Break the Matrix

You just answered your own questions.

Many appliances do the same thing. Bracers are a faster way of getting things done. The ALF is a slower process. I notice some tipping from the bracers at the same time as I now have sufficient width for correct tongue posture.

Rule of thumb for me is: will this appliance enable the tongue to function properly? If yes then why not. Homeoblock and DNA don't. Big nono for me.

Face pulling is easier. Gentle forces and your body tells you when it's had enough. People tend to over pull in terms of force used. BE GENTLE.

The appliances are supposed to help you regain function so that the tongue can function properly.

There is also the aspect of bite height. Check the starecta.com webpage out. The free book is very educational.

The changes in your apperance is symptomatic of a "melting face" as Dr.Mew puts it. It was what finally made me take action.

Ponder for a wile but you need to take action. I'd like to stress the importance of finding the right practitioner over specific treatment modalities. The reason for this is that someone who uses ALF'S to straighten your teeth still won't help you but someone who used homemade bulkier appliances but had the right mindset will be more benificial for you.

The height dimension is what I'm talking about as the missing piece. We talk about forward and outward movement but mever about supporting bite height.

My ortho builds my bite up everytime I go for a check-up.

The first time I got these build ups. I felt amazing just after a few days. And so, I don't need to be pursuaded by the Starecta people regarding bite height. It does matter. What I'm unsure of is if it's possible to fix this without permanent build ups or not.


Through Plato aswell.



/Knoppe

Knoppe: This is the first time I've seen the Starecta method discussed anywhere. How did you find out about it and what do you know so far? Also what theory are you referring to where something is missing?

I read bits of the Starecta preview book I think, and the concepts make sense. I met Plato in New York and he had made up a device himself and was very excited about what it has to offer, he seems to think it's the missing component in balancing one's structure between all the other things talked about here. I thought I could address the more sunken part of my skull from face pulling by applying more force to that side, or pulling at different angles. Plato said he tried all that to no avail but the Starecta method has been working, in turn also straightening his pelvis and spine like you can see from the inventor's results on the website.

There's a lot of delicate nerves and muscles in the face. What's to say Face Pulling doesn't do damage to the face?

On the other hand, how about: There are a lot of neves and muscles in the face. How much damage does displaced TMJ's, underdeveloped jaws and a crooked bite and severe bruxism do to them in the long run?


Your question is valid and that's why I would never do it out of vanity. If it's not broken, don't fix it. If it is, estimate risk to reward ratio. There really should be more studies on these type of treatments so that they can be refined.

Hey thanks I'm checking out that site. Are nasal passages and sinuses same thing? I have large sinuses but my nose is small. I do have breathing problems too but my airway is normal size.

I'm not sure. I may have used the wrong term but what I mean is reduced airflow due to narrow passages. I myself have noticed an improvement in my ability to breathe through my nose since I started treatment.

I hope the comfortable level improves. Are you a back sleeper or side sleeper? I'm a side sleeper myself but i also toss and turn a lot.

Did your ortho recommend the 3rd teeth for the anchoring location? So there needs to be hooks added for anchoring of the ALF? I'm asking because i intend to get braces soon and i want to know if braces needs special design for the anchoring.

We'll see. At this point I feel it's hit and miss with this project.

He didn't say much about anything really. Nope, nothing with the brackets are needed. The hooks are not on the ALF but on the bracers (the wire). I know that it's possible to modify the ALF to have hooks on it.

I was taught to sleep on my back by a "jaw specialist" 10 years ago because of TMD issues. Used to sleep on my stomach. I prefere sleeping on my side aswell but don't do it since it messes with my jaw and shoulders.

What kind of bracers are you getting? Did you have any expansion work done with an applience?

I recieved "the Crane" today. If you get the right size, the holder is movable so that you can get an upwards pulling force. It's designed so that it pulls foward and upward without using the head as leverage. The FaceMax is more or less a customised american football helmet where the grillz are movable and adjusted after proprioceptive testing. The FaceMax can therefore pull with more force in one angle and on one side.

We'll see how the Crane works out. I'll be using it for at least 12 weeks.

@knoppe

There is a doctor who is expert in facial symmetries in my area and i really wanted to see her but shes quite expensive. Im planning to buy the crane facemask instead, any new developments with the crane?

Ben. Sorry for cluttering this thread.

Please remember that I'm only a layman and that I'm drawing from my own experiences and that I'm still undergoing treatment. So, I may be dead wrong about things. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. I can only help point you in the right direction. With that said my advice and thoughts are as follows.


In terms of mechanical movement of teeth, cranial bones and sutures one has to consider a 3 D approach. There are more bones than the maxilla that affect the jaw. Also. If you have a midface deficiency chances are that you also have narrow dental arches because of the causal effect the tongue posture and swallowing has on the dental arches. It's a negative feedback loop of faulty swallowing, bad tongue posture and facial deterioration (if you will).

Are you just after more prominent cheek bones? If so. Feel free to follow Platos' advice and get a hockey mask. You won't need a crane. Don't overtreat and keep the pulling forces low and treatment time short. Let your body tell you when it's had enough and don't push through the uncofortable feeling that arises after some time during a treatment session.

 If you have postural issues, tmd, headaches and other problems then you probably need more than just face pulling. In that case, the treatment is best optimized by shotguning the problem.

As Mr.Hedley says (and I do agree with him which is the reason I've opted for NCR in conjunction with my orthodontic treatment):

"There is no one solution. It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that."

-Widen the dental arches and bring the maxilla forward (in my experience, orthodontic appliences do this very, very slowly). This will help hold the structure better and will allow for proper tongue posture and swallowing.

-Face pull to stimulate forward movement of the maxilla.

-NCR to loosen things up and to catapult progress (NCR helps the other two. Some people are having great resulta with self treatment with Ben's help. I'm to scared to do it myself).

-Fix your swallowing and increase muscle tone in relevant muscles.


Find someone experienced to diagnose you. I don't know what expensive is but there ought to be cheaper options that are also good. I myself go to a guy in a neighbouring country every 10 weeks. Find a functional orthodontist. I don't care about how advanced degrees they have in traditional dentistry or medicine. Functional orthodontics is KEY. It's crucial.

This is all so easy when you use your common sense. Dr.Mew explains it all in his lectures so watch them. Check "claiming power's" blogg out. It'll give you all the info you need.

It may sound as if I'm disregarding self treatment alltogether, which I'm not. I'm giving you my approach and and I firmly belive in the use of an expert to help diagnose the condition. An evaluation should be enough for you to better understand which approach you should have when trying to tackle your problems. Just going for a single NCR treatment with a pro could be enough to get an idea.

Self treatment is cool but drawing from other peoples experience beforehand is even cooler in my opinion. A dentist will be able to tell you if you need orthodontic treatment and and NCR practitioner can confirm cranial distortions.

Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions.

/Knoppe