• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Alyssa Luck

Alyssa Luck

  • About Me
  • The IBD Index
  • Functional Orthodontics
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Contact Me
  • Show Search
Hide Search

The DNA Appliance Has Arrived! (APE Diary #6)

Alyssa Luck · May 3, 2018 · 5 Comments

IMG_3009IMG_3010

My DNA appliance has arrived! It’s technically a “meridian” appliance, but it’s essentially the same as a DNA – I think only certified practitioners are allowed to use the name-brand DNA appliance, so we’re using a knock-off. (Edit 10/18/18: To be clear, I was taking Dr. Lockhart’s word that the meridian is functionally the same as a DNA. There could certainly be differences that I am not aware of!)

It’s definitely far bulkier than my old expander, and required a lot more adjustment to fit to my mouth. The acrylic plates that cover the biting surface of my molars (occlusal plates) had to be shaved down to balance my bite (similar to a nightguard adjustment), which is always difficult in my case since my bite is so uneven (when my right molars are touching, I still have several millimeters of space between my left molars).

But it’s all adjusted now, and I’ve been wearing it for about two weeks. The verdict so far:

Pros:

  • Way more comfortable than previous expander. Thanks to the occlusal plates, there’s no plastic rubbing up against my palate or gum-line, so no more sores. Yay!
  • The tightness after turning the expansion screws doesn’t seem to last as long, so I can consistently turn it every 3 days. Not sure why this is…I guess it just works better!
  • Teeth don’t get as sore after a screw turn. Again, not sure why.
  • Since the teeth are secured at the biting surface by the occlusal plates, there shouldn’t really be any teeth tipping, unlike my previous expander where all the force was coming from the inside of the teeth.

Cons:

  • Bulkier, so less room for tongue. Which means…
  • …I have a killer lisp now. It’s so hard to talk with this thing in and I hate it, especially since I’m still new at my job. But what can ya do? I decided it’s not worth not wearing it at work, so I just deal with sounding like an awkward teenager.
  • I clench and grind a lot, especially at night, so the right side of the appliance (which was already thin to begin with b/c of how much we had to shave off to let my left side make contact) already has hairline cracks in the acrylic and a little pinhole. Hopefully going to get that repaired tomorrow, but it doesn’t bode well for this thing lasting me the full ~9 months.

I also promised a pic of me wearing the scary reverse-pull headgear, so…here ya go.

IMG_3018

I’ve actually stopped wearing the face mask, because I was waking up in the morning with my jaw joint sore. Since the face mask is anchored by the forehead and chin, it pushes back on the mandible (aka jaw), which creates a pretty unhealthy joint position for the entire night. I’m definitely not comfortable with that, so am in the process of seeking out alternatives that will still provide that face-pulling force. I’ll keep you guys posted on that, but for now, I’m just wearing the DNA/meridian appliance all day and night (except for eating).

IMG_3005

Stay tuned, and comment if you have an alternative facepulling device to recommend!

Related

Functional Orthodontics & Orthotropics DNA appliance, orthodontics, orthotropics, palate expansion

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sean says

    May 14, 2018 at 4:56 pm

    I’m kind of surprised you opted for a meridian expander instead of a DNA/Vivos Appliance. My understanding is the 3d Axial wires and DX/TX protocols developed by Dr. Singh play a significant role in the appliances effectiveness, and those are a patented/proprietary aspect unique to the DNA/Vivos. Still, I look forward to seeing your progress updates and hearing more about your experience in general; the bit about how the face pull gear can place strain on the TMJs is some useful food for thought.

    Also, if the meridian isn’t able to hold up to the bruxism maybe consider trying to combine it with an aqualizer at night? The low volume is probably best as the acrylic material is already increasing the vertical dimension of your occlusion. Though a medium volume may also be alright. Personally I use a high volume because they decrease in size over time and when that happens the high volume still has enough fluid to work quite well.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Luck says

      May 24, 2018 at 11:04 am

      Hey Sean! To be honest, getting the meridian wasn’t exactly a choice. Because my local NC ortho isn’t a certified DNA appliance practitioner, Dr. Lockhart (my CA dentist) couldn’t have us order that one, so that’s why he wrote the lab order for the meridian. He’s been doing this for ages in adults and didn’t seem concerned about it being less effective, so I’m hoping it won’t be an issue! But I’d be curious to hear what your understanding is about how the DNA might be more uniquely effective. When I’ve read about it in the past, a lot of the explanation for how it works sounded like it could just be nice-sounding BS. Like, isn’t it just a matter of applying consistent light forces over an extended period of time?

      In an ideal world, I would have a local orthodontist who is certified with all the new-fangled orthotropic appliances and could create a custom ideal treatment plan for me, but unfortunately that’s not the case xD

      Huh, I’d never heard of the aqualizer! I’ll look into it, although I got the acrylic repaired and it’s hanging in there for now. I honestly can’t imagine having more material between my back teeth right now though!

      Reply
  2. Michael says

    November 28, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    you’ll destroy the aqualizer if you are bruxing.

    Reply
  3. Mag says

    October 2, 2021 at 11:58 am

    Hello! I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on Dr. Brad Lockhart? I found your post where you said your opinion of him had changed, but the link to your article didn’t seem to work. Did the meridian not work for you?

    I am also aiming to expand my palette to replace my extracted bicuspids… haha. I had both wisdom teeth and bicuspids removed and I really regret it 🙁 . Not sure where to start and I found Dr. Lockhart online.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Luck says

      October 6, 2021 at 10:06 am

      Hi Mag,

      So sorry for my delayed response, and for the broken link! This is the post I was referring to: https://alyssaluck.com/palate-expansion-update-concerning-cbct-scan-results-2/

      I’d say what I wrote there is still accurate for my thoughts on Dr. Lockhart.

      Good luck with your journey, and feel free to comment if you have any additional questions once you read through more of my posts! I’ve tried to be thorough about documenting my experiences, but I know how overwhelming it can be trying to figure out what to do.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

 

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, where I muse about health-related topics and document my relentless self-guinea pigging (in the realms of gut health and orthodontics, mostly). I created the IBD Index to help people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease discover their next health breakthrough. If you want to know more about me, click here!

alyssa.luck

alyssa.luck
To continue my recounting of the health things I'm To continue my recounting of the health things I'm experimenting with, let me tell you about DNRS: the slightly cheesy, arguably outdated “brain rewiring” program that has changed my life. 

I found it because I was looking for ways to “retrain” my nervous system. I watched some success stories. None of the “target” health conditions matched mine, but I went for it anyway. Probably the best decision I’ve ever made for my health. 

The core of DNRS is built on the principles of neuroplasticity. They call it "brain rewiring" because you intentionally take triggers that would normally stimulate a negative response in your body or mind, and associate them repeatedly with neural signals of safety. If that sounds pseudosciencey, I hear ya – one of my goals with future posts is to bring some concreteness and specificity to the topic. I imagine there are lots of people who could benefit from this type of thing who are turned off by the overly abstract or touchy-feely language. 

There are tons of "brain rewiring" programs like DNRS, but they're all built on similar ideas. Most bring in elements of other popular approaches, ranging from the scientifically validated (cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy) to the type of new-agey stuff I always scoffed at (shadow work, inner child work, parts work). 

For me, DNRS has provided the perfect framework to finally achieve what meditation experts and therapists and mystics alike are always advocating – the ability to step into the role of “curious observer.” It's given me everything therapy and meditation promised but could never deliver, helping me recognize my own patterns of thought and behavior and consciously redirect unhelpful ones. If this sounds vague, that's because there isn't a single area of my life that hasn't been improved by using this framework. 

I spend far more time in states of joy and peace and gratitude, and less time in states of anxiety or depression or frenzy. Many chronic worries that used to occupy my mind or keep me up at night – whether related to health, relationships, or my future – have disappeared, and the others are on their way out. (Cont. in comments)
Isn’t it crazy how something can be so easy and Isn’t it crazy how something can be so easy and natural for one person, but so hard for another? 

Me doing food: I can totally cook everything I eat from scratch, no prob

Me doing mental health: just doing my hour of daily mindful cognitive gratitudinal journalization

Me doing physical therapy: I can’t do it I don’t have that muscle

I’ve done many hard things in the name of health, but I think they’ve all been the types of hard things that come naturally to me. And frankly, that hasn’t gotten me where I want to be. 

So I’ve decided to finally tackle something that feels very unnatural: developing a real relationship with my muscles and bones, and learning - through experience, not from a book - how they coordinate with each other and how to use them. 

I never really considered my musculoskeletal system a key player in autoimmune or digestive woes, but now I realize it’s naïve to think dysfunction in one part of the body doesn’t affect another. And since this is so obviously my weakest link, it’s high time to make it a priority!

Even though I’ve done strength training in the past, I never dedicated the time and focus to figure out what my body actually needed to function better, and workouts often felt awkward or led to injury. 

I’ve always dreaded PT-type exercises because they felt simultaneously like “not enough” and also SO HARD, especially when there’s no way to confirm whether I’m doing them “right” (my nightmare). 

But I’m pretty sure the fact that targeted “mind-muscle” work is so hard for me means it’s what I need the most. (That’s how that works, right?)

Anyway, I’m happy to report that I’m finally through both the initial phase of being a giant baby because I have to do something I’m bad at, AND the second phase of neurotically worrying about doing it “wrong.” And hopefully I’m on my way to better posture, improved breathing, and greater strength! 

Super thankful to have people in my life who remind me to have fun and stay curious, when my natural disposition is to write a 27-step plan to “fixing” everything “wrong” with me. And to remind me that it is, in fact, a JOY to be a novice at something (as @_john_the_savage_ would say).
"If your nervous system is balanced, your heart is "If your nervous system is balanced, your heart is constantly being told to beat slower by your parasympathetic system, and beat faster by your sympathetic system. This causes a fluctuation in your heart rate: HRV." (whoop.com) 
 
This statement is a formidable example of one of the biggest misconceptions about heart rate variability (HRV). 
 
HRV is highest during rest or sleep, when sympathetic input is lowest. If HRV was the result of an autonomic “tug-of-war,” why would it be greatest when one of the contenders has entirely dropped the rope? 
 
Part of the misunderstanding may stem from failure to recognize that the heart has an intrinsic rate, well above the resting heart rate maintained by the vagus nerve. Varying vagal impulses create HRV without any sympathetic input at all. 
 
There are many other common misconceptions, such as the notion that HRV metrics measure autonomic tone, or that HRV itself is a metric with one interpretation. 
 
Such misconceptions aren’t only found in layscience – they also pervade academic and clinical literature. For instance, you’ll see LF used as a measurement of “sympathetic tone” and LF/HF as a measurement of “sympathovagal balance,” even though it’s been clear for decades that those interpretations are not physiologically accurate.
 
This post (and the associated article at alyssaluck.com/hrv101) can be thought of as “foundations for understanding HRV research.” And it provides a good example not only of the insufficiency of “sound-byte” science, but also of real science in action. 
 
The unfortunate reality is that we can’t always take researchers’ conclusions at face value. Few have the time to adequately assess a field before adopting one of their metrics, and once a misinterpretation has taken root it can easily become an accepted fact that propagates through repetition, becoming more entrenched with each published paper.
 
Thankfully the ramifications in this case are not very serious - misdirection of experimental design and analysis, and many false statements, but no dire consequences. Nevertheless, it’s a good reminder that science is a human institution, and it never hurts to question oft-repeated “facts.”
My latest diet experiment: the bean protocol! This My latest diet experiment: the bean protocol! This was one of the changes I made immediately prior to my drastic increase in HRV. 

Brief background: the bean protocol entails eating lots of soluble fiber (particularly beans) as a way to support detox. It rests on the assumption that most chronic health issues are the result of fat-soluble environmental toxins, excess hormones, and other fat-soluble things being recirculated in the body rather than eliminated. 

There is some scientific merit to this: the liver does eliminate many toxins and other compounds through the bile, these things can be subject to reabsorption via enterohepatic recirculation, and certain types of fibers do interrupt this process by binding bile, preventing reabsorption and allowing excretion in the feces.

That said, there are many unanswered questions that would need to be answered for me to be on board with that as the sole or even primary explanation for the anecdotal success of those on the protocol. I think there are almost certainly other mechanisms at play, and I doubt things work exactly as proponents of the protocol describe. 

But at the end of the day, what matters is not mechanisms, but practical outcome. And whatever the reason, it works for many! It seems especially popular and effective for hormonal issues and acne, but the preeminent bean spokesperson @uniquehammond cured her severe Crohn’s with it. 

For me, I experienced better digestion and clearer skin, among other benefits (like not having to wear deodorant). On the less-good side, I lost weight I didn't need to lose, had cold hands and feet, and developed some dry patches on my skin. 

(The dry patches [and perhaps weight loss] were probably because I kept fat too low – mostly because their favored fat source, nuts, is a no-go for me.)

I'm continuing to experiment, hoping to find a balance that lets me reclaim the benefits (which I lost after returning to my normal eating pattern) while avoiding the pitfalls. I’ll share any exciting developments, and will eventually dig into the science behind it too. 

For info about what the protocol entails, you can visit alyssaluck.com/the-bean-protocol-for-ibd!
Fighting the Sunday scaries by reading this PDF ab Fighting the Sunday scaries by reading this PDF about the autonomic nervous system. This quote from the introduction to the book highlights a big reason why I'm so fascinated by the ANS these days. Silos abound in medicine (and everywhere else, for that matter), and while silo-ing is probably an unavoidable result of the specialization that has allowed us to make such phenomenal advances in technology and knowledge, it's quite limiting when it comes to actually treating patients. 

Anyone who’s ever had an upset stomach from nerves or grief knows that the mind can affect the body, but the precise nature of the border between the two remains fairly elusive. 
 
Some people (including many doctors, unfortunately), when faced with things they can't explain, tend to default to the position that it therefore must not exist, or isn't possible. Personally, I find it exhausting to try to contort reality to fit my existing beliefs – reality always seems to obstinately stay the same. And I think it's way more fun to try to find explanations for such things anyway!

In the case of health, this means taking the real observations and experiences of myself and others at face value, and searching for an explanatory framework into which they fit. From patients with persistent and debilitating symptoms that no doctor can find a physical cause for, to the placebo effect, to the effectiveness of some “alternative” treatments such as acupuncture, to the innumerable "medical miracles" that nobody can explain – it's easy for science to deny or brush these things aside because they don't fit nicely into existing scientific frameworks, but wouldn't it be better to build a new framework into which all these observations can fit?

I guess some people will say that's simply not possible, but only time will tell. Meanwhile, if you need me, I'll be over here hanging out at the ineffable border between mind and body.
Most people equate the sympathetic nervous system Most people equate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) with “fight or flight,” and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) with “rest and digest.” This conflation can be misleading in two ways: 

1) Leads you to believe that each branch of the autonomic nervous system always activates globally, and that you’re always in either one “mode” or the other.

2) Paints a picture of the SNS and PNS as antagonistic, fighting each other.

I think it also fosters a third, more insidious belief: that sympathetic = bad, and parasympathetic = good. 

It's absolutely true that humans (and other animals) have a "fight or flight" stress response that involves global activation of the SNS, and that the PNS is largely responsible for "rest and digest" activities. It's also true that sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves often have opposite effects...but they are rarely directly antagonistic, and in fact most tissues only receive innervation from one system or the other. 

The best example of a truly antagonistic relationship is at the sinoatrial node of the heart, where sympathetic nerves increase heart rate and parasympathetic nerves decrease it. The fact that the heart has historically been the focus of research into the autonomic nervous system is probably a big reason the notion of antagonism is so powerful. 

Humans love dichotomies, especially when one side can be categorized as "good" and one as "bad," but our physiology doesn't care about moral frameworks. So, I’m sharing a few tidbits here to help break down this dichotomy and paint a slightly more nuanced picture of the autonomic nervous system. 

For my full article covering the basic anatomy and physiology of the autonomic nervous system, plus the references for this post, visit alyssaluck.com/ans101!
Load More Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Heart Rate Variability 101: What It Is and How It’s Measured
  • Autonomic Nervous System 101: Anatomy and Physiology
  • Vitamin A Detox Diet for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease
  • Brain Retraining: How to Choose a Program?
  • Dynamic Neural Retraining System: Can DNRS Work for IBD?

Recent Comments

  • Alyssa Luck on Quitting Controlled-Arch Braces [AGGA 2.5-year update]
  • Gummybearsmile on Quitting Controlled-Arch Braces [AGGA 2.5-year update]
  • Alyssa Luck on Can L-Glutamine Cause Brain Fog? {Monday Musings}
  • Katy on Can L-Glutamine Cause Brain Fog? {Monday Musings}
  • Alyssa Luck on CBCT Results: An Update on Implants [AGGA/CAB Update]

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · Monochrome Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in