Week 2 Results

I’m continuing to see minor progress and a widening of my smile throughout week 2. The two pictures are showing my teeth on the first day wearing Myobrace (top) and what they look like at the end of the second week (bottom picture). No pain wearing the brace these days. It’s a slightly sore feeling but not at all painful. My gums had no irritation this week, and really the only trouble I’ve had is at night when my jaw shifts backward and the brace slips off my bottom teeth. It usually wakes me up when this happens and I can correct it, but occasionally it doesn’t wake me up. I probably would see more progress if the brace stayed firmly in place all night. Overall, I am loving the slight shift in my teeth and the improvement in how they photograph. No more obvious glare from the camera flash shining off my lateral incisor. 

Week 1 Results

Week one is over! I survived and didn’t lose too much sleep, although for sure some was lost.

I can definitely see a noticeable shift in my teeth. My bottom row has widened, with the premolars getting a lot of pressure to move outward. Those two teeth, I think, will be the slowest to progress because of their size and the distance they need to move. My upper teeth are really getting in line too. The upper lateral incisor is much less snaggled and catches the light in photographs less. My front tooth has moved slightly forward as well.

I’ve noticed the brace slips a bit while I’m sleeping, especially when my jaw relaxes back a bit and my bottom teeth come out of the brace slightly. This tends to wake me up and then I’m able to correct it. It’s quite difficult to sleep on my back and keep the brace in place (I’m a stomach sleeper anyway), so I actually find it easier to sleep on my stomach or side and kind of wedge the pillow under my jaw to keep the brace in place. Overall, I’m very happy with the results after only a week. 

The First Few Days

I started this blog as a simple way to document my weekly progress using the adult Myobrace System, a no-braces approach to straightening teeth and aligning the jaw. I was curious to see some adult results before I began this journey, as it’s mostly marketed for kids, and never found what I was looking for. This is my way of helping the adults and teens out there that are curious about the Myobrace system - how it works, what it’s like, and the possible obstacles along the way. My journey has only just begun. At this point, I have no idea how it will end, but I’m hopeful I will see a big improvement in my smile. 

Background:

I’ve never had braces before. I always liked my smile and only had a few teeth that were a little crowded. My parents had a horrible orthodontic experience with my older sister and spent 4 years working to correct her smile, which didn’t really end up very well. Her case “required” extractions, among many other things, and the final results have always looked a little off. Let’s just say, she still smiles with a closed mouth, sadly. I genetically inherited a very different set of teeth—much bigger, much straighter, with a different face and jaw shape as well. Through my teens, I quite liked my teeth and didn’t really think about getting braces. Then, after each baby (four total) and each year (I’m now 37), my teeth shifted ever so slightly out of line and my jaw seemed a little more pushed back. My upper lateral incisor, in particular, was really sticking out and annoying me. My bottom premolars were always a little tipped in, and now they were practically hidden since my wisdom teeth had popped up and crowded them out. 

Day 1: 

My teeth are considered moderately crowded, with my bite and tongue positioning being only slightly off. For this reason, I began with the A2 Myobrace, instead of the softer A1. I was super excited to start! After only a couple hours of wear, I could actually see a slight difference. I tried to wear it at night, but it was too uncomfortable and I couldn’t fall asleep. I decided to try and get at least 6-8 hours in during the day instead, at least until I could get used to it. This was quite hard to do since you can not talk at all while wearing the Myobrace, but I was able to do it. 

Day 2: 

My teeth are so sore. Ouch! The teeth that need to shift are getting a lot of pressure and remain sore for an hour or two after taking off the Myobrace. I’m wearing it for about 6 hours during the day, which makes eating a little difficult. At this point, I feel a little worried that I won’t be able to comply for the full treatment (18 months, at least). But I keep going and vow to try it for at least a month.

Day 3:

Teeth are still sore, but not quite as bad. My jaw feels more aligned already. I wore the Myobrace for a couple hours at night and several hours during the day. My teeth do look like they have straightened ever so slightly. This gives me a little encouragement to continue the treatment.

Day 4:

By this day, things were a lot more comfortable and I could wear it for hours, virtually pain free. I wore it through the night and didn’t have too many problems—a little drooling, a little bit of a dry mouth if my mouth was open, and a little slipping down of the Myobrace. All in all, I thought that was good progress, and I was relieved that I could ease up on wearing it during the day so much

 

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