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Epigenetic Orthodontics is the single most exciting advancement in dentistry today. The DNA Appliance is the work horse of Epigenetic Orthodontics and was developed by Dr David Singh based on NIH research. While we call it epigenetic orthodontics a more accurate name would be epigenetic orthopedics because it actually grows and reshapes and idealizes the bone rather than just move the teeth. This process has been called Biomimetics or Biomimcry because it duplicates many natural developmental processes.
This Biomimetic technology allows us to comfortably create big wide healthy looking smiles even in patients with narrow arches. In an ideal world every patient would naturally have developed big wide healthy arches with resultant large airways and enough room for their lower jaw to grow ideally.
One very special aspect of utilizing the DNA Appliance and Epigenetic Orthodontics is that the appliances are only worn for 12-16 hours per day. This is very different that standard orthodontics with brackets and wire or Invisalign®. Most of the wear can be done in your sleep, watching TV or commuting. During the day at work or with friends you can be free of the appliance. This is one of the special features patients love about the DNA Appliance, the convenient fit into your lifestyle.
The time when the appliances are out the teeth move to ideal position as nature and/or genes intended. This allows self correction of the bite.
Typical orthodontics is a four-step process designed to move teeth through the bone. The first step is FORCE that creates PRESSURE (1) that compresses the periodontal ligament and puts pressure on the bone. The second step is INFLAMATION (2) which is associated with pain and discomfort. The third step which is RESORBTION (3) which is breaking down the bone by osteoclasts to create space. The fourth step is CONSOLIDATION (4) where new bone is formed. The process is then repeated after every orthodontic visit when braces are tightened or with each new Invisalign® tray.[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][blockquote type=”left”]” My longtime acupuncturist recommended Dr. Ira Shapira as an expert on Sleep Apnea when I shared with her my frustrations with my CPAP. Less than three months later, (and a sleep study to prove it), I am cured of my moderate condition of sleep apnea. Dr. Shapira created an oral appliance that is easy to sleep with and maintain. I am so relieved, feeling much better, significantly fewer headaches and more energy I would recommend Dr. Shapira to anyone. His knowledge of dentistry goes well beyond the norm. Anyone that suffers from TMJ and or sleep disorders should have a consult.”[/blockquote][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][blockquote type=”left”]” I could actually breathe and sleep better with the DNA Appliance. My school grades improved nd I no longer felt like I was drowning from lack of air when palying basketball. “[/blockquote][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][blockquote type=”left”]” The DNA Appliance Changed my life and saved my career. “[/blockquote][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1”][text_output]HEAR MORE VIDEO TESTIMONIALS:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk9Bfz6pklC7_UluWFHzLrg
Read Judith’s story about experiences with DNA Appliances below.
Epigenetic Orthodontics is very different it is a two step process. The forces are very light and movement is limited to 250 microns approximately every four days. The light forces are applied and growth and movement occur without inflammation which makes the entire process practically pain free. If there is any discomfort the adjustments are spaced out further.
The E-Cligner system is similar to Invisalign but utilizes three thicknesses of trays and allows patients a gentler process of clear aligner treatment.
The Alf Appliance is also available which can combine orthodontics and orthopedics with a less intrusive appliance that stimulates normal tongue reflexes. It can be an excellent appliance in continuing treatments.
RELAPSE PREVENTION AND THE DNA APPLIANCE
INCREASE AIRWAY IS ESSENTIAL TO PREVENTING ORTHODONTIC RELAPSE. PNEUOPEDICS, GROWING A BETTER AIRWAY
Relapse is frequently a problem with orthodontics after orthodontists have used fixed braces to straighten crooked teeth. Relapse is the teeth moving back to their original position and relapse is why orthodontists make retainers. The reason for relapse is complex and not well understood. The hours when the appliance is out let the teeth follow natural eruption processes with far lower risks of relapse.
According to Dr. Dave Singh the Founder of the field of pneumopedics and craniofacial epigenetics which includes epigenetic orthodontics “there is a natural way for the body to remodel the upper airway, reshape bone and move teeth into their correct positions painlessly without the use of surgery, drugs or injections.”
Professor G. Dave Singh DDSc, PhD, BDS states on his website: “However, the entire human genome has now been sequenced, and we now know that certain genes are involved in moving teeth. Teeth are naturally-designed to move, for example, tooth eruption in a normally-growing child. In addition, the teeth in some people erupt in a specific arrangement, producing a beautiful smile. Dr Singh believes that the specific arrangement of teeth is due to certain genes. In fact, a natural process called ‘temporo-spatial patterning’ is at work. This process is the blueprint or body plan that is encoded by genes. In other words, the right and left sides of the body, the top and bottom of the body as well as the front and back of the entire body is under the control of a genetic body plan, including the teeth. Sometimes, however, the plan gets disturbed, producing crooked teeth and improper orthopedics.”
Dr. Shapira has long had a special interest in developmental processes because of his work with sleep apnea in children and adults. Dr Shapira also has over 30 years experience in treating difficult TMJ Disorders, Migraines, headaches and other Chronic Pain. When these processes go are disturbed it changes how people breathe and swallow. Young children are frequently put in expanders to expand their maxilla or upper jaw. This is needed because of negative epigenetic changes caused by environmental allergies, food allergies or disturbed growth from insufficient breast feeding and bottle feeding.
Oral Myofunctional Therapy can help retrain children who were not breastfed to properly utilize their tongue muscles, facial muscles and pharyngeal muscles to return to normal patters of breathing and swallowing. Dr Shapira was an Invited dignitary at the first international meeting of the AAMS, Academy of Applied Myofunctional Sciences in Los Angeles and the March 2017 AAMS meeting in Chicago both of which he attended with his wife Anna.
Both Dr Shapira and Anna were trained as Oral Myofunctional Therapists by Joyce Moeller and the AMOT, Academy of Oral Myofunctional Therapy. Dr Shapira’s office is the only office in the midwest utilizing DNA Appiances in conjuntion with Physiologic Dentistry and oral myofunctional therapy.
Dr. Shapira, has taught classes to hundreds of dentists and their teams on how to treat sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy. It is one of Dr. Shapira’s students Dr .Martha Cortes who first introduced him to Dr Singh and to this exciting new field.
Dr Shapira has studied this field extensively and in 2014 gave a lecture in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the “Common Developmental Pathways of TMJ Disorders and Sleep Apnea.” These pathways are an example of negative environmental effects on development that can be reversed in adults who were not expanded as children. Prior to the DNA Appliance only extensive orthognathic surgery was available to widen or move bone.
Faces are different and each and every one of us is unique. Our appearance and physiology is determined by our DNA or genes. Genes determine our physiology and everything else about us. This is a description of Genetics
What many people are not aware of is that the environment and other factors can change how our genes express themselves. These types of changes are called Epigenetic changes.
Each person has a unique Genotype, these are the genes we inherited from our parents that when combined created a unique and special person. Identical twins actually share a identical DNA .
The Phenotype is how are Genes are expressed, the effects of the environment on us. These are the epigenetic changes that can be positive or negative in nature. This can be the difference between a big wide smile that shows all the teeth
What makes the DNA Appliance special is that it uses the patient’s own genes to modify and change not just the position of the teeth but the size, shape and position of the bone that holds the teeth as well as Pneumopedically change the size and shape of the airway. This 3-D spatial reconfiguring of the teeth and bone can make amazing changes not just in the teeth but in the face as well. The changes the DNA Appliance stimulates mimic the natural developmental process that occur in an ideal world. Biomimetic is the term used to describe what the DNA Appliance accomplishes, it mimics through biologic means what an ideal environment would have developed.
Oral appliances are frequently worn as a comfortable alternative to CPAP to manage snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. These appliances often protrude the lower jaw and are needed for life. Pneumopedics® is a term coined by Dr Singh to describe non-surgical upper airway remodeling is a different approach because instead of merely repositioning the lower jaw during sleep it gently allows allows the body to gently and gradually orthopedically increase the size of the upper jaw and increase the nasal airway. This has been shown in some clinical cases to create a cure for sleep apnea and snoring. The FDA-registered Daytime-Nighttime Appliance® system (or DNA appliance®) is worn during the evening and night for a total of 12-14 hours/day
Patients who are CPAP intolerant can utilize the FDA-cleared, patented mandibular Repositioning-Nighttime Appliance® (or mRNA appliance®) which works to maintain an open airway in the fashion of sleep apnea oral while gently re-developing the upper airway and moving the mandible or lower jaw and the teeth into a more natural position.
The DNA appliance® and mRNA appliance® protocols can effectively address TMD issues and headaches in both adults and children.
The following is a patient’s experiences with the DNA Appliance and Epigenetic Orthodontics.
My DNA Appliance Experience – Getting Started – By Judith Joy
My DNA appliance began with a visualization. My teeth were collapsing inward. So, I visualized how to correct this…appliances that fit over the teeth, were removable and gentle, and helped to erect the teeth.
A week later, I went to see Dr. Shapira, my dentist. He mentioned that he was doing this new thing, a DNA appliance. Based on my past history, he didn’t know if it would work, but since braces hadn’t (as they were forceful and I don’t like anything that’s forceful), maybe this would, because it was gentle. “No guarantees,” he said. But what he showed me was EXACTLY what I’d visualized, so I knew it would work.
This article is the first in a series of my experiences with my DNA appliance. After molds were taken, pictures snapped to record progress, and the appliance was made, I put it in. It wasn’t too bad…a little tight, but not that uncomfortable. Dr. Shapira showed me how to adjust it. Cool. I could adjust it on my own. I’d only need to come into the office every four to six weeks.
And I could wear it eight to sixteen hours a day, but they didn’t have to be in a row. I wear it while sleeping and a little bit during the day while doing activities that don’t require talking. My family makes fun of my trying to talk with it in, but we all laugh about it.
Dr. Shapira warned me that I’d drool a lot at the beginning. But I knew I wouldn’t because I was used to having an appliance in my mouth 24/7. And I didn’t drool. Although swallowing while wearing the DNA appliance takes a little practice. (The previous appliance was a placeholder between the braces, which didn’t work, and until something new could be invented, as I knew it would be. I just didn’t think it would take 25 years.)
At the beginning of the week, the appliance was tight when I put it in. (I’m saying “it” even though there is an appliance over the upper teeth and a separate appliance over the lower teeth.) However, after a few minutes any tightness disappeared. I have noticed that at the beginning of the week, it feels tighter and by the end of the week, it goes on more easily. I did get my cheek caught in the appliance a few times. Ouch. But I figured it out eventually.
To keep track of my hours, I made a chart of every half hour in a day. Then I put seven days on a piece of paper. It was easy to keep track of the hours the appliance was in my mouth by using a highlighter to mark the hours I actually wore it.
I’ll keep you up to date on the improvements as they happen. I know this will work. I just have the knowing feeling.
The first month passed quickly and the improvements began immediately. After a few nights, I realized that I wasn’t waking up with headaches. This is HUGE. Twenty-seven years ago, Dr. Shapira assured me that moving the jaw would eliminate many of my headaches…or at least the ones that were caused by stress from the jaw’s structure and muscles. I knew he was right.
But my teeth weren’t cooperating at that time.
I’ve noticed other improvements also after only a month. There is more room in my mouth for my tongue. My posture is better. My scoliosis seems to be self-correcting (according to my massage therapist). My face is looking smoother and younger. And I’m happier because I’m not in as much pain. An added bonus is that my sex life is getting better because I feel great.
On the downside, there is some discomfort. The muscles in my jaw were tender and my right ear hurt a bit. But two visits to the acupuncturist eased this. My cranial bones (the plates in my head) are shifting and causing some pressure. My low back aches and interferes with my sleep a bit. The chiropractor has been able to help with the cranial and low back. Also, if I sleep with a 12-inch square pillow against my stomach, it keeps my hips positioned in such a way that it eases my back, because I don’t twist them while I sleep.
My nutrition-supplement-energy doctor has noted that I need more manganese and calcium and some organs are a little bit stressed. I’m also dehydrated. Dr. Shapira says the dehydration is because the nasal passages are opening and more air is going through.
After the first month, I’d have to say, that the DNA appliance is a great success. But then I knew it would be. I’ll keep you up to date with my progress.
Judith has had long term relief with physiologic dentistry but we are both hoping that Epigenetic Orthodontics is the final piece of her puzzle.
Dr Shapira’s Notes: Judith had previously attempted orthodontics with an Orthodontist and standard techniques, it was a total failure. Calcium and Magnesium supplements may be a good routine because we are growing bone which requires calcium and the muscles need magnesium to relax. Dehydration is common for many oral appliances and the best recipe for success is to drink lots and lots of water.
When Judith describes “a great success” it is really meaningful because she is very aware of treatment effects and sensitive to any problems, even when minimal.
MY DNA APPLIANCE EXPERIENCE – 2nd MONTH – By Judith Joy
I can breath in both nostrils! This is amazing. I don’t know what I’ll do with all this oxygen. But seriously, I can now breath in both sides of my nose. Dr. Shapira says this is only the beginning and it will get even better.
As an added bonus, I don’t seem to have hay fever this spring. At first, I wondered if it was because I gave up eating grains and legumes about six weeks before starting the DNA appliance. Knowing that my sister also gave up grains, I asked her how her allergies were. “Worse than ever,” she replied. “Give me the name of your dentist.” My theory is that the air passages are bigger, so they aren’t getting clogged up as before. I may be right or I may be wrong.
I’ve also started exercising more and longer. Before, my muscles would tire (probably lack of oxygen) and I’d get a headache. Now, I can exercise easier and the rest of the day is even better because I feel so good.
On a negative front, twice this month I noticed that the lower appliance pressed into the inside gums of the lower teeth in a few spots. I talked myself into “it will be fine.” By the third day, I said, “never mind” and contacted Dr. Shapira and three hours later he adjusted the appliance. He said he’d been expecting this. But he didn’t tell me ahead of time. (I know that if you say the negative, the patient may “make the problem come true” when in fact, he doesn’t need to do so.) But still, now I know to ask about a problem earlier.
One thing that did help the pressure point pain was that I dabbed it with my boyfriend’s burn cream. Yes, my boyfriend is an inventor and had made and patented a burn cream two years before he was severely burned (1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns from the waist up). Luckily he had the cream and only has one small area that wasn’t covered as well with the burn cream. (There isn’t any remnant of the formerly, burned skin.)
One final “negative” is that my L5 vertebra got tweaked so my lower back and left groin hurt. Two trips to the chiropractor seems to have solved this (along with applying Biofreeze and Traumeel). Dr. Shapira says this could be because as the jaw adjusts, the spine moves and unwinds old patterns, which causes the muscles around the spine to move.
Some hints to help you:
Hint one: Dr. Shapira suggested easing the muscle pain by looking at hip height and adjusting the height to make it even. He measured my hip level (by looking at it and putting his hands on my hip bones). One was lower than the other. I added a little bit of a paper towel under the heel of the leg with the lower hip. I walked down the hall. He re-measured. We added more paper towel. I walked down the hall again. He re-measured. We took out the second paper towel. I repeated the walk down the hall. He was looking for the hip level to be consistent at the beginning and end of the walking. Since we just did this today, I’m not sure if this will work, but I’m willing to give it a try. (There is also a way to do this with a plumb line in a mirror, but I don’t know this one.)
Hint two: I’ve noticed that when I sit at my desk and use my laptop computer, my head is a bit forward and down. This causes my teeth to clench and I feel tense overall. However, when I remember to wear the appliances while I write, I’m more relaxed, my posture is even better and my neck doesn’t get as tired.
Hint three: Don’t eat or drink with the appliances in your mouth. (Except for water.) The reasoning is that it’s not necessary AND the food or drinks will stain the appliances. Also, be sure to brush the appliances after every use. This removes the bacteria that is transferred from your mouth to the appliances when they are worn.
Hint four: Finally, slow is the way to go. If you adjust the appliances too fast, the teeth may become unstable. (Yikes. I just learned this one today.) A possible indication of moving too fast is that the teeth may become sensitive to hot or cold.
So, how do you know when to adjust the appliances? I use a muscle testing method and listen to what my body is telling me. I also pay attention to my intuition. I ask my body if the appliances should be adjusted. Then I pay attention to how I feel. If they are ready to be adjusted, I feel open and expansive in my chest. If this doesn’t feel right, my chest will feel as if it’s closing and is constricted.
Of course, you can also adjust it when it feels looser and easier to put on. Move from tight to loose, adjust. It will be tight again. Wait for the loose feeling, before adjusting (probably a week later assuming you are wearing the appliances 10 – 16 hours a day).
The more you wear the appliances, the more the jaws/arches (or whatever is actually moving) will be used to the new position. You won’t have to start over each time you insert them.
I hope this helps you. I’ll keep you informed of my progress. But, so far, I love the results.
Dr Shapira’s Notes, The Second Month. The term Pneumopedics was coined by Dr Singh, the inventor of Epigenetic orthodontic and it refers to growing a larger airway. This improves every aspect of a patients life. Diseases like Fibromyalgia are associated with UARS or Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. Correcting the size of the airway will help improve Sleep and Health for patients with Fibromyalgia. The changes that take place in posture have to do with the “Righting Reflex”. This work was by Sherrington, a neurologist who received a Nobel Prize. As your posture corrects the body needs to “catch up”. Forward head posture and the resultant strain on the muscles of the spine will gradually begin to correct.
My DNA Appliance Experience: 3rd Month – By Judith Joy
(This is one of my patients experience with the DNA Appliance. This is a long standing TMJ patient who had poor results with standard orthodontics but life changing results with DNA Appliance and Epigenetic orthodontics and orthopedics. Dr Ira L Shapira )
I’ve been experimenting with how many hours in the day I need to wear the DNA appliances. (Translation: While I finished writing my book, and I forgot to put them in during the day.) But I did find something very interesting. If I only wear them at night, then they fit tighter for longer. This means that I can’t adjust them every week and the whole process will take longer. It’s also frustrating because the forward momentum (progress) is slower. I’m only shooting myself in the foot by not wearing them more each day.
This brings me to the second way I’m hindering my progress. I’m thirsty. It seems that since having the DNA appliance, I’m constantly thirsty. (No, it’s not anything worse.) Up until now, I’ve continued to drink my brewed iced tea and gotten more thirsty. (Duh! By the way, soda and alcohol causes dehydration also.)
So, that got me to thinking…what does dehydration do to the body? This is how I understand it. Dehydration is when the body is requesting more water. If the body doesn’t have enough water from the outside (drinking), it will recruit water from the inside and keep what it already has. This translates to gunking up the waste management system within the body. Water will be reused from the urine and bowels. Therefore, the body will pee less and the bowels will become harder and thus it will be more difficult to push out.
This is bad enough, as it’s uncomfortable, but there are additional side effects of the body holding onto the water. If the body doesn’t eliminate the waste, then the toxins in the waste stay in the body longer and can be reabsorbed. This slows down the lymph and immune systems. One outcome is that the toxins have to come out somewhere, so the skin breaks out.
Also, the body is trying harder and harder to eliminate the toxins. So when an outside “bug” visits (the body is exposed to someone who is sick), the body is more likely to catch the bug because it’s busy fighting the internal battle with the old toxins and doesn’t have enough “power” to fight the new battle (the bug). End result…the body gets sick. And you know how that turns out.
So, for goodness sake, drink water. You will need more water than normal while you are using the DNA appliance. But why feel gross while you are going through the process when the solution is so simple. Drink lots of water.
One last comment. My back doesn’t hurt per se, but the pain radiates down my hips and legs. The only time it bothers me is on long walks or when I lie down. Needless to say, sleep is elusive some nights. Still going to the chiropractor and acupuncturist for comfort. It’s getting better. But since back stuff started about a month into the DNA use and there wasn’t any trauma, I’m going with the story that it’s my body adjusting to the unwinding of my spine. How cool is that?
And how can it be even better? How can it benefit me?
Dr Shapira’s Notes, Judith came in and was hitting first on the right side for a few weeks. She had a bite adjusted to her physiologic position but was hitting hard on a ceramic restoration from another dentist. It was easy to readjust her her bite and I expect her hip will quickly resolve.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE WE MOVE THINGS TO A MORE IDEAL PHENOTYPIC EXPRESSION OF THE PATIENTS OWN GENETICS WITH THE DNA APPLIANCE THAT THE RESTORATIONS WERE PLACED TO FIT THE EXISTING PATHOLOGY. I DO NOT EXPECT TO NEED TO ADJUST THE NATURAL TEETH BUT THE RESTORATIONS WERE NOT PART OF A PATIENTS GENETIC SYSTEM.
Judith has seen a huge amount of growth in her maxilla. Dr Singh recommends 16 hours a day but we are seeing significant reults with patients wearing them 10-12 hours / day. Longer will create faster movement. Hydration is always important as is nutrition. The body can grow and remodel bone and sutures but the process is energy fueled.
MY DNA APPLIANCE EXPERIENCE: 4TH MONTH – By Judith Joy
Good news! My hip felt better after Dr. Shapira made the adjustments to my bite. Who would ever have thought that my jaw played such a big role in my hips? I’m just glad that we found a solution.
Another great thing for this month is that my teeth are moving. They are straightening and as they do so there is more space between the teeth. For the moment, this translates into food getting stuck between the teeth. But my goal was for the teeth to “pop back up” and that is what they are doing.
A little floss and a water pic solves the minor problem with the food.
And I’ve noticed that the lines between the front teeth (both upper and lower) are lining up as the bite widens. I’ve always wondered why the lines didn’t match up before. My bite was off. Imagine that! (Sarcasm.)
On the down side, the muscles in my neck are tighter and I’ve had more headaches this month. Although I think the cause is from something emotional (since I’m doing a lot of emotional inner work). But I’m mentioning it just because I’m recording everything that may have a possible connection.
Overall, it’s been a great month. There is progress and my teeth are “popping back up.” It’s all good.
Dr Shapira’s notes: The connection to the hips and the bite is a very important point. When treating patients we are always treating the whole body and not just the individual parts. Dr Sherrington won a Nobel prize for his work on the righting reflex. This encompasses Ascending and Descending problems.
The hips affecting the bite is an example of an Ascending problem, the bite affecting the hips would be an example of a descending problem. The field of Cranio-Sacral medicine is intimately connected to these Ascending and Descending pathways and it is crucial that they be considered in every patient.
MY DNA APPLIANCE EXPERIENCE…FIFTH AND SIXTH MONTHS
The last time I was at Dr. Shapira’s, he was surprised at how my teeth have moved so easily. He even indicated that we are nearing the end of the treatment…after only six months. Wow! That was fast. Dr. Shapira had told me that it would take one and a half to two years.
So what did I learn these past two months? To begin with, don’t forget to put the appliances in at night. You see, I forgot one night. (I was on vacation and out of my routine.) The next night, they were very tight.
The next thing I learned was that all of the little “screws” in the appliances don’t have to be moved every time. Dr. Shapira told me which ones to adjust based on how my mouth was adjusting (a good reason for the monthly checkups).
Then, I again needed a reminder that dehydration doesn’t feel good. I need to drink more water to alleviate some of my headaches. The reason I bring it up is that my mouth seems to get much dryer with the appliances in than normal.
Finally, the more I wear the appliances, the better they work. Surprise. Surprise. Wearing them only at night works, but it’s slow going. Wearing them during the day also speeds up the process.
The one thing I didn’t realize was that when the movement is over, I’ll have to wear the appliances (in a fixed position) for longer. It makes sense. I just hadn’t thought of it. But overall, it’s not a bad deal.
All in all, it’s been a good six months so far. I’m excited about the possibility of moving to the next phase.
Months 7-12 with DNA Appliance http://sleepandhealth.com/node/646
Dr Shapira is currently utilizing Epigenetic Orthodontics at Gurnee (Delany Dental Care) office for Sleep Apnea, TMJ and headache patients……847-623-5530
http://www.delanydentalcare.com
Dr Shapira have a second office in Highland Park. This office is geared toward the treatment of TMJ Disorders (TMD), Sleep Apnea and Snoring, and Epigenetic Orthodontics.
MY DNA APPLIANCE EXPERIENCE… SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, ELEVEN AND TWELVE MONTHS
By Judith Joy
Read the first 6 months @ http://sleepandhealth.com/node/636
As you can see from the title, I haven’t written this blog for a few months. It’s just that nothing much new has been happening. My mouth is progressing nicely with steady progress. After my next appointment I’ll be done…or at least that’s what I think is happening.
I have learned a few additional things to share with you.
First, I noticed that a tooth was loose and had some wiggle to it. I decided that since I was seeing Dr. Shapira the next week, to not adjust the appliance and just stay the course until I saw him. Dr. Shapira said that I could have untightened it. But it’s all good. My teeth are all solid again.
It seems that when the jaw was done expanding, the appliance didn’t fit all the way down and pushed on the teeth. Another reason the appliance may push on the teeth is because it isn’t fitting correctly. This is definitely something to watch out for.
Second, as the teeth have become less crowded, I’ve noticed that there are stain spots between the teeth. This is probably because the hygienist couldn’t get between the teeth when she did the cleanings. So as you can imagine, I’m looking forward to my next cleaning.
And talking about cleaning, we are also doing a teeth whitening at the last appointment. I’m excited to lose some of the staining from all the iced tea that I drink. Someone once told me that if I drink things through a straw, then the offending drink won’t stain my teeth. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s worth a try.
Next, I was shocked to learn that I’d still have to wear some type of appliance after the treatment was done. It’s silly that I’m shocked by this, as I know that retainers follow braces, but it still shocked me. At least, I’m told that the new appliance won’t be as bulky. YEAH!
Finally, I learned that by doing this DNA appliance, I actually look younger. Dr. Shapira had told me this would happen, but the information went in one ear and out the other. And as usual, when a change is gradual we don’t always see the progress. So, I’m excited for to compare the before and after pictures.
But back to the age “regression”…Dr. Shapira recently showed me a series of pictures of a woman without teeth who put in different sized dentures. As sizes of the dentures changed, her face became less sunken and the wrinkles “ironed” out.
Dr. Shapira explained that the same thing is happening to my mouth by expanding the arches and bone growing in the micro tears as this happens.
I know this sounds weird, but in the past, I’d attended a lecture about bone growth and this is exactly what happens. In the lecture, the bones were shown as purposely broken and then microfibers grew between the bones to connect them again. It was like each side of the broken bone was searching for the other.
With the DNA appliance, expanding the appliance creates what I imagine to be micro tears in the bone and then more bone grows into the space. The end result is that the arches are widened, the teeth have more room to grow straight, and my face is filled out.
All in all, I’d say that this experience was successful. The gentle vibrations of the DNA appliance were very tolerable and actually created positive change in my mouth. Remember, I started because the teeth were falling inward. Now they have room to “breath.” Gentle is certainly the way to go.[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row]
