u/Once394

Hello, I’ve had a palate expander for almost a year with a slow turn protocol (only one turn per week). I’m a girl early 30s. I’m done with my turns now and have done 6 out of total 7mm of expansion (if you count turns).

My breathing has significantly improved, jaw pain hasn’t been fixed but I’m hoping the aligners will help.

In the mirror I feel a bit off, but I thought the wider smile definitely made me look better. But somehow I always feel like my smile doesn’t sit right. Almost as if my upper teeth are no longer upper teeth bit my only teeth/middle teeth.

For the first time since I started really I took group pictures. And seeing myself I was shocked:

• nose: my nose used to be the only thing I considered «perfect». I had a very cute narrow, upturned nose, perfectly balanced. Now I really have a «potato nose». It’s still small at the top but huge at the bottom. Very round and wide. crazy change, and very sad to see this. I was warned my nose could be wider, but I didn’t think my base would be enormous.
• face proportions: I almost feel like my lower jaw disappeared even more, I look less balanced, and also my maxilla has «lowered». My midface has moved down instead of outwards. Which makes it look like my mandible is gone and my midface is almost lower face. My cheekbones are more prominent but lower. I just look wider.
• smile: although wider, my smile seem very off, and my upper teeth has lowered to the middle of my mouth, and gums are much more showing. I feel a bit «alian looking». Also my teeth doesn’t look very straight. I’m hoping the aligners will help (i have had aligners the whole time). If not I might go for a second opinion and round with someone else after for esthetics.

Would I do it again? Probably. It has been such an improvement with breathing. But I would maybe have stopped before. Then why will I finish 7mm? Because the ortho told me so, and I’m choosing to trust the process, and that my face will «settle» into it. For now my smile and nose is the worst. I’m hoping the smile will feel and look more natural when my bite is fixed.

Anyone with similar experiences? Did your opinions change?

Hello,

Im on aligner 30 out of 40. Surprisingly my ortho seems to think we are almost finished, although I feel like my teeth are far from perfect. but thats for another story.

I had an ortho when I was a child that abused my teeth, shaved down my canine without consent (family trait) and pulled one of my premolars... Now Im left with a pretty hideous premolar in-between my canine and molar. It's quite small. It really breaks my smile from the side, and shows a lot of gum.

Ive been looking into options, but Im not getting any advice from my ortho who just think Im being too vain. I heard you could laser your gum for a bigger tooth, or I could get veneer on that tooth.

Ive always had healthy teeth, and Im worried that by doing something Im creating an environment for problems. What do you guys think? I will obviously get professional opinions, but I like to do my own research first and hear first hand opinions.

Thanks in advance!