Adult Palate Expansion
Надо будет изучить.
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2010/03/adult-palate-expansion.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2010/03/adult-palate-expansion-part-2-brief.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2011/02/homeoblock-update-12711.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2011/01/palate-expansion-update-11011-first.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2011/01/palate-expansion-update-11011-first.html
http://www.facialdevelopment.com/papers.html
I am deformed. I look nothing like my ancestors. As a child, I had
braces. I was a frequent mouth breather. At age 16, I said bye to my
wisdom teeth. I have only 24 teeth left. My dental palate is not broad
and sweeping; my jaw isn't square; my nasal passage isn't wide. I'm a
human being raised on a processed food diet, and this is the result.
When I first read Weston A. Price's book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,
it was hard to find out that I'm not developmentally optimal. I
thought, "Well, crud, there's yet another thing that's wrong with me
that can't be fixed." I began comparing photos of myself as a child
with some of the photos from Price's book. Here's me next to a
traditional Swiss gal:
See the lack of resemblance? Check out the overall roundness of the
Swiss girl compared to my more narrowed facial structure. Compare my
nasal passage to hers. Cheek bones? Jaw? And, wow, how about them
teeth! This isn't due to genetics, as many of you know. It's all about
nutrition during the developmental years, as Price discovered. Damn
you, margarine, sugar, and white flour!
The other day I was thinking about how it might feel the have the
facial features characteristic of the healthy cultures in Weston
Price's studies as opposed to the narrow palate, brace-straightened
teeth, weak jaw, narrowed nasal passage, and lackluster cheek bones that
characterize my own facial structure. If I were all of the sudden
blessed with an optimal facial structure and all the teeth the good Lord
intended me to have, would I breath easier? Speak better? Smile more
fully and more often? Have less tension in my jaws? Feel a heightened
sense of well-being? While it's interesting -- if not somewhat
depressing -- to imagine such a possibility, I never thought once that
this would ever be achievable. I guess you can say that's why I've come
to terms with my deformed self. I can't change it, can I? What other
choice do I have besides acceptance of my not-so-optimal lot in life?
Sigh.
I was impressed by a study about two twins recently referenced in Wise Traditions,
the Weston A. Price Foundation journal. One twin received palatal
expansion, while the other did not. Here's a photo that shows the
dramatic difference in the two -- not just in their teeth, but their
overall facial structure:
Impressive, eh? It's readily apparent that dental appliances can make a
huge difference towards regaining the facial structure of our
ancestors. But I'm far beyond the developmental time period during
which such devices can help me attain a facial appearance closer to that
of the human genetic blueprint, right? These things only work for the
growing child or teenager. At age 18, the bone plates are fused, and
there's no budging them. Once you're an adult, there's no room for any
adjustments, right? Well, I began to wonder: Is there such a thing as
adult palatal expansion? And, if so, would it make any difference
health-wise if I were to apply such technology to my own head? Let's
just find out. (Google, you are my friend.)
The first website I came across, called Facial Development,
is absolutely fascinating. It's authored by Theodore R. Belfor, DDS,
who has a clinic in New York state that actually specializes in
expanding adult palates using a dental appliance called a Homeoblock. From his website:
The Homeoblock™ appliance
is a revolutionary patented oral device that is much like a retainer in
looks, but the results go way beyond teeth straightening...The Homeoblock™ appliance
works with the body, so that physiological changes occur naturally;
developing the bones of the face and resulting in the strengthening of
facial muscles. These changes occur due in large part to each person’s
genetic potential Often, facial development does not reach its
potential due to the food we eat, polluted air and poor dental care to
name a few.
Wow.
A dentist who acknowledges that facial development is influenced by
diet? I wonder if he knows about Dr. Price. Browsing the website
further, I came upon a paper that Dr. Belfor wrote called, "Facial Changes as a Result of Palatal Expansion in Adult Patients Using the Homeoblock Appliance." Check out this before and after 3d image taken of one of his patients who used a Homeoblock:
Look closely and notice the differences in the cheek bones,
chin, and lips. Pretty incredible. So not only does palatal widening
make for straighter teeth, it also induces significant changes in the
overall facial structure -- even in adults. Dr. Belfor markets his work
as a way of creating a more youthful appearance in addition to
straightening teeth. An interesting effect of palatal widening is
reduced wrinkles. But he's also very enthusiastic about other changes
that occur with the procedure (emphasis mine):
I
am experiencing the most incredible excitement on a daily basis. I
routinely expand adult underdeveloped maxilla and mandible taking the
teeth along for the ride. There are many different goals, as many as
there are different patients. However, the result is always the same; more prominent cheekbones, wide smiles, and strong jaws!"
Prominent cheek bones? Wide smiles? Strong jaws? Is this guy Weston
Price incarnate? So, wait a minute, how can any of this actually work
if the bones are fused by age 18, as is commonly believed? Well, let's
let Dr. Belfor answer that one:
Bone
is essentially plastic in nature. Tension and intermittent pressure
persuade the bones to redefine at any age. In fact, our typical patient
is between 30 and 60 years old. In the upper dental arch nature has
provided a suture line front to back between the two bones that form the
palate. This allows for an easy widening process and as the palate
expands, the cheekbones as well, creating more prominence.
Okay,
so maybe there's a chance for a "deformie" like me to experience
optimal facial structure after all! I would like a second opinion,
though. I mean, isn't there a possibility of teeth relapsing or other
complications happening? Let's see what one scientific study
had to say about adult palatal widening procedures and the risks
involved, in this case using an implement called a Haas expander:
Rapid
maxillary expansion (RME) in the adult is thought to be an unreliable
procedure with several adverse side effects and, consequently,
surgically assisted RME is considered the preferred procedure...Rapid
maxillary expansion using a Haas expander was examined in 47 adults and
47 children...The results indicate that nonsurgical RME in adults is a
clinically successful and safe method for correcting transverse
maxillary
arch deficiency.
This study
had a follow-up time of an average 5.9 years, and the patients' teeth
remained in place. Here's a dramatic before-and-after image from the
study showing one case of palatal expansion, a 30-year-old female:
Now
that's just amazing. 30-years-old and there's still room for
correction of the dental arch. I wonder, though, are there any health
benefits to having the palate expanded and the resultant craniofacial
changes that take place? Dr. Belfor, what do you think?
Orthopedic
jaw development, particularly arch expansion, allows for improved sinus
drainage and widens airflow passages. This can result in snoring
reduction and lessened symptoms of sleep apnea...Voice enhancement.
Improved facial balance and skin tone. Arresting and reversing the
premature aging of the face.
Sounds
to me like it would be worth it. Only one problem, I have no idea how
much the procedure actually costs. I'm sending an e-mail to Dr. Belfor
to find out. Also, I'm going to ask him if he's influenced at all by
Weston A. Price, as he seems right there with the 1930s dentist
philosophically. If anybody out there has more information on the
procedure, please leave your comments.
Here's one more link with an article and video on adult palate expansion: "Skull Stretching."
Adult Palate Expansion, Part 2: A Brief Chat with Theodore Belfor, DDS
As a follow-up to my last post on palate expansion in adults, I decided to give Dr. Theodore Belfor a call to find out more about his Homeoblock
palate-widening appliance, as well his background and interest in the
subject of craniofacial changes. What followed was a brief, yet
fascinating chat that delved into many subjects. Here's a bulleted
summary our conversation.
somewhat abruptly because he had patients to tend to, but I'm extremely
grateful that he was willing to speak and share what he did for the ten
minutes we were on the phone. It seemed that if he was not busy, he
would have talked to me for much longer, as he definitely has a passion
for what he does and seems to enjoy very much sharing that passion with
others -- even if they are some random blogger/independent health
researcher like myself. What a great guy! If I was in the New York
area, I would not hesitate to go in for a craniofacial evaluation.
Palate Expansion Update, 1/10/11: First Appointment
Brief break from "My Intestinal Saga" to bring all you readers out there an update on my palate expansion pursuits ...
I'm a few weeks away from being an official homie on the block. I recently took a trip to Flagstaff, AZ for my first Homeoblock appointment. The dentist, Scott Darlington,
was very pleasant and shared his excitement about the procedure. It's
rare that people come to him for adult palate expansion, which he thinks
is unfortunate because the benefits are so great -- particularly in
opening up the airways. I told him I was interested to see how my
craniofacial structure would change and whether or not this procedure
would provide any significant benefits for me.
For this initial appointment, I had a short dental check-up
followed by my mouth being filled with plaster to make forms of my upper
and lower palate -- all of which was completely painless. These forms
are currently being sent to a lab where they will be used to manufacture
my own custom Homeblock. This usually takes a few weeks. I plan on
returning to Dr. Darlington's office in Flagstaff to pick up my
appliance around mid-February on my way to Wintercount.
For the first few months, Dr. Darlington recommends wearing the
Homeoblock as much as I can, including daylight hours. After this, I
will only have to wear it at night and it will be recreated every few
months to continue optimal expansion. The cost for all of this --
appointments, new appliances, and all -- is $2000. I payed up front for
a substantial discount of $250, so the final cost was $1750. I'm
looking forward to looking like a retainer-wearing teenager for a short
time -- maybe I'll even have a cool accent like Shelly from South Park.
Palate Expansion Update, 2/27/11: Finally Got It!
The Homeoblock appliance with case and advancement tool.
On my way home from Arizona, I swung by Dr. Darlington's
office for an appointment to fit my Homeoblock and take it home with
me. Dr. Darlington, as usual, was very kind and accommodating to my
needs as a patient living six hours away, scheduling the appointment for
when it was most convenient for me. The Homeoblock fitting and
insertion procedure took about a half-hour due to the upper palate
device not fitting very well. It was a back-and-forth scenario with Dr.
Darlington inserting the appliance and then me giving him feedback on
how it felt. There was some discomfort around my gums, and he adjusted
the Homeoblock with small pliers to fix it (similar to what is seen in
this training video by Dr. Belfor).
I was pretty surprised how easy and painless it all was. I was also
relieved to find out that I would only be wearing the appliance at
night, rather than all day and night for a few months as I initially
thought.
The upper Homeoblock fit well enough, although I still felt that it
wasn't optimal. Dr. Darlington said I could adjust the wiring as I
needed to when I got home with my fingers, so I wasn't too worried about
it and decided to get back on the road. The Homeoblock was given to me
in a retainer-like case with an adjustment tool to advance the
appliance a quarter turn each week. It's a pretty slick system.
At home, I made sure to take some "before" pictures to compare later
down the line when I finally look like the Neanderthal that I've always
wanted to. Kidding. But it will be interesting to see what changes
occur, however subtle. Here's some of my mug shots to show you all what
I'm working with. Please understand that I sacrificed a great beard so
that my facial structure can be seen for what it really is -- all in
the name of science. First face pictures:
Note the yellow line above that I drew on my face to illustrate its lack
of symmetry. The left side appears to droop down, particularly
noticeable by observing the eyes and lips. In the picture on the right,
you'll notice that while smiling there is a definite natural face lift
going on for me, but there is still marked asymmetry around the nose.
Now let's take a look at my glorious upper and lower palate as they are
now.
On the far left, you can see how my teeth come together off centered.
My lower palate (center) is pretty narrow and my front teeth are
slightly overlapping due to years of shifting (I got my braces off at
age 13). On the right is my upper palate and a similar process is
underway with one tooth in particular poking out a bit. Of course, also
note that neither palate has the wisdom teeth courtesy of my high
school orthodontist.
After analyzing my facial features and chompers, I was excited to try
the much-anticipated Homeoblock out that night. I inserted it right
before bed, slept through the night fine (besides a little excessive
drooling), and woke up to fairly sore teeth. Things were definitely
moving! My jaw felt like it had a bit of a workout. I could still eat
solid foods and the soreness went away after a few hours in the day.
The next night, I decided to try to adjust the upper Homeoblock to get
it to fit better. I toyed around with it a bit much, apparently, as one
of the wires snapped! "Well, it was an interesting $1700 experiment
while it lasted," I thought to myself. So I wore only the bottom palate
that night. I called Dr. Darlington the following day to inform him of
what had happened. He said to just send it to him and he can get it
fixed, and since it still seemed to not fit well, he would replace the
broken wire with a "ball joint" to see if that helped. If it didn't we
could just have a new upper palate Homeoblock made from a freshly formed
cast of my mouth. Great! I really feel supported by Dr. Darlington,
and I'm grateful that this is all covered under the initial cost that I
paid.
So I should get my upper Homeoblock back next week sometime. Until
then, the doc said that it would be fine to wear my lower palate
appliance. I will update everyone once I pass the two or three week
mark with that. Also, I would like to compare the Homeoblock with Damon
Braces at some point. I am awaiting Dr. Belfor's thoughts on this
subject when he returns from traveling.
One more thing. Those of you interested in the subject of adult facial
enhancement should drop by Nourishing Nancy's website to keep up with
her updates on the Damon Braces system. She has already seen very significant results!
.
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2010/03/adult-palate-expansion.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2010/03/adult-palate-expansion-part-2-brief.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2011/02/homeoblock-update-12711.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2011/01/palate-expansion-update-11011-first.html
http://ryan-koch.blogspot.com/2011/01/palate-expansion-update-11011-first.html
http://www.facialdevelopment.com/papers.html
I am deformed. I look nothing like my ancestors. As a child, I had
braces. I was a frequent mouth breather. At age 16, I said bye to my
wisdom teeth. I have only 24 teeth left. My dental palate is not broad
and sweeping; my jaw isn't square; my nasal passage isn't wide. I'm a
human being raised on a processed food diet, and this is the result.
When I first read Weston A. Price's book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,
it was hard to find out that I'm not developmentally optimal. I
thought, "Well, crud, there's yet another thing that's wrong with me
that can't be fixed." I began comparing photos of myself as a child
with some of the photos from Price's book. Here's me next to a
traditional Swiss gal:
See the lack of resemblance? Check out the overall roundness of the
Swiss girl compared to my more narrowed facial structure. Compare my
nasal passage to hers. Cheek bones? Jaw? And, wow, how about them
teeth! This isn't due to genetics, as many of you know. It's all about
nutrition during the developmental years, as Price discovered. Damn
you, margarine, sugar, and white flour!
The other day I was thinking about how it might feel the have the
facial features characteristic of the healthy cultures in Weston
Price's studies as opposed to the narrow palate, brace-straightened
teeth, weak jaw, narrowed nasal passage, and lackluster cheek bones that
characterize my own facial structure. If I were all of the sudden
blessed with an optimal facial structure and all the teeth the good Lord
intended me to have, would I breath easier? Speak better? Smile more
fully and more often? Have less tension in my jaws? Feel a heightened
sense of well-being? While it's interesting -- if not somewhat
depressing -- to imagine such a possibility, I never thought once that
this would ever be achievable. I guess you can say that's why I've come
to terms with my deformed self. I can't change it, can I? What other
choice do I have besides acceptance of my not-so-optimal lot in life?
Sigh.
I was impressed by a study about two twins recently referenced in Wise Traditions,
the Weston A. Price Foundation journal. One twin received palatal
expansion, while the other did not. Here's a photo that shows the
dramatic difference in the two -- not just in their teeth, but their
overall facial structure:
Impressive, eh? It's readily apparent that dental appliances can make a
huge difference towards regaining the facial structure of our
ancestors. But I'm far beyond the developmental time period during
which such devices can help me attain a facial appearance closer to that
of the human genetic blueprint, right? These things only work for the
growing child or teenager. At age 18, the bone plates are fused, and
there's no budging them. Once you're an adult, there's no room for any
adjustments, right? Well, I began to wonder: Is there such a thing as
adult palatal expansion? And, if so, would it make any difference
health-wise if I were to apply such technology to my own head? Let's
just find out. (Google, you are my friend.)
The first website I came across, called Facial Development,
is absolutely fascinating. It's authored by Theodore R. Belfor, DDS,
who has a clinic in New York state that actually specializes in
expanding adult palates using a dental appliance called a Homeoblock. From his website:
The Homeoblock™ appliance
is a revolutionary patented oral device that is much like a retainer in
looks, but the results go way beyond teeth straightening...The Homeoblock™ appliance
works with the body, so that physiological changes occur naturally;
developing the bones of the face and resulting in the strengthening of
facial muscles. These changes occur due in large part to each person’s
genetic potential Often, facial development does not reach its
potential due to the food we eat, polluted air and poor dental care to
name a few.
Wow.
A dentist who acknowledges that facial development is influenced by
diet? I wonder if he knows about Dr. Price. Browsing the website
further, I came upon a paper that Dr. Belfor wrote called, "Facial Changes as a Result of Palatal Expansion in Adult Patients Using the Homeoblock Appliance." Check out this before and after 3d image taken of one of his patients who used a Homeoblock:
Look closely and notice the differences in the cheek bones,
chin, and lips. Pretty incredible. So not only does palatal widening
make for straighter teeth, it also induces significant changes in the
overall facial structure -- even in adults. Dr. Belfor markets his work
as a way of creating a more youthful appearance in addition to
straightening teeth. An interesting effect of palatal widening is
reduced wrinkles. But he's also very enthusiastic about other changes
that occur with the procedure (emphasis mine):
I
am experiencing the most incredible excitement on a daily basis. I
routinely expand adult underdeveloped maxilla and mandible taking the
teeth along for the ride. There are many different goals, as many as
there are different patients. However, the result is always the same; more prominent cheekbones, wide smiles, and strong jaws!"
Prominent cheek bones? Wide smiles? Strong jaws? Is this guy Weston
Price incarnate? So, wait a minute, how can any of this actually work
if the bones are fused by age 18, as is commonly believed? Well, let's
let Dr. Belfor answer that one:
Bone
is essentially plastic in nature. Tension and intermittent pressure
persuade the bones to redefine at any age. In fact, our typical patient
is between 30 and 60 years old. In the upper dental arch nature has
provided a suture line front to back between the two bones that form the
palate. This allows for an easy widening process and as the palate
expands, the cheekbones as well, creating more prominence.
Okay,
so maybe there's a chance for a "deformie" like me to experience
optimal facial structure after all! I would like a second opinion,
though. I mean, isn't there a possibility of teeth relapsing or other
complications happening? Let's see what one scientific study
had to say about adult palatal widening procedures and the risks
involved, in this case using an implement called a Haas expander:
Rapid
maxillary expansion (RME) in the adult is thought to be an unreliable
procedure with several adverse side effects and, consequently,
surgically assisted RME is considered the preferred procedure...Rapid
maxillary expansion using a Haas expander was examined in 47 adults and
47 children...The results indicate that nonsurgical RME in adults is a
clinically successful and safe method for correcting transverse
maxillary
arch deficiency.
This study
had a follow-up time of an average 5.9 years, and the patients' teeth
remained in place. Here's a dramatic before-and-after image from the
study showing one case of palatal expansion, a 30-year-old female:
Now
that's just amazing. 30-years-old and there's still room for
correction of the dental arch. I wonder, though, are there any health
benefits to having the palate expanded and the resultant craniofacial
changes that take place? Dr. Belfor, what do you think?
Orthopedic
jaw development, particularly arch expansion, allows for improved sinus
drainage and widens airflow passages. This can result in snoring
reduction and lessened symptoms of sleep apnea...Voice enhancement.
Improved facial balance and skin tone. Arresting and reversing the
premature aging of the face.
Sounds
to me like it would be worth it. Only one problem, I have no idea how
much the procedure actually costs. I'm sending an e-mail to Dr. Belfor
to find out. Also, I'm going to ask him if he's influenced at all by
Weston A. Price, as he seems right there with the 1930s dentist
philosophically. If anybody out there has more information on the
procedure, please leave your comments.
Here's one more link with an article and video on adult palate expansion: "Skull Stretching."
Adult Palate Expansion, Part 2: A Brief Chat with Theodore Belfor, DDS
As a follow-up to my last post on palate expansion in adults, I decided to give Dr. Theodore Belfor a call to find out more about his Homeoblock
palate-widening appliance, as well his background and interest in the
subject of craniofacial changes. What followed was a brief, yet
fascinating chat that delved into many subjects. Here's a bulleted
summary our conversation.
- The cost of the Homeoblock procedure: anywhere
from $2600-6000, depending on your own personal facial structure, which
can be evaluated at Dr. Belfor's clinic in New York through a catscan
and 3d image analysis. He tries to keep the cost of the Homeblock close
to the popular teeth-straightening product, Invisalign - Human de-volution: Dr. Belfor acknowledges that human beings
have rapidly devolved in a very short amount of time -- i.e. the last
100 years. While Darwin's theory of evolution recognizes changes in
species over millenia, our rapid de-evolution is an indication that
something we are doing externally is influences our physical
deformities. He suggests diet and pollution as main causes. - Epigenetics: (This is the changing of genes through
influences other than DNA -- i.e. facial deformities) Dr. Belfor
believes this is going to be the most important field in science in the
21st century as people come to realize that many of us are not
expressing our genes fully and that we must find out why and do
something about it. - Sudden infant death syndrome: Recently, Dr. Belfor spoke with
a doctor in Australia who connects craniofacial deformities with sudden
infant death syndrome. With a lacking craniofacial development, the
9th (Glossopharyngeal) nerve in the head, which controls swallowing, gag
reflex, and speech, could very well play a role in SIDs in that
arterial blood flow to it may be be restricted, which could lead to a
lack of signaling to baroreceptors, Belfor says. Baroreceptors signal
the central nervous system to regulate blood pressure levels and with
their malfunction could lead to possible cardiac arrest. (Hopefully I'm
getting all of this right.) - Weston A. Price, DDS: Dr. Belfor is familiar with Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and
says that Price's research is the basis for the realization of our
physical deformities and, thus, influences any dental work (including
his) that seeks to restore the facial structure of the human genetic
blueprint.
somewhat abruptly because he had patients to tend to, but I'm extremely
grateful that he was willing to speak and share what he did for the ten
minutes we were on the phone. It seemed that if he was not busy, he
would have talked to me for much longer, as he definitely has a passion
for what he does and seems to enjoy very much sharing that passion with
others -- even if they are some random blogger/independent health
researcher like myself. What a great guy! If I was in the New York
area, I would not hesitate to go in for a craniofacial evaluation.
Palate Expansion Update, 1/10/11: First Appointment
Brief break from "My Intestinal Saga" to bring all you readers out there an update on my palate expansion pursuits ...
I'm a few weeks away from being an official homie on the block. I recently took a trip to Flagstaff, AZ for my first Homeoblock appointment. The dentist, Scott Darlington,
was very pleasant and shared his excitement about the procedure. It's
rare that people come to him for adult palate expansion, which he thinks
is unfortunate because the benefits are so great -- particularly in
opening up the airways. I told him I was interested to see how my
craniofacial structure would change and whether or not this procedure
would provide any significant benefits for me.
For this initial appointment, I had a short dental check-up
followed by my mouth being filled with plaster to make forms of my upper
and lower palate -- all of which was completely painless. These forms
are currently being sent to a lab where they will be used to manufacture
my own custom Homeblock. This usually takes a few weeks. I plan on
returning to Dr. Darlington's office in Flagstaff to pick up my
appliance around mid-February on my way to Wintercount.
For the first few months, Dr. Darlington recommends wearing the
Homeoblock as much as I can, including daylight hours. After this, I
will only have to wear it at night and it will be recreated every few
months to continue optimal expansion. The cost for all of this --
appointments, new appliances, and all -- is $2000. I payed up front for
a substantial discount of $250, so the final cost was $1750. I'm
looking forward to looking like a retainer-wearing teenager for a short
time -- maybe I'll even have a cool accent like Shelly from South Park.
Palate Expansion Update, 2/27/11: Finally Got It!
The Homeoblock appliance with case and advancement tool.
On my way home from Arizona, I swung by Dr. Darlington's
office for an appointment to fit my Homeoblock and take it home with
me. Dr. Darlington, as usual, was very kind and accommodating to my
needs as a patient living six hours away, scheduling the appointment for
when it was most convenient for me. The Homeoblock fitting and
insertion procedure took about a half-hour due to the upper palate
device not fitting very well. It was a back-and-forth scenario with Dr.
Darlington inserting the appliance and then me giving him feedback on
how it felt. There was some discomfort around my gums, and he adjusted
the Homeoblock with small pliers to fix it (similar to what is seen in
this training video by Dr. Belfor).
I was pretty surprised how easy and painless it all was. I was also
relieved to find out that I would only be wearing the appliance at
night, rather than all day and night for a few months as I initially
thought.
The upper Homeoblock fit well enough, although I still felt that it
wasn't optimal. Dr. Darlington said I could adjust the wiring as I
needed to when I got home with my fingers, so I wasn't too worried about
it and decided to get back on the road. The Homeoblock was given to me
in a retainer-like case with an adjustment tool to advance the
appliance a quarter turn each week. It's a pretty slick system.
At home, I made sure to take some "before" pictures to compare later
down the line when I finally look like the Neanderthal that I've always
wanted to. Kidding. But it will be interesting to see what changes
occur, however subtle. Here's some of my mug shots to show you all what
I'm working with. Please understand that I sacrificed a great beard so
that my facial structure can be seen for what it really is -- all in
the name of science. First face pictures:
Note the yellow line above that I drew on my face to illustrate its lack
of symmetry. The left side appears to droop down, particularly
noticeable by observing the eyes and lips. In the picture on the right,
you'll notice that while smiling there is a definite natural face lift
going on for me, but there is still marked asymmetry around the nose.
Now let's take a look at my glorious upper and lower palate as they are
now.
On the far left, you can see how my teeth come together off centered.
My lower palate (center) is pretty narrow and my front teeth are
slightly overlapping due to years of shifting (I got my braces off at
age 13). On the right is my upper palate and a similar process is
underway with one tooth in particular poking out a bit. Of course, also
note that neither palate has the wisdom teeth courtesy of my high
school orthodontist.
After analyzing my facial features and chompers, I was excited to try
the much-anticipated Homeoblock out that night. I inserted it right
before bed, slept through the night fine (besides a little excessive
drooling), and woke up to fairly sore teeth. Things were definitely
moving! My jaw felt like it had a bit of a workout. I could still eat
solid foods and the soreness went away after a few hours in the day.
The next night, I decided to try to adjust the upper Homeoblock to get
it to fit better. I toyed around with it a bit much, apparently, as one
of the wires snapped! "Well, it was an interesting $1700 experiment
while it lasted," I thought to myself. So I wore only the bottom palate
that night. I called Dr. Darlington the following day to inform him of
what had happened. He said to just send it to him and he can get it
fixed, and since it still seemed to not fit well, he would replace the
broken wire with a "ball joint" to see if that helped. If it didn't we
could just have a new upper palate Homeoblock made from a freshly formed
cast of my mouth. Great! I really feel supported by Dr. Darlington,
and I'm grateful that this is all covered under the initial cost that I
paid.
So I should get my upper Homeoblock back next week sometime. Until
then, the doc said that it would be fine to wear my lower palate
appliance. I will update everyone once I pass the two or three week
mark with that. Also, I would like to compare the Homeoblock with Damon
Braces at some point. I am awaiting Dr. Belfor's thoughts on this
subject when he returns from traveling.
One more thing. Those of you interested in the subject of adult facial
enhancement should drop by Nourishing Nancy's website to keep up with
her updates on the Damon Braces system. She has already seen very significant results!
.