MSE: 86 Days, 84 Turns, Expansion Complete
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MSE (Maxillary Skeletal Expander) was installed by Dr. Zubad Newaz, an orthodontist at the Gelb Center in Manhattan, on July 15, 2019.
The photos below were taken on October 8, exactly 86 days after the install.
84 turns of the MSE had occurred at the time of the photos. Each turn expands 0.13mm, which puts me at ~11.2mm of expansion. My version of the MSE is capable of 12mm of total expansion, or about 90 turns, so I did not max out the appliance.
86 Day Observations
Tongue Space
>11mm of lateral expansion is a game changer. The additional oral volume has made Mewing a whole order of magnitude easier. Now when the back of the tongue comes up, it does not hit the back molars.
This has improved daytime and nighttime Mewing (keeping the tongue on the roof of the mouth during sleep).
Nasal Breathing
Since the roof of the mouth is the floor of the nose, MSE not only expands oral volume, but also nasal volume. I have not had a stuffy nose since starting MSE.
The hot, stuffy air this winter will put this to the test, but for now I must say that improvement of nasal breathing is the key benefit of MSE alongside increased oral volume.
AGGA had no effect on nasal breathing. MSE has had a huge positive effect. This also contributes to improved sleep.
Widened Arch and Cheek Bones
Many people in my life have been commenting that my mouth looks full of teeth. This is because MSE has significantly widened the upper arch. Personally, I also detect a widening of the cheek bones.
Therefore I think that while AGGA leaves the midface deficient, MSE is more proportional in its expansion since it brings the midface with it (to some degree).
Left Side Expanded More than Right
Can’t explain this one, but it definitely happened. The left side seems to have expanded disproportionately compared to the right. Dr. Z says he will correct this discrepancy orthodontically.
Asymmetry in the Appliance
It’s clear from the photos that the MSE is not in a perfectly symmetrical state following expansion. This asymmetry has been apparent since early in expansion, and was initially concerning.
Dr. Newaz says that very few MSE appliances “look pretty” when all is said and done. Splitting the skull is dirty work and the MSE takes a beating. Perfection cannot be expected. So apparently my case is quite standard.
Why Only 84/90 Turns?
Why didn’t I max out the appliance up to 90 turns? At about 85 turns I started feeling pain in my left cheek. I proceeded to expand up to 88. The pain got worse, so I turned back the appliance to 84 and the pain went away.
So I kept it there.
Apparently 84 is my upper limit. That means the 12mm appliance was just about perfect for me.
Facemask?
Check out this post for photos and details about MSE + Facemask.
I have the facemask, and have tried it, but decided not to use it much.
This is because it was too inconvenient to wear during the day, it was causing me headaches when worn at night, and most importantly, because my upper arch already has sufficient forward expansion as compared to my lower arch.
Expanding with facemask may have brought me back into an overbite, like AGGA did.
What’s Next?
At my next appointment, the plastic arms, molar bands, and MSE hooks will be removed. Only the MSE itself will remain.
An oral scan will be taken for the purpose of ordering clear aligners. Clear aligners (Invisalign) will be used to start finalizing my occlusion.
My Complete MSE Turn Schedule
