Sigh. So I was really hoping that I'd see some amount of expansion in the last month and share my casts with you, but when I took measurements of my impressions - ZERO. The expansion I had been recording was just user differential. When I measured the casts together one at a time, the measurements were exactly the same.
The major difference is that my incisive papilla looks like it has tilted to the left. My bite is completely the same, but more titled. I can't tell if this is an improvement or worsening of my asymmetry, and yet I look much better in the mirror. I'm going to do another impression and cast to see if maybe it was an error/distortion when I bit into the alginate. But I'm tired, and need to build up the drive to go through the process again.
My first molar intermolar width is 31 mm. But I had my 1st bicuspids extracted when I had braces at age 12. I wonder if I should be measuring using my 2nd molars which has an intermolar width of 34", given how everything has moved up. Either way, I'm still in the range where expansion is impossible? without some kind of formal training. I'm really thinking of getting the y-plate expander, but I would much rather do this with only my tongue.
Starting in early March, in getting a better sense of my posterior third and "throat" posture, I started neglecting the anterior third of my tongue. After two weeks, I felt my jaw slide back, and I could see in the mirror that my lips were reverting back to how they had been before I really started progress. My upper lip was thinning, while the lower lip was looking very large.
I started chewing (always open mouth), taking care to be balanced in rotation and side. Since working on my rotation, I have noticed that my tongue automatically does a LOT of work in moving the food around.
April 2, after about two weeks of reinforcing my new mewing routine, my jaw has moved forward to the same place before the regression. The area of my condyles feels strange, almost itchy. It's not painful, but it's an uncomfortable sensation, and I think my condyles are growing/altering, to conform to the new alignment. The weird sensory response I had to this "itchiness" was also a reason I regressed, as I just had a hard time pushing through. Again, it's not painful! But I feel uncomfortable in my own skin.
My duck lips are back, my profile looks better, my overbite has improved. The gum around my 3rd molars is aching the way they were when they first erupted, so I wonder if it's continuing. Right now, they're only half out. My body posture has improved significantly. I have less of a double chin, my jawline is tightening. I have a lot more ease in movement and flexibility. I can stand from a squat without effort. This has everything to do with my posture and pelvic tilt. I haven't been working out, but I plan to start yoga again.
My boyfriend has also told me that my face is looking much more angular than before.
I won't be sharing any photos of my face, but I'm going to take another impression and cast it, and hope to show you.
I'm sharing all of this, because it might help others. I was getting so focused on expansion, and then felt really defeated and dismayed when I didn't see it. But I needed to take a step back and see the positives, even without expansion.
I am looking and feeling better, without a doubt, and it's noticeable. With or without expansion, I've made progress.
Are you using your tongue only to achieve expansion?
my story: http://www.aljabri.com/blog/my-story/
Are you using your tongue only to achieve expansion?
Yes, only tongue. I'm considering the y-plate expander, but for me it's a risk that I would like to avoid if possible. When it comes to high-risk stuff, I like to have the help of a professional. I can't afford an orthotropist right now, and there is one in my area but seems to only take on children. And should I expand by myself but make things worse, I definitely can't afford to correct.
I am definitely considering going to a myofunctional therapist, though.
How would an expander possibly make things worse, do you mean with the crowding of the teeth?
my story: http://www.aljabri.com/blog/my-story/
@abdul-2 -- I've been considering this a lot. My asymmetry makes things a little more complicated, as there are so many different paths I could take. Oversimplifying, sure, I can expand and then just get invisalign to clean up the teeth once I'm satisfied -- but HOW I choose to expand makes a big difference. I've been reading @apollo 's progress, and I'm just not sure I want to experiment. Do I expand each side equally? Do I focus more on my left side which has a narrower arch than the right? And yet, my body posture says my right side is my worst side. And yet my face says my left side is my worst. And I have concerns about my occlusional cant. I can't tell which side is more regressed than the other.
I really feel like I need extensive consultation with a professional to even know if I'm comfortable heading out on my own. I think it was @yay who got a 3-D scan of her skull, which would be very helpful, but so far I haven't found anyone in my area.
I'd rather look into NCR and myofunctional therapy before the expander. Would I love to see fast results? Absolutely! But I would rather take a slow approach done right and gently, than be terrified at every turn that I permanently messed up my skull.
@abdul-2 -- I've been considering this a lot. My asymmetry makes things a little more complicated, as there are so many different paths I could take. Oversimplifying, sure, I can expand and then just get invisalign to clean up the teeth once I'm satisfied -- but HOW I choose to expand makes a big difference. I've been reading @apollo 's progress, and I'm just not sure I want to experiment. Do I expand each side equally? Do I focus more on my left side which has a narrower arch than the right? And yet, my body posture says my right side is my worst side. And yet my face says my left side is my worst. And I have concerns about my occlusional cant. I can't tell which side is more regressed than the other.
I really feel like I need extensive consultation with a professional to even know if I'm comfortable heading out on my own. I think it was @yay who got a 3-D scan of her skull, which would be very helpful, but so far I haven't found anyone in my area.
I'd rather look into NCR and myofunctional therapy before the expander. Would I love to see fast results? Absolutely! But I would rather take a slow approach done right and gently, than be terrified at every turn that I permanently messed up my skull.
I've been reading @apollo 's progress, and I'm just not sure I want to experiment. Do I expand each side equally? Do I focus more on my left side which has a narrower arch than the right? And yet, my body posture says my right side is my worst side. And yet my face says my left side is my worst. And I have concerns about my occlusional cant. I can't tell which side is more regressed than the other.
Hi Sclera, I'm sorry if my challenges have dissuaded you. I hoped people could learn from my mistakes and successes. It gets tricky once you have to start making adjustments to the acrylic to maintain the fit so that the force of expansion continues to press on the alveolar ridge rather than the teeth, but making one change can set off a cascade of other adjustments to keep the pressure evenly distributed. My experience agrees with a couple other contributors that the fit starts needing adjustments once you reach around 2-1/2mm. If you get stuck there you're spending over 100 US dollars per mm, so we really want to get more out of the investment. Your ingenuity with the dental casts makes me think that you would be able to make it work! It sounds like we have some similar asymmetries. I think there isn't much you can actively do to encourage asymmetry correction while you are expanding. The force against one side has to be roughly equal to the force against the other side. I have the basic Schwarz-type expander. Allixa recently reported that his y-plate has separate screws to turn the left and right half, but even if you only turned the left screw it would still expand both the left and right side. However, I think there might be less resistance to the expansion on the side closer to the midline, so there might be some correction of the asymmetry automatically.
Could you share more specifics about the materials you are using to make your dental impressions and casts? I might want to try it myself.
Thank you, @yay!
@apollo -- No, no, they haven't dissuaded me, I've been really appreciative of your expander posts. I just need a little more information about myself to move forward by myself. I have no problem augmenting an expander should I get it -- it's more making sure that whatever I do to my mouth that creates such a fast change will be the right course, which is why I wish I could afford and have access to a professional who really gets it. It does give me a bit more comfort that expansion using a y-plate of some sort is equal on both sides.
As for the dental impressions and casts, I buy everything off of Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006O87CS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You can also buy the base molds, but I haven't gotten to that level yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gelvUC6JBzQ
nice dude, that's good progress so you shouldn't feel discouraged.
what do you attribute the duck lips resurgence thing to? you mentioned it amongst positive traits so I'm curious about that. I think its attributed to closing the jaw too hard and forcing the lips apart or chewing with mouth closed. do you do either? could maybe try eating w/ mouth open. doesn't need to be a gaping void, just a few millimeters so people won't be grossed out lol. I have a friend with very good lip development and they barely works theirs when they eat; just a slight parting. it's not unsightly at all and you'll probably see a reduction in lip size pretty quickly. I know I did
@krollic - I actually like the duck lips, maybe a better way to put it is "plumper". I think it has to do with anterior tongue engagement. I'm very conscious of not clenching my jaw. And it's not forceful pressure of the tongue, simply engagement. I feel my lips move out on their own accord. I have experienced the same thing without mewing when my head is upside down and also while using subliminals and binaural beats, so I'm not sure if it's a legitimate response or psychosomatic.
I've begun trying to OMC no matter what now. And I have a friend from college who is much like yours who I try to emulate.
In the end, my goal is to have a harmonious face! Whatever that looks like.
ah right, I suppose that sort of lip shape is more appropriate on girls.
I don't understand what you mean by subliminals or binaural beats tho
I really feel like I need extensive consultation with a professional to even know if I'm comfortable heading out on my own.
I agree, professional consultation is very useful in understanding the cause of your condition. I would especially look for an orthodontist who works with a physiotherapist. Allot of facial asymmetries develop because of problems from below. Trying to fix them with expansion alone without fixing the cause will lead to relapse after treatment is complete.
my story: http://www.aljabri.com/blog/my-story/
Duck lips to me seem more feminine . I think the reason for that is women have smaller mandibles proportionally OR a narrower upper palate which makes the mandible sit further back. This makes the maxilla seem more "ahead" of the mandible from the side. In turn, the lips position more in front of the chin which gives them a more everted look.
Obviously more neotenous men will have this naturally but probably to a lesser degree.
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