving --- and actually moving slightly in the wrong direction.

I showed him the one I bought on Amazon. He kind of agreed that was better than the one I was originally given. However, he decided to graduate me to the next one :)

The new one...is actually a K2! So, I went from a T1 to a K2 (I'm an adult). The logic is that the A2 doesn't expand(?), and does more for aligning. The K2 is HUGE, and is made for more expansion.

I will wear the K2 for another month or 2. If that doesn't move things enough for him, I will move on to a new form of treatment...the ALF. The downside to the ALF is that it is not removable and requires an osteopath as well. 

Lastly, I'm a little disappointed in my cavity/teeth remineralization. I've been doing almost everything I can to possibly remineralize them, but according to the readings taken (I forget the device) they aren't getting any better. I'm going to try for another 2 months before having them filled :(.

Here are some pics.

K2

K2

How wide is the K2 if you measure from one outer edge to the other at the back of the arch? My large A2 is just under 7cm at its widest. It's interesting that your dentist says the K line is better for expansion than the A. Maybe that framework that looks to be embedded within the plastic helps apply more transverse pressure.

Posted by: @shane

@rockyp33 Well a longer tongue has lots of benefits :). 

I look forward to rolling Rs soon though.

LOL. Is the tip still numb though? I have a tongue tie release planned next week, I really don't want to lose any sensitivity, I didn't even know this was a risk! Did you have a posterior tongue tie? Because I think they would have to cut really deep to hit nerves. Shouldn't happen anyway.

@jelly

So I've had 2 frenectomies at this point. The first guy thought he knew what he was doing, but he was a hack. I'm pretty sure the tip of my tongue will always be numb. My tongue was so swollen after that procedure, it was crazy.

So then I had another one to get way in the back so the back of my tongue could be raised. This time the guy was a master. He went slow, I barely bled (he was careful not to touch blood vessels), and my tongue didn't even swell up. I took 2 Advil and that was it. 

If I had to do it again, I would make sure the doctor was up to date on the latest techniques. It doesn't have to be laser either. I think scissors or scalpels work well if the doctor is skilled.

Good luck! It is definitely worth it to have a longer tongue!

How have you progressed?

Posted by: @cliffbars

How have you progressed?

No. Myobrace is a total waste of time. I started seeing a different dentist/ortho that is certified by https://sleeparchitx.com/ . 

I am getting a sleep study because I likely now have obstructive sleep apnea. I'm slim/fit, but my tongue is now too big for my mouth/airway. I'll likely get some form of expansion (MSE?), then probably Invisalign.

@shane Damn thats unfortunate to hear. I am going to be experimenting a bit to see if the myobrace could work for me. I have a pretty narrow palate ~35 imw, and a hardly noticeable amount of crowding in my lower front teeth. Would you say I could benefit a little from the myobrace? Additionally, people have told me that the myobrace appliance makes your face slightly longer, did you personally experience this? Hope your mse and invisalign treatment go well, best of luck!

@apollo Hey, I've seen you on many of the myobrace threads and wanted to ask for your opinion regarding the effectiveness, and pros and cons of the myobrace. Also, I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice regarding what I should do for my situation. Thanks :)

Posted by: @cliffbars

@shane Damn thats unfortunate to hear. I am going to be experimenting a bit to see if the myobrace could work for me. I have a pretty narrow palate ~35 imw, and a hardly noticeable amount of crowding in my lower front teeth. Would you say I could benefit a little from the myobrace? Additionally, people have told me that the myobrace appliance makes your face slightly longer, did you personally experience this? Hope your mse and invisalign treatment go well, best of luck!

If you are under 18, then yes go for it.

If you aren't, then don't waste your time.

I've come to the conclusion that just using your tongue and/or a piece of plastic isn't going to cut it. My weakest teeth moved with the myobrace, but then they moved back completely within about 2 days of not wearing it.

Posted by: @cliffbars

@apollo Hey, I've seen you on many of the myobrace threads and wanted to ask for your opinion regarding the effectiveness, and pros and cons of the myobrace. Also, I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice regarding what I should do for my situation. Thanks :)

I think the myobrace can be modestly helpful for certain adult cases, but you should definitely temper your expectations. If the myobrace channels are wider than your current arches, you might get a little dentoalveolar expansion. My intermolar width was the same or slightly wider than the adult large myobrace, so it didn't help me much in that regard. I might have gotten a little expansion of my intercanine width. I also believe that it slightly improved the shape and symmetry of my arches. It can help reduce crowding and improve alignment, but some of that has regressed since I stopped using it. My opinion about the studies showing very minute lengthening of the face is that this is because the myobrace positions the teeth closer to an end on end bite, so that millimeter or two of overbite is reduced. I agree with Shane that most adults require more intensive interventions.

@apollo My situation is I'm 17, have a pretty narrow palate (left side smaller than right), had braces before but could do with expansion as my lower teeth relapse within hours after taking my retainers off in the morning due to the lack of space. So my ideal situation would be expanding both my arches with the myobrace then ditching it for further expansion and forward growth. Does this sound possible regarding my situation?

And these are the ones I am currently looking at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M6P33RR/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3C7ZWH0QKM03S&psc=1

Posted by: @cliffbars

@apollo My situation is I'm 17, have a pretty narrow palate (left side smaller than right), had braces before but could do with expansion as my lower teeth relapse within hours after taking my retainers off in the morning due to the lack of space. So my ideal situation would be expanding both my arches with the myobrace then ditching it for further expansion and forward growth. Does this sound possible regarding my situation?

And these are the ones I am currently looking at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M6P33RR/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3C7ZWH0QKM03S&psc=1

If you're really interested in the myobrace, give it a try, but I'd recommend that you start exploring more advanced resolution strategies while you're still young. I used the myobrace brand of splint activator, so I can't speak to the quality of the generic ones you're considering. If they are wider than your current arches, you might see some limited benefits.

@apollo Hey thanks for the response. I'm unsure of what you mean by advanced resolution strategies, could you give a few examples?

Posted by: @cliffbars

@apollo Hey thanks for the response. I'm unsure of what you mean by advanced resolution strategies, could you give a few examples?

I guess I'm referring to anything from ALF to jaw surgery, with options like MARPE, DOME, and AGGA, in between. Some of these options seem to have more risk than benefit, but it all depends on your individual case. If your palate is as narrow as you say, then you'd probably benefit from some kind of transverse expansion. Like Shane mentioned above, I'm also currently exploring MARPE options (e.g. MSE) to address my airway issues, but have been delayed by the COVID lockdown.