Well its been a long time since May 2009. I was 32 and now I am 42. I work for my alma mater now, purchased a home, and enjoying life in Ohio. I am pretty sure no one has read this blog in years but I felt closure was needed. I originally started this blog for 2 reasons. A forum member recommended that I start a blog in order to provide information to those who wanted to see what they may expect. I also felt it would be good to revisit this years later to remember what I went through and appreciate the the outcome I would have. What I realized is it gave me something to look forwarded to as I profiled my emotions at each step. I look back at all my posts and was reminded of every memory and emotion. I was also reminded of some memories that I had long forgotten which I guess I did not feel was worth posting for some reason. Like finding rubber bands EVERYWHERE well after the rubber bands came off. Years and years later, I still found rubber bands in the carpet. Even on the last day when I moved. And yes I vacuumed and cleaned many times! I also remembered several days after surgery where I noticed I was biting my lip. Apparently I was biting my lip for days! Once I pulled my lip away from my clenched teeth I sadly noticed how black and blue the inside my lip was. Or the first time I shaved and cut my lower chin pretty badly because I did not have much feeling there. I was truly thankful for that area being numb on both occasions.
I forgot to mention my dentist, Dr Sud, in a follow up post. I forgot to post about my dentist's reaction once my braces were removed. I was able to see Dr Sud at my regular dental appt April 2009. She was very happy and said I had a perfect smile. I told her how I appreciated her advice and thanked her profusely for pushing me to get the smile I always wanted. As you can imagine, it was a very touching moment. A few years later she would retire and move back home to India to be with her family. She visited the dental office when she would visit the states and one day she was in the dental office while I was there. We caught up and I told her how much she is missed. She said she appreciated it and missed my smile. I hope she truly realizes how thankful I am to this day for motivating me out of my stubbornness to get the smile I always wanted.
When I read my previous posts, I also noticed how poor my grammar was. Some of those posts were a rough read too. I literally left out words and letters! I would like to go back and clean it all up but I will pass for now. I even failed at attempts at being funny and witty. I would like to blame all of this on the pain meds! LOL
So how is everything now? People comment on my smile all the time. I am told how nice they look and how white they are. I don't use any whitening products other than whats in my toothpaste. I am also a daily coffee drinker and I enjoy wine. But I am still pretty regimented with my teeth. Brush, floss, and regularly visit the dentist. With all these positives, I cant say things are truly perfect. But its pretty damn close. I was told that complicated cases tend to be the most resistant to correction/change. And the more likely the teeth (and jaw) would want to return to old position. I am noticing that my jaw and some teeth would like to return to its original pre surgery positions. I am able to stave this off by wearing my retainer nightly. Yes I wear my retainer every single night. I was offered a permanent retainer but I hated flossing through the wires and didn't want to deal with the wire breaking. Plus the retainers were cheaper. I wear a hawley on top and invisalign on the bottom. I was originally told to wear them about 3 days a week. I didn't realize that the numbness was pretty bad after surgery. I will say that there is still some numbness that the oral surgeon warned about. However it is pretty localized. I have feeling everywhere including my tongue. But minor numbness with the lower right jaw/lip. I have feeling but the sensation/acuity is diminished. Its tough to tell if toothpaste is running down my chin while brushing on the right side or eating soup that may dribble down my chin. So I brush with my head tilted up and I don't really have soup. Didn't really have soup often prior to surgery anyway. I ate a ton of apples and popcorn prior to surgery but afterwards I rarely have them now. I used to LOVE smoothies but I went a good 8 years without them. LOL On occasion I have wished I had opted for the procedure that would potentially have less numbness. In hindsight I probably should have since I was banded shut for 5 weeks and the other procedure required me to be wired shut for 6 weeks. But all in all I don't feel the numbness hinders me in any way. I am still happy and thankful with the results.
After all of this I have one piece of advice.....if your dentist, oral physician, orthodontist, etc is recommending jaw surgery/braces....DO IT! Its truly worth it and I would do it all again if I had to. Even to endure those miserable painful weeks again! There's nothing like biting cleanly through a sandwich (or even spaghetti) without leaving a mess
Friday, September 27, 2019
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Small recap
Well its been a very very very long time since my last post. Well Ive been fairly busy with work and what not and honestly not much has happened since my last post that I felt was worthy of posting. But I will recap the last few months since I have been unbanded.
Well when the ortho techs tell you the importance of caring for your retainers....LISTEN. Well I have to admit that I did listen intently and was paranoid about messing them up. I did not want to pay the $180 ($90 a piece) to replace them. I can be very forgetful but I did manage 5 weeks without losing them. The problem is with the first few weeks you have to wear them all the time (minus eating). So that means you have to take them out, place them in the case, eat, brush your teeth, and replace them. Well on the spring break trip with softball, we stopped to eat. I forgot my retainer case on the bus and then placed my retainers in a plastic bag and put them in my pocket. When we returned to the hotel, I brushed my teeth and then went on a frantic search for my retainers which were never found. Whats worse is I would have to wait another 5 days to get a replacement since we were in florida. It was strange to go from a eatiner 24/7 to none at all. It was nice in a way. LOL The funny thing is all my friends stated how they were surprised that I was able to keep them for that long without losing them. Thanks "friends" LOL Well after I had them replaced, the ortho tech stated that I can cancel my appt next week and that I can now stop wearing my retainers 24/7 and just at night. She said that Dr Brust would only check the retainer to make sure it would fit and then send me on my way. Since the retainer was just made and it fit perfectly, it would be a waste. So in the end it all worked out. I have enjoyed eating chips, chewing gum, popcorn, buffalo wings, ribs, corn on the cob, hard candy, etc.
My chin and bottom lip is still a little bit numb. It is slowly getting better. Believe it or not, kissing isn't as weird anymore. In the fall it was weird having someone kiss my bottom lip and you have no idea they were doing it. Now its a little better. The weird thing is my smile is a little lop sided. I have to practice to get my smile straight since I can feel the left side more than the right. I still can not whistle. Not that I whistled much to begin with but its a struggle. If I work at it, I can get a note or two out but I have lost all ability to whistle with a bottle.
One question that I get quite a bit is "Do you have any regrets?" And then I immediately thing back to all the mess I have went through the past couple of years. The whole banned food list, not being able to each solid foods for 5 weeks, relearning how to talk and even smile, all of the aches, pain....stabbing pain....knife wrenching pain....horrible horbble pain...LOL Then I simply reply "I have no regrets at all and if I had to I would do it over". Eating is so much easier and talking is different now that my teeth touch properly. I now smile with my teeth for pitcures. I am no longer insecure about my smile. Braces and surgery is definately a life changing experience. Hell I gained 15 pounds after my surgery due to me eating whatever I wanted. Saldy my blood pressure, cholesterol, weight were all affected and I was sqeezing into my clothes. I can now say that I have worked out steadily since february and have changed to a healthier diet. I am now at 140 which is my ideal weight. I do feel much better. I am still anal about my retainers so I do wear them every night.
I can saw without a doubt I am happy with the result. The weird/sad thing is I do not get to see my ortho and his staff as much. They've all grown on me and have seen me go through quite a bit. They were like my extended family. Well my next appt will be sometime in june where they will check my bite and the retainer. I can say nothings changed so its all good. Not sure there will be much more posts from here on out. Maybe I can soon post that I returned all feeling into my lower lip/chin! Here's to wishful thinking
Well when the ortho techs tell you the importance of caring for your retainers....LISTEN. Well I have to admit that I did listen intently and was paranoid about messing them up. I did not want to pay the $180 ($90 a piece) to replace them. I can be very forgetful but I did manage 5 weeks without losing them. The problem is with the first few weeks you have to wear them all the time (minus eating). So that means you have to take them out, place them in the case, eat, brush your teeth, and replace them. Well on the spring break trip with softball, we stopped to eat. I forgot my retainer case on the bus and then placed my retainers in a plastic bag and put them in my pocket. When we returned to the hotel, I brushed my teeth and then went on a frantic search for my retainers which were never found. Whats worse is I would have to wait another 5 days to get a replacement since we were in florida. It was strange to go from a eatiner 24/7 to none at all. It was nice in a way. LOL The funny thing is all my friends stated how they were surprised that I was able to keep them for that long without losing them. Thanks "friends" LOL Well after I had them replaced, the ortho tech stated that I can cancel my appt next week and that I can now stop wearing my retainers 24/7 and just at night. She said that Dr Brust would only check the retainer to make sure it would fit and then send me on my way. Since the retainer was just made and it fit perfectly, it would be a waste. So in the end it all worked out. I have enjoyed eating chips, chewing gum, popcorn, buffalo wings, ribs, corn on the cob, hard candy, etc.
My chin and bottom lip is still a little bit numb. It is slowly getting better. Believe it or not, kissing isn't as weird anymore. In the fall it was weird having someone kiss my bottom lip and you have no idea they were doing it. Now its a little better. The weird thing is my smile is a little lop sided. I have to practice to get my smile straight since I can feel the left side more than the right. I still can not whistle. Not that I whistled much to begin with but its a struggle. If I work at it, I can get a note or two out but I have lost all ability to whistle with a bottle.
One question that I get quite a bit is "Do you have any regrets?" And then I immediately thing back to all the mess I have went through the past couple of years. The whole banned food list, not being able to each solid foods for 5 weeks, relearning how to talk and even smile, all of the aches, pain....stabbing pain....knife wrenching pain....horrible horbble pain...LOL Then I simply reply "I have no regrets at all and if I had to I would do it over". Eating is so much easier and talking is different now that my teeth touch properly. I now smile with my teeth for pitcures. I am no longer insecure about my smile. Braces and surgery is definately a life changing experience. Hell I gained 15 pounds after my surgery due to me eating whatever I wanted. Saldy my blood pressure, cholesterol, weight were all affected and I was sqeezing into my clothes. I can now say that I have worked out steadily since february and have changed to a healthier diet. I am now at 140 which is my ideal weight. I do feel much better. I am still anal about my retainers so I do wear them every night.
I can saw without a doubt I am happy with the result. The weird/sad thing is I do not get to see my ortho and his staff as much. They've all grown on me and have seen me go through quite a bit. They were like my extended family. Well my next appt will be sometime in june where they will check my bite and the retainer. I can say nothings changed so its all good. Not sure there will be much more posts from here on out. Maybe I can soon post that I returned all feeling into my lower lip/chin! Here's to wishful thinking
Friday, January 16, 2009
Look Ma! No Braces!
Wednesday January 14th, 2009. So its debanding day. I wake up and look into the mirror like I have done the past 20 months and realize that its time. Its time to finally get these things off my teeth. I read about people who debanding anxiety. Its as if you want to keep the braces. I have been so anal about everything. Keeping my teeth clean since braces predispose you to cavities. I wore rubber bands at all times so I can have that "perfect bite". Countless hours of pain, cleaning, annoyances, etc were finally coming to an end. I think back to all I been through and I have experienced a lot...and I mean A LOT. I thought no one would date me with braces. I learned not only did people not care, some actually liked them. Shocking I know. So I get ready and head off to the orthodontist.
Its funny cuz everyone knew it was time. From the secretaries to all the techs. Kathy asks if I am ready and I say yes and she gets excited for me. She recently had braces and is now in a retainer. So I get seated and the tech looks and says things look good. There are some slight imperfections. My midline is slightly off and a couple of teeth aren't perfect but they are way too close to be bothered by. She states she's not sure I am ready and she asks Dr Brust and he says "Oh he's getting those things off today" LOL Good thing I prepared myself for all of this as this appointment took nealry 2 hours. (and good thing I took some ibuprofen before the appointment) LOL
First all the wires were taken out. Now it was debanding time. I had this done before when some brackets needed to be repositioned. Its not all that painful but it sounds really bad. The metal brackets came off with no problem with the exception of one. The ceramics were by far the worse except for a couple. Basically the tech squeezes a metal tool which attempts to separate the bracket from the glue. So a lot of pressure is applied for this process. Well unfortunately in my case, brackets had a difficult time staying on my teeth so I had to constantly get them re glued and this adds to the strength of the glue. I won't lie my anxiety was high from feeling the pressure and hearing the loud cracks. When all of the brackets were removed I rinsed my mouth and noticed a little bit of blood. Now the blood is not from my teeth per se but from the gums. I freak out for a second until I realize that my teeth are still moving and the pressure broke a few blood vessels. After I brushed, the bleeding stopped. I looked in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. I finally saw my teeth for the first time. They looked amazing. Every tooth match perfectly and were aligned. I spent most of my life with a horrible bite and now it was all fixed. I couldn't believe it. I could stare into the mirror all day but I had a lot more to get done.
The next phased involved the cleaning or scraping away of the left over glue. This was pretty bad also. I would say it was almost as bad as the bracket removal. Imagine a the sharp scraper that the dentist uses to remove plaque/tartar but sharper and louder with each scrape. It was almost like nails on a chalkboard. I felt the tech scraped forever. Next up was the polishing. At this time the Dr Brust was in a meeting with a new patient so I would have to wait at least 20min until Dr Brust would polish my teeth. So it was either xray or impressions.
We decided to go with impressions since the xray tech was busy with another patient. I felt it would be better to get the impressions out of the way since they take quite a while to make the clear aligners/retainers. Eventually, Dr Brust returns and polishes every tooth to remove all the left over residue and glue. Then it was another brushing and rinse. All there was left was the retainer fitting and xrays
Since the retainers were done, the tech decided to go ahead and fit them. She placed them on and my teeth were a bit sore once they were on. My teeth were already starting to move since the brackets were removed. These aligners/retainer will keep everything in place. I was given 2 retainer cases, instructed on how to wear them and clean them. And I was also told on the cost for replacement. ($180 a pair or $90 each for upper or lower) There was a consent form for me to sign which helps the office know that I was informed of the use of the retainers and the associated cost for replacements. I was also given a goody bag which I was told contained all the things I weren't allowed to eat while braced. LOL I am to wear the retainers 24/7 for 2 months (except) eating. After 2 months, it will be only at nights.
Next were the xrays and photos. I still had the retainers in so it was really difficult to talk or smile and the xrays tech didn't notice them until the pics inside my mouth came. Xrays came next and when all was said and done, she printed off a sheet of paper that had my before and after pics. She was amazed at the results. She handed me the papers and I was floored. Dr Brust did an amazing job. We retook a couple of photos without my retainers in since they were supposed to be out and then made another print out.
Lastly, it was check out time. I head over to the check out desk to schedule my first retainer check up. The secretaries were excited to see my teeth. One kept saying that she couldn't believe how white my teeth were. She even asked if they were whitened and I said no. She was shocked. My next appointment was schedule for March 11.
At work everyone was waiting to see the results and everyone was so excited and happy with the results. I brought in the bag of goodies and see a ton of treats. There's chewy candies, tootsie rolls, laffy taffy, jolly ranchers, twizzlers, caramel chews, mary janes, blow pop, and a bag of microwave popcorn. I hand out most of the candy since I do not really like chewy candy that sticks to my teeth anyway. Although, I did pop that popcorn. I truly missed popcorn and I was in heaven eating it. LOL There are a couple of athletes who I work with who share a close bond with me since we all had braces and shared experiences. Both of which I referred to Dr Brust. So now, I still find myself staring at the mirror. So happy with the results and do not have one regret. Anyone who is ever debating on receiving braces and or jaw surgery, I saw do it. I'd do it in a heart beat. Even with all the mess Ive been through. I still have some numbness well I shouldn't really call it numbness as I can feel every area in my lower jaw. My chin now feels like its asleep when I touch it. My left side of my lip feels near normal. I can feel hot and cold with ease and I notice improvements monthly. So I hope for a full recovery.
Its funny cuz everyone knew it was time. From the secretaries to all the techs. Kathy asks if I am ready and I say yes and she gets excited for me. She recently had braces and is now in a retainer. So I get seated and the tech looks and says things look good. There are some slight imperfections. My midline is slightly off and a couple of teeth aren't perfect but they are way too close to be bothered by. She states she's not sure I am ready and she asks Dr Brust and he says "Oh he's getting those things off today" LOL Good thing I prepared myself for all of this as this appointment took nealry 2 hours. (and good thing I took some ibuprofen before the appointment) LOL
First all the wires were taken out. Now it was debanding time. I had this done before when some brackets needed to be repositioned. Its not all that painful but it sounds really bad. The metal brackets came off with no problem with the exception of one. The ceramics were by far the worse except for a couple. Basically the tech squeezes a metal tool which attempts to separate the bracket from the glue. So a lot of pressure is applied for this process. Well unfortunately in my case, brackets had a difficult time staying on my teeth so I had to constantly get them re glued and this adds to the strength of the glue. I won't lie my anxiety was high from feeling the pressure and hearing the loud cracks. When all of the brackets were removed I rinsed my mouth and noticed a little bit of blood. Now the blood is not from my teeth per se but from the gums. I freak out for a second until I realize that my teeth are still moving and the pressure broke a few blood vessels. After I brushed, the bleeding stopped. I looked in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. I finally saw my teeth for the first time. They looked amazing. Every tooth match perfectly and were aligned. I spent most of my life with a horrible bite and now it was all fixed. I couldn't believe it. I could stare into the mirror all day but I had a lot more to get done.
The next phased involved the cleaning or scraping away of the left over glue. This was pretty bad also. I would say it was almost as bad as the bracket removal. Imagine a the sharp scraper that the dentist uses to remove plaque/tartar but sharper and louder with each scrape. It was almost like nails on a chalkboard. I felt the tech scraped forever. Next up was the polishing. At this time the Dr Brust was in a meeting with a new patient so I would have to wait at least 20min until Dr Brust would polish my teeth. So it was either xray or impressions.
We decided to go with impressions since the xray tech was busy with another patient. I felt it would be better to get the impressions out of the way since they take quite a while to make the clear aligners/retainers. Eventually, Dr Brust returns and polishes every tooth to remove all the left over residue and glue. Then it was another brushing and rinse. All there was left was the retainer fitting and xrays
Since the retainers were done, the tech decided to go ahead and fit them. She placed them on and my teeth were a bit sore once they were on. My teeth were already starting to move since the brackets were removed. These aligners/retainer will keep everything in place. I was given 2 retainer cases, instructed on how to wear them and clean them. And I was also told on the cost for replacement. ($180 a pair or $90 each for upper or lower) There was a consent form for me to sign which helps the office know that I was informed of the use of the retainers and the associated cost for replacements. I was also given a goody bag which I was told contained all the things I weren't allowed to eat while braced. LOL I am to wear the retainers 24/7 for 2 months (except) eating. After 2 months, it will be only at nights.
Next were the xrays and photos. I still had the retainers in so it was really difficult to talk or smile and the xrays tech didn't notice them until the pics inside my mouth came. Xrays came next and when all was said and done, she printed off a sheet of paper that had my before and after pics. She was amazed at the results. She handed me the papers and I was floored. Dr Brust did an amazing job. We retook a couple of photos without my retainers in since they were supposed to be out and then made another print out.
Lastly, it was check out time. I head over to the check out desk to schedule my first retainer check up. The secretaries were excited to see my teeth. One kept saying that she couldn't believe how white my teeth were. She even asked if they were whitened and I said no. She was shocked. My next appointment was schedule for March 11.
At work everyone was waiting to see the results and everyone was so excited and happy with the results. I brought in the bag of goodies and see a ton of treats. There's chewy candies, tootsie rolls, laffy taffy, jolly ranchers, twizzlers, caramel chews, mary janes, blow pop, and a bag of microwave popcorn. I hand out most of the candy since I do not really like chewy candy that sticks to my teeth anyway. Although, I did pop that popcorn. I truly missed popcorn and I was in heaven eating it. LOL There are a couple of athletes who I work with who share a close bond with me since we all had braces and shared experiences. Both of which I referred to Dr Brust. So now, I still find myself staring at the mirror. So happy with the results and do not have one regret. Anyone who is ever debating on receiving braces and or jaw surgery, I saw do it. I'd do it in a heart beat. Even with all the mess Ive been through. I still have some numbness well I shouldn't really call it numbness as I can feel every area in my lower jaw. My chin now feels like its asleep when I touch it. My left side of my lip feels near normal. I can feel hot and cold with ease and I notice improvements monthly. So I hope for a full recovery.
Surgical Hooks AGAIN?! Say It Ain't So...
Wow I didn't realize its been a while since updated my blog so lets get caught up to speed. So I had a follow up on January 7th. I sit in the chair and Dr Brust looks at me with a huge smile and asks " Wil is it time to take of those braces?!" I smile and say "I wish. There's still a couple of teeth I am not happy with". He then says "We'll see" So he takes a look and says everything looks good to me but one of my molars still had some minor tipping. So at this point in time I only wore one rubber band which helped with the tipping molar. I wore Bummer during the day and Debbie at night but I progressed to Debbie full time since Bummer wasn't holding up anymore. Dr Brust then tell the tech to put me in "spaghettis all around". He turns to me and says, "this should close up any spacing issues. The tech then explained what all that meant. Surgical hooks were placed on all my lower teeth except for the brackets with hooks. The tech then explains and demonstrates what Im supposed to do. I don't have to wear rubber bands during the day but at night I had to wear Bills on every bracket/hook. Each rubber band went around four brackets and overlapped each other. So it was about 14 rubber bands in total. I tried to count them but every night I tried I would always lose count. LOL The first night took about 25-30min. Definitely a pain in the ass and it brought back horrible memories of those post surgical rubber bands....this time with less pain. I had some soreness in the morning but nothing too serious. I noticed movement immediately. So 6 more nights of this mess and 6 more days of the annoying irritations of surgical hooks.... I just kept telling myself its only a week...its only a week...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Dare I say Deband?
Well it's been about 5-6 weeks since my last post. I went for my f/u last week where my ortho was debating removing my braces. I was shocked. I was very tempted but I knew I wasn't ready as my last molars on both sides of my mouth were not touching. Also my lower right canine needs a little bit more tweaking. So after explaining this my ortho recommended something similar to what I was already doing. In other words, more of the same. My arch wires were changed to a more flexible wire to help move a couple molars as one is tipped a little bit in. I am to wear tight "Debbie" bands at night in a box formation at night and then "Bummers" during the day. On the left I wear a upside down triangle only while sleeping. On that side I can wear less resistance since we are just trying to keep everything in place. Overall the ortho is very excited with the results. I know my case was a bit difficult and my teeth are a million times better than what they were. He said the brackets will come off at my next appointment which is January 7th. At this appointment I will finally receive my retainers.
The plan was a 2 year treatment. My estimated completion date was set for april 2009. I have to admit that I left this appointment shocked. I didn't really expect to be done this early. But then I recalled the OS saying that after surgery that the teeth tend to move faster post surgery. I have a feeling that there will be a couple things that I will not be happy with but I need to realize that is nearly impossible to have every single perfect. Its weird to think that next month I will be able to eat random foods and worry about food getting caught to my braces and then having to run to brush my teeth. Looking back it feels like this process has taken forever but in reality its only been and its crazy to think its only been a little over 19 months.
Lastly, we have the dreaded numbness. The numbness seems to be getting better. As of right now the right chin/lip is still lagging behind the left but even its getting better. The right side feels what the left side felt like back in september/october. I am hopeful that in 2-3 months things will level out...hopefully. I honestly think that things will be at least near normal. I have feeling all over. It just feels tingling when I touch it. All in all I still do not have any regrets. I am happy with the choices that I have made. I might have considered the other procedure a little bit more but the idea of 6 weeks completely wired shut is not something I would like. The good thing about being banded shut is the bands will give after a while. And the funniest thing is I have only used my magic bullet once since I have been unbanded and I have only had 2 smoothies. LOL
The plan was a 2 year treatment. My estimated completion date was set for april 2009. I have to admit that I left this appointment shocked. I didn't really expect to be done this early. But then I recalled the OS saying that after surgery that the teeth tend to move faster post surgery. I have a feeling that there will be a couple things that I will not be happy with but I need to realize that is nearly impossible to have every single perfect. Its weird to think that next month I will be able to eat random foods and worry about food getting caught to my braces and then having to run to brush my teeth. Looking back it feels like this process has taken forever but in reality its only been and its crazy to think its only been a little over 19 months.
Lastly, we have the dreaded numbness. The numbness seems to be getting better. As of right now the right chin/lip is still lagging behind the left but even its getting better. The right side feels what the left side felt like back in september/october. I am hopeful that in 2-3 months things will level out...hopefully. I honestly think that things will be at least near normal. I have feeling all over. It just feels tingling when I touch it. All in all I still do not have any regrets. I am happy with the choices that I have made. I might have considered the other procedure a little bit more but the idea of 6 weeks completely wired shut is not something I would like. The good thing about being banded shut is the bands will give after a while. And the funniest thing is I have only used my magic bullet once since I have been unbanded and I have only had 2 smoothies. LOL
Friday, November 7, 2008
My Mouth Is Not My Mouth
Well its been quite a while since my last post and felt it was time for an update. Nothing dramatic has happened since then but there have been some changes. As of right now, the open bite in my left molars are finally closing. I never thought this would happen but slowly but surely I think my teeth will finally touch. I have been living in elastics for quite a while and yes I am still sick of them but I know its necessary. The right side is looking pretty good. Everything is touching and I am starting to be able to chew much better. I am one of those anal people who tend to eat slow and chew foods like 32 times. But everything just doesn't feel right just yet. Which brings me to the title of this posting.
Numbness. I never realized how much numbness can affect everyday life activities. I pretty much still need to brush my teeth in front of a mirror or else I will end up with saliva mixed with toothpaste all over me. Eating and chewing become interesting. I used to be able to feel the foods that were stuck in my brackets but now I have to constantly check after eating and definitely need the use of a pocket mirror to make sure I have everything out of them. The cool recent development is now the left side has returned some more sensations and NOW the right side is slowly returning. But there is one spot that is still lagging behind. The right side of my lip. I still can not feel much there. But when I touch around it, especially the right side of my chin, my chin and lip tingles like crazy. I know that this is a good sign and honestly my lip and chin has been tingling quite a bit as of late but I just want the feeling in my lips back. Kissing is very strange without feeling the lower lip. The corner of the left side of my lip is great and even the inside of my mouth on that side is good. Im just hoping the right side will catch up. I should know more in a couple of months as that was how long it took to get the left side the way it is.
I go for my next ortho adjustment next week. I am sure they will check my bite and tell me to continue wearing these lovely elastics. I can't wait until I can adjust to this new bite. I currently feel like someone has placed their bite into my mouth and now I am forced to use it LOL
Numbness. I never realized how much numbness can affect everyday life activities. I pretty much still need to brush my teeth in front of a mirror or else I will end up with saliva mixed with toothpaste all over me. Eating and chewing become interesting. I used to be able to feel the foods that were stuck in my brackets but now I have to constantly check after eating and definitely need the use of a pocket mirror to make sure I have everything out of them. The cool recent development is now the left side has returned some more sensations and NOW the right side is slowly returning. But there is one spot that is still lagging behind. The right side of my lip. I still can not feel much there. But when I touch around it, especially the right side of my chin, my chin and lip tingles like crazy. I know that this is a good sign and honestly my lip and chin has been tingling quite a bit as of late but I just want the feeling in my lips back. Kissing is very strange without feeling the lower lip. The corner of the left side of my lip is great and even the inside of my mouth on that side is good. Im just hoping the right side will catch up. I should know more in a couple of months as that was how long it took to get the left side the way it is.
I go for my next ortho adjustment next week. I am sure they will check my bite and tell me to continue wearing these lovely elastics. I can't wait until I can adjust to this new bite. I currently feel like someone has placed their bite into my mouth and now I am forced to use it LOL
Thursday, October 2, 2008
10th Week Post Op!!!
Hard to believe that its been over 2 months since I had surgery. Time has flown by. Its hard to believe that a couple months ago I was hating the state I was in. Its been a crazy roller coaster ride from the get go. I am looking forward to the 6 month time frame. Im told it is at that time that I will have a good idea if there would be any permanent numbness. So far things have been moving along. Every time I drink something cool or cold, it feels like something cold is running down my chin. Its a very strange feeling. Im am told this is a good sign. The feeling on the left side of my lip is gaining for feeling. So I can finally feel things there now if only the rest of my lip will catch up.
I keep my schedule on my phone. On sundays I like to look at the week to see all the things I will need to do. Well on wednesday I noticed that had a follow up with the oral surgeon at 8am and a dental cleaning at 10am.
During my last follow up with the oral surgeon he stated that I only needed to see him if I had trouble with my ROM or if I was having pain and complications. I wasn't having any of those but I did want him to check up on me just to make sure. I check in and make it to the exam room. I didn't have to wait long for Dr Edwards. He smiled and remembered me and asked how things were going. He took a look at my ROM and my bite. He was surprised at how much ROM I had and was also surprised at how quickly I am gaining feeling. I was like this is slow LOL He said it takes about 6 months to get most of the feeling back. My main concern was my bite with my molars. My bite finally closed on the right side but its open on the left. He said it actually looks good and that the elastics will move everything quickly. He said when surgery is performed in the lower jaw, the metabolism of all the structures is sped up so my teeth will move quicker. Which is good news. He asked when Dr Brust (ortho) said I would be done which was 4 months from my last appointment and he agreed. Dr Edwards said he doesn't feel I need another follow up unless I have any questions, concerns, or complications. It was a strange feeling to think that this portion of my treatment is done. All the people I met in the oral surgery have been really nice. As I walked to the check out counter, some of the fellows and docs recognized me and asked how I was doing. One of which said I looked great. I left in a great mood
I grabbed breakfast then it was off to the dentist. I checked in and nearly waited 30min to be seen. I am growing sick of waiting for these appointments LOL Everything went well. I was worried at being banded up for 5 weeks after surgery but looks like Ive done a great job because the hygienist said things look great and that I have been doing a great job. She only had to scrape one spot and I think it was the small gap where I was drinking all of my nourishment through back in august. LOL But it was minor. So a quick floss, polish, and rinse and I was done. Then it came time for fluoride. I do not like a lot of flavors so I always opt for mint as I love peppermint. Well they were all out of mint and I had to choose from grape, cotton candy, orange, and banana. Banana sounded disgusting so I opted for orange which was fine. My regular dentist was off on vacation which I was bummed about. Her name is Dr Sud and she's a cute Indian lady. She was the one who convinced me to get started in all of this and I wanted to show her my progress. But the cool thing is by the next time she sees me I will have my braces off since I go back in april. Another dentist takes a look and said there is no signs of cavities. She asked about my surgery and I said things are well as I just saw the oral surgeon. She was worried about my numbness but I and the hygienist tell her its normal which freaked me out a little. I wouldn't think a dentist would know every surgical procedure but should know about the process regarding this type of surgery as it is fairly common nowadays. Oh well.
I leave the office and now feel good about my teeth. I guess it pays off to be anal about cleaning my teeth. LOL
I keep my schedule on my phone. On sundays I like to look at the week to see all the things I will need to do. Well on wednesday I noticed that had a follow up with the oral surgeon at 8am and a dental cleaning at 10am.
During my last follow up with the oral surgeon he stated that I only needed to see him if I had trouble with my ROM or if I was having pain and complications. I wasn't having any of those but I did want him to check up on me just to make sure. I check in and make it to the exam room. I didn't have to wait long for Dr Edwards. He smiled and remembered me and asked how things were going. He took a look at my ROM and my bite. He was surprised at how much ROM I had and was also surprised at how quickly I am gaining feeling. I was like this is slow LOL He said it takes about 6 months to get most of the feeling back. My main concern was my bite with my molars. My bite finally closed on the right side but its open on the left. He said it actually looks good and that the elastics will move everything quickly. He said when surgery is performed in the lower jaw, the metabolism of all the structures is sped up so my teeth will move quicker. Which is good news. He asked when Dr Brust (ortho) said I would be done which was 4 months from my last appointment and he agreed. Dr Edwards said he doesn't feel I need another follow up unless I have any questions, concerns, or complications. It was a strange feeling to think that this portion of my treatment is done. All the people I met in the oral surgery have been really nice. As I walked to the check out counter, some of the fellows and docs recognized me and asked how I was doing. One of which said I looked great. I left in a great mood
I grabbed breakfast then it was off to the dentist. I checked in and nearly waited 30min to be seen. I am growing sick of waiting for these appointments LOL Everything went well. I was worried at being banded up for 5 weeks after surgery but looks like Ive done a great job because the hygienist said things look great and that I have been doing a great job. She only had to scrape one spot and I think it was the small gap where I was drinking all of my nourishment through back in august. LOL But it was minor. So a quick floss, polish, and rinse and I was done. Then it came time for fluoride. I do not like a lot of flavors so I always opt for mint as I love peppermint. Well they were all out of mint and I had to choose from grape, cotton candy, orange, and banana. Banana sounded disgusting so I opted for orange which was fine. My regular dentist was off on vacation which I was bummed about. Her name is Dr Sud and she's a cute Indian lady. She was the one who convinced me to get started in all of this and I wanted to show her my progress. But the cool thing is by the next time she sees me I will have my braces off since I go back in april. Another dentist takes a look and said there is no signs of cavities. She asked about my surgery and I said things are well as I just saw the oral surgeon. She was worried about my numbness but I and the hygienist tell her its normal which freaked me out a little. I wouldn't think a dentist would know every surgical procedure but should know about the process regarding this type of surgery as it is fairly common nowadays. Oh well.
I leave the office and now feel good about my teeth. I guess it pays off to be anal about cleaning my teeth. LOL
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