Thursday, October 20, 2011

A Correction, Some Added Info, and Current Status

I got word a couple weeks ago that DNA does not stand for Do Not Adjust. I have investigated this by having a chance to glance at Dr Singh's and Dr. Krumholtz's  book "Epigenetic Orthodontics In Adults" and have confirmed that DNA is supposed to mean "Daytime-Nighttime Appliance". I have added an appropriate correction to earlier posts. I apologize for any confusion. I was reporting the information I got at the time. For whatever reason, that information was not correct.

I would like to add that in my brief look at Epigenetic Orthodontics In Adults I got the impression that a number of different kinds of appliances might be utilized in patients receiving E.O. treatment. While the DNA appliance might be commonly used, it is not necessarily used in every case. Or, a patient may have a DNA appliance and a different type of appliance as well. For instance one for the uppers, another for the lowers. Had I understood this at the outset I might have titled the blog differently, but I don't think it's an important enough distinction to justify changing the name of the blog now.

My current status is that both my upper and lower appliances are still "in the shop", which is to say, the lab. You may recall from previous posts that my upper was sent off for modifications, then I lost my lower and a so new one is being made. I hope to get them back soon. The dentist made a clear retainer for me for my uppers, so that should prevent any regression while I wait for the upper appliance. However, none was made for my lowers. I can detect a little regression there. Hopefully it won't be too significant, but obviously it will extend the treatment longer than it would have been had I not lost the appliance.

23 comments:

  1. Hi I'm 22 year old that regrettable got braces when I was 19, I had pretty bad crowding, & I was told my arch wouldn't grow anymore so only option was to extract 4 bicuspids.

    I regret it alot, I have a narrow smile now, and my lip is awkward when i speak because i don't have the teeth to hold my lip up.

    I'm hoping DNA appliance is able to reverse the effects of tooth extraction, I'm hoping my canines will move forward like they used to be instead of being pushed back... And reopen the spaces for the bicuspids and I can get implants.

    Do you have any insights into this? Do you think this is possible?

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  2. I also wanna thank you for this great blog, very educational... Information on this is very limited on the internet.
    Please keep updating. I will be following.

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  3. Hi claimingpower,

    Thanks for the compliment and I plan an update soon.

    As to your question, you are asking for what is actually a medical (dental) opinion and I am not qualified to give one. You would really need to contact a dentist who practices epigenentic orthodontics (DNA appliance) for a valid opinion.

    I can't specifically address the issue of creating space and getting bicuspids implanted, but in my non-professional, laypersons opinion I can't think of any reason you should not be able to get a lot of improvement. I mean, if my 56 year old arches can be grown/expanded and reshaped, I can't think of any reason your 22 year old body should not do at least as well. I had a few teeth extracted when I got conventional orthodontics as a child and my mouth is improving a lot. In the reading I have done on E.O., Dr. Singh's techniques have been successful treating a lot of very severe issues. I think you have every reason to hope for a good outcome, but you do need that professional opinion to really know. Why not just go for it and find a practitioner in your area and request a consultation? A consultation is probably very inexpensive or perhaps free. Then you can really know what is possible for you.

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  4. thanks for the reply.

    May I ask which teeth did you have extracted exactly?

    And did you have wisdom teeth extracted at all?

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  5. Rick:

    First off, I'd like to thank you for writing about your experience. It's hard to find information about the DNA appliance that seems unbiased, so I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

    I am still unclear if there's anyway to tell if your palatal arch has widened. You mentioned before measuring a wider gap between molars (at least that's my memory of what you measured) but could that also be caused by the tooth angle changing? By that I mean, the root of the teeth might still be just as far apart but the tip of the teeth could be moved by, flared out, so to speak, which would make it appear that your palatal arch was wider while it actually hadn't changed.

    I'm not sure how to verify that, but as somebody interested in the DNA appliance because of sleep apnea issues, I'd love to know your thoughts on actual wider maxilla versus spread out teeth.

    Thanks again for your time.

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  6. Thanks for you kind comments Steve. I would say that 1.What my tongue senses when it touches the palate is one signal I have the palate has changed. It seems more 'smoothed out'. 2. As the appliance has expanded, so has the palate come down to touch it, and the dentist has had to abrade the appliance down several times to compensate. The acrylic of the appliance ended up much thinner than it started due to what seems to be the palate coming down and getting a bit flatter than it was. 3. When the appliance is freshly adjusted, I can feel a mild, not unpleasant, expansion sensation at the midline of the palate. Gradually that sensation subsides until the next time it is adjusted and the cycle repeats. 4. My reading tells me palatal expansion is a known orthodontic technique outside of the DNA technique- however they use appliances and techniques that apply a lot of force to achieve a lot of expansion in a short period of time, which often leads to hemorrhaging and pain. The subsequent bone mending is of the scar variety, like the healing of a broken bone. This is very different from the slow, gradual DNA technique which seems to induce natural gentle bone growth, not the "healed injury" type of bone tissue. The concept of whether palatal expansion can be achieved is not really in question, it's more the question of DNA technique versus the previously established technique. 5. I've looked at pictures of some DNA case histories where it appears quite obvious the arch was widened and the palate widened.

    Hope this helps.

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  7. claimingpower.com, I do not know exactly which teeth were extracted. It was more than 40 years ago. I believe there were 3 at the time 9though i could be wrong), and they were toward the anterior rather than posterior. They were talking about taking out a 4th, but that did not get done for reasons I can no longer remember. There was a lot of family turmoil at the time and I was a kid. This past year I had my lower left (my left) wisdom tooth extracted due to it having died and with a cracked root. So I have 3 wisdoms left. The dentist mentioned possibly getting a new one implanted, but we'll see if it's possible. Most dental practitioners here seem very anti- investing in wisdom teeth.

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  8. Rick,

    I'd be interested in what your dentist recommended for your worn teeth. I suffer from worn teeth, generalized bone loss, and gum recession, which my dentist says could have resulted from my misaligned arches. Please let us know.

    I just ordered my DNA upper today....

    Albert

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  9. as,

    I don't remember everything that was said though I do know very expensive veneers were mentioned. Really, anything more than DNA is outside my budget for a while. I'll need to finish paying off the DNA then have some "economic recovery" time before I can think about undergoing any further expensive procedures.

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  10. Thanks for your blog, Rick. Would you recommend the DNA appliance?

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  11. I'm also wearing the DNA appliance and I find that it makes me look like I've gained weight in the face in all the wrong places. It's very upsetting, I hope it will pass.

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  12. Thank you so much for your blog Rick! I appreciate the detail that you have put into sharing your experience, while still keeping things in layman terms and openly admitting when you are speculating (of course we're not experts in this field!). I am beginning DNA appliance therapy soon and your blog is the only reference I have been able to find that I find to be both unbiased and understandable to me, therefore it is really the most helpful! Just curious, why no posts since 2011? Thanks!

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  13. I have also found this blog to be very helpful and have been wondering why there have been no updates. I hope you are okay.

    I have been using the DNA appliance for about one year and have had a similar experience to you. There has been significant expansion in my upper and lower jaw. However, I am being treated for sleep apnea and have not seen much of a subjective improvement in the quality of my sleep yet. I chose the DNA appliance as an alernative to MMA surgery. I was wondering if you or any of the followers no of a broader forum for users of the appliance to share their experiences. Thanks.

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  14. Hello again, it is unfortunate that Rick has been unable to provide further updates. I do hope that everything is okay!

    I just received my appliance on 3/31/12 and plan to share my experience too.

    Andrew I am glad to hear you also have had a positive experience so I hope to report good results as well.

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    1. Anthony-I started the DNA appliance in early Feb 2011 and switched to a different DNA appliance in Jan 2012. The results have been amazing. My mouth used to be very crowded (I had 4 teeth removed as a child as part of orthodontic treatment) - the result was obstructive sleep apnea. I have had several sleep apnea surgeries which resulted in some improvement and my only remaining surgical option is MMA surgery. I decided to try this first as I could use both advancement and expansion of my jaw to help with the apnea. So far, this device has opened spaces between nearly all of my teeth and has resulted in 6mm of expansion of the lower and upper jaw. The sleep apnea has not been totally cured so far but I thought this was a longshot anyway.

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  15. I've been wondering about Rick, too, & hoping he's just very busy.

    Andrew, I'm very curious about your experience, & am wondering which DNA device you first used & what you changed to, & did you use only an upper? Six mm seems remarkable. Do you mind my asking if you're on the youngish side & what city or area you live in?

    Anthony, I'd also be very interested to hear of your experience.

    And Engel, I'm sorry about your distress. Do you feel like describing it a bit more?

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    1. Hi Marcie,

      I am 48 and live in the NYC metro area. I think I had Dr. Singh's standard DNA appliance for upper and lower. The first appilance could only be adjusted by the dentist and progress was slower. Last December, I got the appliance similar to what Rick had at the beginning and the progress was much faster. While I don't think it will be a cure for my sleep apnea because I probablly really need advancement as opposed to just expansion of the jaw, I am still very please with the aesthetics. Also, my son had the same treatment and saw very rapid improvement in his sleep apnea with some noticeable improvement in the first two months.

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    2. Thanks for your response, Andrew. In Dr. Steven Park's webinar several weeks ago, he said the functional appliances can potentially remodel in all three dimensions, so perhaps there's still a possibility.

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    3. Andrew--Did your dentist change from Dr. Singh's standard DNA appliance to a different appliance? Or, did you change dentists? I am glad to hear you and your son have seen improvements. I don't have sleep apnea, but am wondering if the DNA appliance would help me to get deeper and more restful sleep.

      And, Marcie--Would you recommend any webinar in particular (from Dr. Park) that deals with the different functional appliances available, and perhaps compares them?

      Thank you!

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  16. Thank you so much for blogging about your appliance. You helped me to make the decision to proceed w/ treatment. I will also be blogging about my experience to help get the word out about this awesome alternative to jaw surgery.

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  17. Andrew I am in NYC and would like to try either the DNA appliance or the Homeoblock appliance. May I ask what dentist you are seeing?

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  18. Hi Rick!

    I'm a 39 year old looking for a solution for crooked teeth due to a narrow arch. I'm considering the DNA appliance as the most conventional treatment, however I have only seen a couple of blogs talking about this treatment and in neither one of them there is any info regarding the finished result. Have you finished your treatment? How was the outcome? If you could please answer me I would be forever grateful. My email, if you prefer to do in private, is soueuadri@yahoo.com.

    Thank you!

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