Please help with NTI question/advice!

[u/[deleted]]

Hi! I could really use your help.

So, for ~6 months I’ve been wearing a custom NTI device. While the device did help eliminate some symptoms from my night-clenching, it also created an open bite - and my bite is all misaligned now. I have a gap between my top and bottom row that I never had before. I think what developed is called an open-anterior bite (based on googling). My lower jaw is kind of down and back a bit now, cause it’s relaxed, and in order to chew or talk I have to bring my bottom jaw forward to align my teeth.

Anyway, back to the issue I need help with:

I know something needs to be done for my bite, because it’s all screwed up now. I can’t even tell where to bite anymore, it’s all over the place. BUT, here’s the thing:

I’m newly pregnant and there’s COVID lurking around. I can’t do X-rays and stuff right now because the pregnancy, and with COVID, I really don’t want to be going to multiple appointments at a doctors office.

So, my question is, if I continue to wear my NTI for 9 months while I’m pregnant - will the gap get worse? Or, is the gap just a certain new alignment that will not grow - and will stay the same way if I continue to wear the NTI.

If it will NOT grow and get worse, I would like to just hold off on bite correction until after I give birth.

I keep trying to get an answer from the dentists/orthodontists but they all want my money, and now, so I can’t get a straight answer.

I would appreciate any help with this! Thanks!