Hello Everyone, 

I recently completed maxillary and mandibular expansion. I started around 18.5 years old and completed at 19.5 years old, so treatment time was about a year and I expanded 7 + millimeters on both (I don't know the exact number). At the beginning of treatment, I measured my cheekbones with outside calipers at the widest point (about 10-15 mm in front of the ear) which was ~ 137.5 mm. As of right now, the measurement in the same area with the same tool, it is ~ 145 mm. Unfortunately, my 'Mew Indicator Line' has either not changed or the change has been negligible and currently sits at ~ 43 mm. I think this is because the appliance I used didn't allow for proper tongue posture throughout the night. One of the problems with this treatment is that it doesn't change the shape of your arch it only changes the width. This is unfortunate because it doesn't address asymmetry issues. 

 Right now, even after treatment, I still have a few issues with my teeth alignment and bite. I have a slight space (~3 mm) between my left maxillary canine and lateral incisor. I also have a space similar in size on the right side between my maxillary canine and first bicuspid. I have drawn yellow indicator lines in the picture below where these spaces are. In the picture, you can also see what I mean about the asymmetry. I drew the green line through the cusps of the canines and as you can see it is slanted. Also, take note of the amount of space on either side of the middle line. You can clearly see the right side is slightly wider or the midline is off (which is what I think). Lastly, you can't tell from the pictures, but I have a slight open bite/crossbite on the left side from the bicuspids to the first molars. 

The story for my mandibular arch is a bit shorter as there are not as many problems. You can see how the space on either side of the midline is more even than the maxillary arch. However, unlike the maxillary arch, the mandibular arch has some crowding issues (area circled in red). 

I have decided to do Invisalign to correct these small/moderate issues in hopes of a functional and aesthetic change. When I was shown the Invisalign treatment timelapse, the teeth behind the yellow lines shown in the first picture all came forward. The crowding around the left mandibular canine was corrected, however, I don't recall what happened with the midline. If the treatment plan indicated recession, I would have explored other options, but I think this is my best choice given my financial situation. 

If you have any comments feel free to leave them. I will update again soon.