How to wear your Reviv One?
I'll cover when to wear it, what you might go through, etc.
So the initial reaction of most folks when they first wear a rubber appliance like a Reviv One is… “I think it doesn’t fit”.
Or perhaps “It is rubbing against my gums.”
And my reaction is typically… “yes, this is normal. Just keep trying to wear it.”
Let me explain more today about how the process works and how to approach wearing it. Because for some folks this can be a very difficult process.
What does the Reviv One aim to do?
The Reviv One aims to stretch the soft tissue of the jaw and skull. At the same time it will impact your entire body in ways that are not completely predictable.
This picture above, for example, is from someone in my TMJ Facebook group (that I started in 2017) who was wearing a Myobrace for less than a period of year. Note that a Reviv One is essentially the same as a Myobrace.
Do you see how the teeth moved and the upper arch evolved into a nice symmetric form?
Well, to achieve that you are going to need to stretch a lot of tissue. And that tissue that is stretching will not only be inside your mouth but also on other parts of your face, body, etc.
This person will have gotten more symmetric and their complexion will have improved with this process. That is just how it works.
This will not be easy
As the soft tissue of the mouth stretches it will sometimes be painful. The gums might get irritated in certain areas.
That is normal and it is part of the process.
You’re essentially stretching all of this tissue and it is going to get sore and even tear sometimes.
Just take a break from using it when the sensitivity or pain is too high. And return to using it when the tissue heals.
This might take some hours and it might even mean taking a day or two rest from it. But try not to rest from it more than 1-2 days because than the progress you made starts to reverse.
It is a bit like stretching scar tissue or if you’ve ever had a bad burn. Stretching the tissue is a bit painful. But as it stretches it starts to get easier.
The approach you need to take is one of just sticking with it.
Kinda like learning to ride a bike. It’s gonna be a bit hard and painful at the beginning as you take some falls. But with time it gets easier.
Also i’ve generally found that the more compensated your body is, the harder it is going to be for you to get used to wearing it. Because the tissue is more damaged.
When to wear it
It is best to try to wear it at night when you are sleeping. If you can’t get through the whole night than just wear it for as long as you can and then take it out.
Also try to wear it during the day for at least a few hours. For example perhaps for an hour a day when you’re working at your desk and not talking to anyone, you can wear it.
Wearing it intermittently is a good thing because this will give time for the tissue to heal a bit in between sessions of wearing it.
Also, if you happen to have a flat plane splint than it is a good idea to pop in the flat plane splint whenever you are not wearing your Reviv One.
Splints also stretch the soft tissue, but not as aggressively and so they are generally easier to wear. And so wearing a combination of both is often the fastest route.
You might get headaches
I’ve mentioned in past posts that headaches are a part of the process for most folks that do this.
I had numerous headaches during my process and I consider them to be a very good thing.
Generally i felt fresher and my complexion improved slightly after these headaches.
I interpret that the reason for the headache is that as you stretch the soft tissue the actual skull is widening and expanding a bit. And that takes compression off the brain.
So the headache is a reaction of the brain to having more space now. Kinda like if you were sitting in a small box for hours and then were let out of it.
Eventually it will become comfortable
With time it will eventually get more comfortable to wear the appliance. You will be able to sleep the whole night with it at some point.
Then you should also try to wear it as much as you can during the day.
And wearing it during exercise can also be a good accelerator as I’ve talked about in this post.
So the mindset you should take is…. as it gets more comfortable be more aggressive with your usage of it.
Think about how to stretch the soft tissue even further. Because the more you stretch it, the faster the healing process occurs.
When are you done?
Well this depends a lot on your definition of this word ‘done’. If you just want to get out of symptoms like brain fog or neck/back tightness, than you might be finished within 4-6 months.
I’ve had several folks in my first group that started 1.5 years ago that achieved their goals within the first 6 months and then just started using it very passively.
If, however, you want to take this to its full potential than you will probably need to continue to wear it for a very long time. As in 5+ or even 10+ years.
But you will be improving the entire time. Getting more symmetric and healthier.
In fact I am a firm believer that you anyone at any age can eventually achieve a perfect body and almost model-like face if they continue to take this process to its very ‘end’. Which is something I plan to prove on myself and show within the next 3-6 months.
Also, by doing this process you are essentially halting and even reversing the aging process in my view. And thus improving your longevity.
So don’t be in a rush to finish!
Good luck on your journey ;)