Hello everyone. I got my mini screws implanted 2 days ago, and the distraction appliance will be implanted next week.
First photo: right after procedure
Second photo: just now
As you can see there is a difference in how the back 2 screws look. I think that their head fell off. Is this possible? Has anyone had a similar experience?
Thanks!
I have some body dysmorphia so I have struggled with seeing the changes other than the size of the gap in my teeth. Super glad I took a closed smile photo, because trying to recreate it is what actually helped me understand the changes to my facial structure from my expansion. Turns out my cheeks are actually significantly wider and I had no idea haha.
Top photo is less than a week before the MARPE was placed. Bottom photo is about a week after my last turn. (Same room and lighting, tried to get same hair, same weight. My rosacea is a lil more flared in the second but oh well.)
I got a MARPE mostly to try to help my sleep apnea and give my tongue room in my mouth(likely the cause of the OSA per my sleep doc). I figured if it helped my cross bite or TMJD, too, it would be a perk.
Benefits I've noticed:
-My tongue posture is more forward, and I have less muscle tension as I can actually relax my tongue and breathe simultaneously.
-I can breathe SO MUCH BETTER through my nose. I can actually breathe through my nose when I go for a run, something I couldn't do before.
- Related to that, it's been wild to realize how much more I can smell. That has been mixed discovery as it turns out I was missing both good and bad things lol.
-I won't have a repeat sleep study till the device is out, but I did have to turn down the settings on my CPAP because the pressure was becoming uncomfortable so I'm hopeful.
I recently went to an ortho for a consult and asked for my CBCT file to send as an executable program, but I was told that they are unable to do this and was just given a bunch of .dcm files inside a DICOM folder, does anyone how to view it as a program?
I have another CBCT file of myself from a while ago that was given to me as a .exe program that I'm able to run easily. Not sure how to do this.
My orthodontist said I would need surgery to fix my bite but he never specified. He mentioned expander but also added that my bottom jaw has grown out of position too long that it is skeletal so idk if marpe would be enough. The first pic is my normal bite and the second is my bottom jaw centered to midline like it would normally
Is it possible to get Marpe at 20 after already having 4 premolars taken out in puberty bc I appereantly didn’t have enough space in my jaw, and then wore braces for 2,5 years after.
If someone know, I would appreciate sharing an opinion.
I am hopeless
I’m one month in- first few weeks were rough. Got the split on turn 10 and then 2 turns a week. Got to 13 turns then started getting inflammation around a few TADs and paused. Was seen by the orthodontist and he confirmed all the TADs were secure and everything was really clean. I’ve been sooo thorough cleaning and I’m discouraged this inflammation is still happening. Oral surgeon saw photos and thought it might be an infection- taking antibiotics, prescription mouth wash, and warm salt water rinses. The inflammation is improving slowly but surely.
I had something stuck on my back TAD and used the water pik on a higher setting bc I could not get it out- then all of a sudden felt a weird sensation and realized the TAD had come out. Oddly this TAD was not one with any inflammation. Of course going into a holiday weekend so not sure when my surgeon will get back to me. Trying not to freak out. I still have 5 TADs and they feel secure.
The constant worry and anxiety with MARPE is intense. First I was worried about the split. Now worried I’ll lose more TADs.
Ugh.
Context: I had a posterior TAD on my 4 TAD custom MARPE fail, so my ortho removed the two posterior screws a few weeks ago while i waited for a replacement marpe to ship in.
I was eating lunch today and my marpe split in half! The solder joint on the jackscrew broke, i went and checked if anything fell in my throat, and it was all clear, the jackscrew was still attached to the other half. I kept eating (I know 😅), and a few minutes later the entire half of the marpe fell out with the TAD head!! has this happened to anyone else? This seems mechanically pretty crazy for a titanium screw !
Did I accidentally screw myself over. I have been having difficult turning since starting a few days ago but have now realised that i haven’t been doing it perfectly in the middle. for example, this morning it the key attached a little to the right. will the pressure still distribute equally or will this cause asymmetry?
Hello.
I have just gotten my MARPE pins in today. Not the expander, though, not yet. My ortho says that’s still being prepared.
I am exhausted and tired already. The pain is horrible. I can’t stop thinking about the road ahead and I already want to stop. It brings me so much dread to think about everything coming. I can’t even swallow correctly. Eating is a chore.
How do I cope?? 😭 Anything will help.
Thank you
I had headgear when I was 10-11 because of my overbite. Nowadays (21) I can’t practice sports or sometimes even walk without mouth breathing, and I sport a lot, a lot of movement at work as well. The dentists are happy with my bite and they tell me that nothing needs to be done. My teeth in the back doesn’t touch each other and the top ones are tilted outwards. I think my teeth on the lower jaw are tilted inwards. When I play saxophone my jaw shifts forward and then my bite doesn’t align… I’ve had some problem with TMJ(the joint pops and cracks, it also hurts sometimes. When I open my jaw wide and sing(I’m a singer) my voice is amplified in my left ear, it gets extremely loud(is it because the sound travels through my jawbone into my ear?). I had a tongue tie when I was a kid, which was cut, do I need to cut it again? I can only touch the palate with the tip of my tounge when my mouth is closed without the back of my tongue making it harder to breath. My tongue also doesn’t fit. When I wake up I’ve experienced sore throats and dry lips a lot more lately, and I think I sleep quite shallow, because I wake up just by the smallest sounds.. When I get hay fever, it all gets worse..
I have an opportunity to visit an Ear-Nose-Throat Doctor. What should be told?
What are your opinions?
Hi everyone,
I’m a 23-year-old male from Germany and I’m at the point where I have to decide between two treatment options before my future jaw surgery.
My airway is restricted because of a narrow maxilla, and I also have a Class II bite. I’ll most likely need double jaw surgery later regardless of which expansion method I choose.
The two realistic options available to me are:
EASE with Dr. Bettina Hohlweg-Majert (Munich)
DOME Zero (custom MARPE with slow expansion and aligners) with Dr. Claudia Pinter (Vienna)
Unfortunately FME isn’t available where I live, so these are realistically my best options.
My biggest concern isn’t achieving the absolute maximum expansion—it’s getting the most predictable and symmetrical result while minimizing unwanted facial changes.
I’ve read about cases of unilateral expansion or one side of the midface appearing lower than the other after expansion, and honestly that’s the complication that scares me the most.
From what I understand, EASE uses surgical corticotomies to reduce resistance. Does that actually make the expansion more predictable and reduce the risk of asymmetry compared with DOME Zero/MARPE, or is there no evidence that it does?
I’m also trying to avoid excessive midface widening. My lower jaw is relatively narrow, so I don’t necessarily want a dramatically wider midface if it can be avoided. Is EASE generally considered better for preserving facial balance, or is that just anecdotal?
One more thing: the EASE provider told me they mainly use MSE and TPD appliances. I don’t know much about either of them and I can barely find any information about TPD.
Is TPD considered better than MSE?
Does the appliance itself make much difference, or is the surgical technique and the orthodontist’s experience far more important?
If you had my situation and had to choose between these two options, which one would you pick, and why?
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who have actually undergone either treatment or clinicians familiar with both approaches.
Thanks!
Before is the two first pictures, and today (8 days since installation) is the last three. I wouldn't ask, I've just been having issues contacting my orthodontist.
I feel like my teeth are too much inside my jaw and when I’m talking they are not really visible and my lower face looks square and fat even though I have low body fat.Also when im smiling, it feels like im forcing to smile,
I constantly feel like my jaw is at tension and that i cant properly align my teeth and jaw when resting and when talking.I often get jaw tension and discomfort.
When I went to doctor they said my bite and teeth are fine but I know that somethings off. I wore braces for 2 years and sadly had taken out 4 healthy teeth for braces because i didnt have enough space for them in my jaw.
Does anyone have a solution to this,do I need jaw surgery?
Can this be fixed with invisilings or marpe or masseter botox?
Any help would mean a lot.
Before my mid-palatalsuture split, my jaw and teeth were always perfectly symmetrical. But now, this is what it looks like. With every new turn of the expansion key, the left side keeps dropping lower and lower. My orthodontist just tells me to keep turning, but I am absolutely terrified that this won’t fix itself or be correctable later 😭
I got four premolars removed because of crowding, and I have now gotten braces.
Should I consider trying a palate expander (MARPE)? to avoid a narrow palate and maxilla.
I'm not really sure about this stuff so please do help me
Thanks
what are the pros and cons?
I have one provider who uses arms to help the suture split and then removes the arms after three months. another provider skips the arms and just does a piezo cut.
what are the pros and cons to both approaches?
How is your bite during this process? Do your molars become misaligned or hit weird?
If so, how long does it take to fix the misalignment?
Im 31 M. Got my marpe about a month ago. I did about 14 turns with no split so my ortho decided to do corticopunctures. I’m now on turn 4 of doing that and still no split has occurred. What are your opinions? I’ve heard some other males at my age may have difficulty splitting. Doctor said if it doesn’t split we’ll have to consider a surgeon for another thousand dollars. Which I’m not looking forward to since my installation went terrible (inflammation and screws were too tight for 5 days, worst pain ive ever had)
Anyways, lmk what yall think