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Alyssa Luck

Alyssa Luck

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Controlled Arch Braces: 5 Month Update

Alyssa Luck · Nov 8, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Things I talk about:

  • progress (braces, head/neck posture, tongue exercises, jaw position)
  • why I don’t want to do a “bump out”
  • more thoughts on AGGA/CAB safety

AGGA Before & After – 10mm Expansion

Alyssa Luck · Jul 17, 2020 · 8 Comments

Hey folks! I’m finally getting around to sharing my long-awaited before/after pics from AGGA. These are not final before/afters, because I still have to go through the CAB (braces) phase, but CAB shouldn’t give me any significant additional expansion, so I don’t expect the final photos to be much different aside from no more gaps and (hopefully) better posture.

Things to note:

  • I realize the lighting is inconsistent. When we do FINAL final pics, I’ll ask them to make sure they match it up better. (And will try to match hair/clothes, etc etc)
  • I started AGGA May 22, 2019, and finished (and moved onto CAB) on June 9, 2020, so almost exactly a full year of expansion
  • I was 25 years old when I started, now 26
  • Final measurements were 10mm expansion on both sides
  • My first AGGA broke around November/December 2019, so I was in a retainer for a month while they made me a new one, which means I averaged just under 1mm of expansion per month
  • I admittedly have not been nearly as dedicated to tongue/posture exercises during this process as I should have been, but am redoubling my efforts for the CAB phase and trying to cement better habits. Although you can see my posture has improved somewhat, there’s still lots of improvement to be had!
  • Looking better was never the reason for taking on this absurdly expensive, somewhat unpleasant, and slightly risky process, but it’s a definite side-benefit. It’s an inescapable fact that with human bodies, physical beauty is often very closely tied to proper function.

Now, onto the pictures. Scroll to the bottom for additional commentary from yours truly re: my goals for the treatment and whether I’m happy with the results so far.

  • No room for tongue = double chin
  • Less double chin, more lip support
  • It’s super obvious in this pic how recessed my upper dental arch was. Thanks childhood braces.
  • Better! Honestly could probably use more expansion, but I think that would be pushing my luck.
  • I look like I’m having an existential crisis
  • Kinda looks like my face got MORE asymmetrical, but could also be the lighting. Still in the habit of almost always chewing on the right side, but this should improve after my teeth actually touch on the left so I can chew more evenly.
  • Existential crisis = resolved
  • Even with the giant gaps, my smile definitely looks better now! Nifty.
  • 10mm gaps on either side
  • Had small gaps from prior expansion attempt, which closed naturally over the course of AGGA (nice side benefit!)
  • Gum recession on canines. Dr. Suh isn’t worried – says this happens to everyone and should resolve.
  • Again, gum recession apparent.

Are you happy with your results so far?

Provisionally, yes! It did the thing that I wanted and expected it to do, which was to create more space in the front of my mouth.

In my previous post “Why I Decided to Try AGGA (plus some lingering concerns)”, I listed out all the things I was hoping to address with AGGA. Here’s my assessment of whether these goals have been achieved yet.

  • Clenching/grinding at night: No. Of course there’s no way to know for sure what happens while I’m asleep, but I still find myself involuntarily clenching while I’m awake, so I’m fairly certain I still do at night. My guess is that my masseters are so used to being overactive, and my tongue underactive, that I’ll need to strengthen my tongue quite a bit more before those unconscious habits fully resolve.
  • Poor occlusion (front incisors hit end-to-end): Yes! Absolutely resolved. I got 10mm of forward growth, so my jaw can come as far forward as it wants now.
  • Poor occlusion (only my right molars touch): Not yet. The bite pads have given me some ability to chew on my left side, since we make them much larger on the left than the right to account for my uneven bite, but it’s still not the same as having proper tooth-on-tooth occlusion. This should be resolved in the braces phase that I’m in now.
  • TMJ concerns: Sort of. Because I don’t have a proper stable bite yet, I don’t think I’m necessarily chewing optimally yet, HOWEVER, I certainly no longer have to pull my jaw back in order for my teeth to fit together. I can feel the muscles gradually settling into a more natural bite, and I haven’t noticed jaw soreness recently, but I never had too much to begin with, so I don’t want to frame this as any kind of revolutionary thing. That said, I have full confidence that once the whole process is over, I have proper occlusion, and I’ve successfully re-trained my jaw/cheek/tongue muscles, I won’t have any remaining concerns about TMJ health.
  • Lack of tongue space: Mostly? I have 10mm more forward space than I used to, which is HUGE, but it’s still not the same as if my facial bones had developed properly in the first place. But I’d say I now have enough space to keep decent tongue posture, and am optimistic that good posture habits over a long period of time will further improve structure and increase tongue space.
  • Better profile: Heck yeah. It is now moderately less horrifying to see pictures of myself from the side. Score.

Did your lower jaw come forward as you created space? Or do you have an overbite now?

It did, in fact! More so than I expected. And no – no overbite, although I did have an overbite at a few points during my expansion.

Granted, the main reason I did this treatment to begin with was because my lower jaw wanted to be more forward than it was allowed to be, but what felt like my “natural” bite at the start of treatment was where my incisors touched end-to-end. If that was actually my natural bite, I would’ve only needed a few mm of forward expansion to accommodate that.

What actually happened is exactly what my dentist said would happen: with the new leeway to freely shift around (provided by the bite pads), my jaw gradually moved into a more forward position as my upper teeth moved forward.

Towards the end of the expansion process, there were times where I consciously had to push my jaw forward to avoid having a crazy overbite, but now my jaw seems to have very gratefully accepted all 10mm of extra space we’ve given it, and is settling nicely into its new forward position. Keeping proper neck posture helps with this as well.

Do you still have concerns about gum recession or losing teeth?

Definitely. In fact, after posting a video recently on this topic, Ronald Ead himself reached out to me privately to express concern and warn me about the dangers of AGGA. He personally has loose/unstable front teeth that he attributes to AGGA, and knows several people who have actually lost teeth (and with no chance of implants – aka my worst nightmare).

On the other hand – my dentist isn’t worried, my front teeth don’t feel loose, and no matter how many horror stories surface, there are plenty of success stories too. At the end of the day, it’s a risk I just have to accept, and hope that I’m one of the success stories.

That said, I do plan to ask my dentist at my next appointment how he monitors the health of those front teeth, and in what situations he would abort the mission. Just because a risk can’t be fully mitigated doesn’t mean I should just sweep it under the rug and not monitor it or come up with contingency plans. (Although I have to say…I’d much rather just live in denial and hope that nothing bad happens…)

Video: Is AGGA dangerous? My thoughts on tooth instability and bone loss

Alyssa Luck · Jul 1, 2020 · 18 Comments

Ramblings on the risks of AGGA, from my personal perspective. Also, yes, not only did I not manage to make this video five minutes, as intended, but the second take was actually LONGER than the first. Video: 1 Alyssa: 0

Below are the blog posts I mentioned in the video that touch more on this topic. And to add – since I published this video a week or so ago, Ronny Ead reached out to me privately with further warnings about the dangers of AGGA. He had a negative experience towards the end, and knows several more people who have had even worse experiences (i.e. losing their front teeth with no chance of implants).

So let this just be a reminder to anyone reading this that AGGA/CAB isn’t something that should be undertaken lightly or without just cause, and I would encourage anyone considering this treatment to check out the videos/posts Ronny has published on the topic for a different perspective. It’s always good to keep in mind that the entities who financially benefit from a treatment may not always be totally unbiased and objective when evaluating the risks.

Palate Expansion Update: Concerning CBCT Scan Results

Why I Decided to Try AGGA (plus some lingering concerns)

Everything You Need to Know about AGGA (but not really because I need to update this page…)

Video: Controlled-arch braces day 2 report – lisp city

Alyssa Luck · Jun 10, 2020 · 6 Comments

Real talk about how getting controlled-arch braces kind of sucks, plus a brief overview of the treatment plan going forward. I’m going to try to post my before/after picture from the AGGA growth phase on the blog soon! (Edit 8/11/20: Posted!)

Video: Why I chose AGGA over mewing alone

Alyssa Luck · May 19, 2020 · Leave a Comment

I guess I make videos now, so here’s one addressing the question: why did you choose AGGA rather than just mewing? 

I already talked about this in this post, plus the rest of my AGGA-decision-making rationale and concerns, so check that out if you haven’t already. (I really am so much better at writing than talking, you guys.)

Review: The Crane Reverse-Pull Headgear

Alyssa Luck · May 10, 2020 · 2 Comments

This is a slightly disorganized review of The Crane, which is a reverse-pull headgear / facepulling device that I tried a couple years ago when I was first embarking on my palate expansion journey with the Meridian appliance.

I found it in my closet today, and since there was little to no information online about this thing when I was trying to decide whether to give it a shot, I figured I’d at least share my experience.

This is their website.

This is a thread I found on The Great Work forum where people talk about it a little.

These are the other three blog posts on my site that mention it: 1, 2, 3

And here’s the video I just recorded! If you have any questions about it, ask away – I’ll answer as best I can.

Video: AGGA update, pandemic edition

Alyssa Luck · Mar 31, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Hey friends! For your viewing pleasure in the midst of global social distancing/quarantine, here’s another ~8 minutes of me rambling. I’m going to try to get my progress photos/measurements soon to post, so you can actually see changes.

Sending much love to you all! And I meant what I said in the video – if you find yourself in a place where you’re struggling with the current events and don’t have the strongest support network, please do reach out (alyssa@truthbutter.com, or alyssa.luck on insta). I’m exactly as friendly and nonthreatening as you’d expect.

9-month AGGA update

Alyssa Luck · Mar 2, 2020 · 6 Comments

Thanks to my increasingly chaotic life, I have not been able to bring myself to sit in front of a computer and type a coherent update, but this evening I did manage to sit on the floor and speak an incoherent update, so hopefully that counts for something.

So behold – my first ever video appearance on the internet. (Outside of social media, y’know. Who wants to follow me on insta?! I know you all do, after seeing this masterpiece.)

I forgot to mention in the video that I did have a one-month ‘holding period’ of sorts, since my first AGGA broke and I had to be in a retainer for most of December while the new one was made.

Also, I highly recommend peeping the “Recent Comments” section of the sidebar for more of the latest. Because although I suck at posting regular updates, I do reply to everyone who leaves a comment. Eventually. And usually my commenters have far more valuable contributions to the broader conversation than my blog does.

Enough preamble. Here’s seven minutes of me talking.

 

Why I Decided to Try AGGA (plus some lingering concerns)

Alyssa Luck · Nov 12, 2019 · 10 Comments

You guys. I wrote this post in MAY, and somehow managed to not hit publish. So here it is, almost six months later, which means I’m six months into my AGGA treatment, which means I’m way overdue for more updates. Given my track record, I’d say you should expect another update in April, but I will do my absolute best to exceed expectations. 

Ever since I halted my last palate expansion attempt due to bone loss concerns, I’ve been exploring other options and deciding on the best course of action. Now, almost a full year later, I’ve started treatment with a new dentist (Dr. Ed Suh) doing AGGA and CAB.

It wasn’t an easy decision-making process, and it’s not a perfect solution by any means (not that a perfect solution exists), so I wanted to share all of the factors I’ve taken into consideration, and why I ultimately decided that AGGA is the best route for me.

I’ll also share the remaining concerns that I have about the treatment, and how I’m dealing with them (aside from sporadic mild panicking. Only slightly joking.).

[Read more…] about Why I Decided to Try AGGA (plus some lingering concerns)

Everything You Need to Know about AGGA (Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance)

Alyssa Luck · Mar 28, 2019 · 16 Comments

Last updated 4/8/2019

Hey folks! This is my first post in what will hopefully be a series about the various orthodontic appliances used for non-surgical palate expansion and facial growth in adults.

You should all know by now that I’m not a dentist or orthodontist, so unfortunately, I won’t have any groundbreaking contributions of knowledge. But at least I can put all the info in one place, right? I’ve linked all of my sources throughout this post, so you can go link-diving if you want to read other people’s words and learn more.

If you want info and experience from an actual AGGA patient, definitely check out Ronnie’s website. He was my first source of information on AGGA, and is the true AGGA MVP for documenting his journey so thoroughly.

Table of Contents

What is AGGA?

Who came up with AGGA?

What is involved in AGGA treatment, and how long does it take?

How does AGGA work?

Is it legit?

Are there any dangers or downsides to AGGA?

How much does AGGA cost?

Where do practitioners learn how to use AGGA?

How can I find a practitioner who uses AGGA?

Before and Afters

Where can I learn more about AGGA?

[Read more…] about Everything You Need to Know about AGGA (Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance)

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Hi! I’m Alyssa. I like thunderstorms and cats, hate wearing shoes, and I get really nerdy about gut bacteria. This is me in Bali with a monkey on my shoulder. And this is my blog. If you want to know more about me, click here!

Recent Posts

  • Controlled Arch Braces: 5 Month Update
  • AGGA Before & After – 10mm Expansion
  • Video: Is AGGA dangerous? My thoughts on tooth instability and bone loss
  • Video: Controlled-arch braces day 2 report – lisp city
  • Video: Why I chose AGGA over mewing alone

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