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 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 was 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 think 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 say 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 think 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 say 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
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Alls well....
Nothing really new to report. My bottom lip is in a constant state of feeling like its asleep and I still get the random tingling around my chin and lip. As stated earlier, I have feeling slowly coming back on the left side of my chin and lip which is encouraging. Can't feel anything on the right. Eating is going well although I get weird shots of tingling through my lower jaw that goes all the way to my chin/lips when I bite down with my molars. I think that is a good sign that there wasn't much (if any) nerve damage. *crosses fingers*
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Update
Well its strange when something new happens. It always come as a surprise. So after surgery the tip of my tongue, my lower jaw, and bottom lip were numb. It took 4 weeks to get the feeling back in my tongue. All of the swelling is now pretty much gone and I can actually feel what I think are the screws and plates in my lower jaw. So now all there is left is getting my jaw inline and hopefully getting all of the feeling back. Last weekend I received a nice surprised. I usually shave every 2-3 days so during my routine shaving last saturday, I felt the blade on my chin. I couldn't believe it. I immediately touched the area and noticed I could feel my finger (barely) on the left side of my chin. Its still pretty numb but I can feel around that area. I also noticed that I can feel a little bit more of the left side of my bottom lip. While this isn't a milestone, its nice to know that the feeling is actually returning.
Well another surprise after surgery was I noticed that I could not only feel the inside of my bottom lip. Even weeks later, I noticed I could not feel the inside of my cheek and my gums. Well today during brunch, I noticed something. I felt the food on the inside my cheek and lip but only on the left side. I ran my tongue down the area and was surprised to feel in that area. It is so weird at how random the feeling comes back. I really do look forward to getting the feeling in my lower lip and chin. I could live without feeling in my chin but it does suck not feeling liquids run down your chin. I just hope that my body continues to heal well. The good news is that my bottom lip and chin have the feeling of being "asleep" and I also feel random tingling, shots of pain, and spasms in the numb areas
Well another surprise after surgery was I noticed that I could not only feel the inside of my bottom lip. Even weeks later, I noticed I could not feel the inside of my cheek and my gums. Well today during brunch, I noticed something. I felt the food on the inside my cheek and lip but only on the left side. I ran my tongue down the area and was surprised to feel in that area. It is so weird at how random the feeling comes back. I really do look forward to getting the feeling in my lower lip and chin. I could live without feeling in my chin but it does suck not feeling liquids run down your chin. I just hope that my body continues to heal well. The good news is that my bottom lip and chin have the feeling of being "asleep" and I also feel random tingling, shots of pain, and spasms in the numb areas
A New Plan, the Test, and "Bummer"
A New Plan
Well I have been documenting the pain of rubber bands for quite some time. It is this pain that has forced me to see my ortho after just seeing him for a week. So on friday, I saw him. I go to check in and as usual, I am greeted by the receptionists. Well there is one whom Ive known the longest who didn't see me last week. Immediately she says, "Didn't you have surgery?". I laughed and said yes. Then she says, "Wow you look really good". I don't think she realized I am over 7 weeks going on 8. I get called in by one of the techs and she is also amazed at how good I looked. She comments on how a girl just left who had surgery before me and who is still quite swollen and sore. The girl is a teenager. Poor girl. I empathize with her but am glad that I heal pretty well. She asks how I was doing and I inform her of all of the problems I have. Some spacing issues, open bite with my molars, poking archiwires, an incisor tipping, and of course the dreaded rubber band at night. She looked everything over and agreed. The ortho makes his way over and he spent quite a bit of time looking everything over and agrees with my complaints. He recommended a change of my archwaires with some minor adjustments on the wire for some of my teeth, power chains for gaps, and a new rubber band set up. All of which he informs the tech to correct. I have a class II bite in my molars. Just like last week, he stated that I am almost done with braces and that everything looks pretty good. Just my midline of my lower jaw is slightly off. I can't believe how stubborn my jaw is. But I will say that it is getting in line. Just very slowly. The bad news is I still have to wear rubber bands. 2 on each side in the shape of a triangle and of course the dreaded band in the front which I will wear only at night when sleeping. The good news is I was given rubber bands with less tensile strength. I was told the one I was using was the highest strength which is ironically called "Bummer". LOL The new rubber bands are called "Bill". After this appointment, I feel so much better. My teeth were pretty sore but mentally I was so much happier. The tech did say that with "Bill" it would take longer for my jaw to shift. But I didn't care as I rather have less pain.
The Test:
So night time rolls around and its time for bed. Just in case, I took some Lortab before putting on the new rubber band. I needed a full nights sleep. I placed the new bands on and everything was so much better. I had some pain but no where near the pain I had before. I woke up with some minor TMJ pain on the right side. Saturday night I was extremely exhausted but didn't want to take any chances just yet. I again take some Lortab and placed the band. Overall, it was just as good as the night before and in the morning I realized that I was in less pain than before. So there is a glimmer of hope after all.
"Bummer"
Well I have come to pretty much hate the "Bummer" rubber bands after all they have created much havoc (in terms of pain) in my life. But I have been wearing them on each side with no problem. So today (sunday, 2 days after my ortho appt on friday) I have the day off. I decided that I will do some much needed laundry and some cleaning up of the apt. Since I am going to be home for most of the day, I thought I would band myself up like I would do normally when sleeping. I put on the bands and noticed that "Bill" wasn't shifting my jaw anymore. It just wasn't strong enough as I think my jaw is actually shifting now. I was shocked. So after staring at the bag of "Bummer" I finally decided to give them a try. Normally I would have taken some Lortab but I had already taken ibuprofen prior to placing the "Bill" band. I am not one to overdose on meds so I decided not to take any Lortab. I place the "Bummer" band on and looked in the mirror. As usual it shifts my jaw a little past the midline. Now I would just wait for the pain to kick in. It usually takes anywhere from 15-30min. After an hour of cleaning, I realized that I wasn't in any pain. I was shocked. It only took 2 nights for me to handle "Bummer". Wish I would have started off with "Bill" then I wouldn't have had to endure all of that pain. LOL Now I have all of these bags of "Bill" bands. Well knowing my jaw, I might need them tonight. I just hope that I can now move forward with Bummer which in turn means that there will be no more delays in my progress.
Well I have been documenting the pain of rubber bands for quite some time. It is this pain that has forced me to see my ortho after just seeing him for a week. So on friday, I saw him. I go to check in and as usual, I am greeted by the receptionists. Well there is one whom Ive known the longest who didn't see me last week. Immediately she says, "Didn't you have surgery?". I laughed and said yes. Then she says, "Wow you look really good". I don't think she realized I am over 7 weeks going on 8. I get called in by one of the techs and she is also amazed at how good I looked. She comments on how a girl just left who had surgery before me and who is still quite swollen and sore. The girl is a teenager. Poor girl. I empathize with her but am glad that I heal pretty well. She asks how I was doing and I inform her of all of the problems I have. Some spacing issues, open bite with my molars, poking archiwires, an incisor tipping, and of course the dreaded rubber band at night. She looked everything over and agreed. The ortho makes his way over and he spent quite a bit of time looking everything over and agrees with my complaints. He recommended a change of my archwaires with some minor adjustments on the wire for some of my teeth, power chains for gaps, and a new rubber band set up. All of which he informs the tech to correct. I have a class II bite in my molars. Just like last week, he stated that I am almost done with braces and that everything looks pretty good. Just my midline of my lower jaw is slightly off. I can't believe how stubborn my jaw is. But I will say that it is getting in line. Just very slowly. The bad news is I still have to wear rubber bands. 2 on each side in the shape of a triangle and of course the dreaded band in the front which I will wear only at night when sleeping. The good news is I was given rubber bands with less tensile strength. I was told the one I was using was the highest strength which is ironically called "Bummer". LOL The new rubber bands are called "Bill". After this appointment, I feel so much better. My teeth were pretty sore but mentally I was so much happier. The tech did say that with "Bill" it would take longer for my jaw to shift. But I didn't care as I rather have less pain.
The Test:
So night time rolls around and its time for bed. Just in case, I took some Lortab before putting on the new rubber band. I needed a full nights sleep. I placed the new bands on and everything was so much better. I had some pain but no where near the pain I had before. I woke up with some minor TMJ pain on the right side. Saturday night I was extremely exhausted but didn't want to take any chances just yet. I again take some Lortab and placed the band. Overall, it was just as good as the night before and in the morning I realized that I was in less pain than before. So there is a glimmer of hope after all.
"Bummer"
Well I have come to pretty much hate the "Bummer" rubber bands after all they have created much havoc (in terms of pain) in my life. But I have been wearing them on each side with no problem. So today (sunday, 2 days after my ortho appt on friday) I have the day off. I decided that I will do some much needed laundry and some cleaning up of the apt. Since I am going to be home for most of the day, I thought I would band myself up like I would do normally when sleeping. I put on the bands and noticed that "Bill" wasn't shifting my jaw anymore. It just wasn't strong enough as I think my jaw is actually shifting now. I was shocked. So after staring at the bag of "Bummer" I finally decided to give them a try. Normally I would have taken some Lortab but I had already taken ibuprofen prior to placing the "Bill" band. I am not one to overdose on meds so I decided not to take any Lortab. I place the "Bummer" band on and looked in the mirror. As usual it shifts my jaw a little past the midline. Now I would just wait for the pain to kick in. It usually takes anywhere from 15-30min. After an hour of cleaning, I realized that I wasn't in any pain. I was shocked. It only took 2 nights for me to handle "Bummer". Wish I would have started off with "Bill" then I wouldn't have had to endure all of that pain. LOL Now I have all of these bags of "Bill" bands. Well knowing my jaw, I might need them tonight. I just hope that I can now move forward with Bummer which in turn means that there will be no more delays in my progress.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Yup...Still In Pain
Its funny how when I was first received braces, I was intrigued spacers. When I read the testimonials regarding them I was glad that I didn't need them. As time progressed, I learned about rubber bands and wondered if I would ever be in them. As the one year mark passed, I realized that I probably wouldn't need them but they still intrigued me. Well lets just say I am absolutely no longer intrigues by them. LOL They are wonderful tools but they hurt like no other. Well everyone says they have a high pain tolerance. I don't think I do but doctors and nurses have said otherwise. I didn't need any pain meds after knee surgery and I didn't use much pain meds after jaw surgery in the hospital nor at home.....well that was until I was rubber banded. My right TMJ was in a tremendous amount of pain that lasted about 6 days. Well I will not get into that again since I have already documented that horrible time. LOL
Well now I have 4 rubber bands as mentioned in another post. All of the bands are fine except the one at night. I have tried advil, alieve, tylenol different nights at varying amounts and to no avail, I still had intense pain. Suddenly I thought about the bottle of Lortab thatI still had from the jaw surgery. I barely used any so I had this full bottle left. I thought that if this didn't relieve the pain then I am done with this band. So on the first night of Lortab, I still felt the intense pain in my ear/R TMJ but the difference was the Lortab took a little bit of the edge off. I was even able to sleep thanks to the meds. Then I realized that I am not sure if it might not be a good idea to be on these pain meds every night just for these bands. But I needed to try something since this would help shift my jaw. I was able to sleep for 8 hours. The second night, I wasn't so lucky. I made it a whopping 15min until the intense pain started. I took off the bands and threw it off the side of the bed. LOL
So I was fed up. Something has to give. I decided that since I already had 2 poking archwires that I might as well go see my orthodontist and explain to him what was happening. I wanted to wait to see if things would improve but they haven't. And not sure if they worsened but sometimes when I chew I get this weird feeling in my ear/TMJ like something isn't in place. I even feel it when I am talking. I will give it another try tonight but I am having my doubts. I go from being so curious about rubber bands to hating them. I guess its like how I can't look at canned soup nor Ensure/Boost the same way.
Well now I have 4 rubber bands as mentioned in another post. All of the bands are fine except the one at night. I have tried advil, alieve, tylenol different nights at varying amounts and to no avail, I still had intense pain. Suddenly I thought about the bottle of Lortab thatI still had from the jaw surgery. I barely used any so I had this full bottle left. I thought that if this didn't relieve the pain then I am done with this band. So on the first night of Lortab, I still felt the intense pain in my ear/R TMJ but the difference was the Lortab took a little bit of the edge off. I was even able to sleep thanks to the meds. Then I realized that I am not sure if it might not be a good idea to be on these pain meds every night just for these bands. But I needed to try something since this would help shift my jaw. I was able to sleep for 8 hours. The second night, I wasn't so lucky. I made it a whopping 15min until the intense pain started. I took off the bands and threw it off the side of the bed. LOL
So I was fed up. Something has to give. I decided that since I already had 2 poking archwires that I might as well go see my orthodontist and explain to him what was happening. I wanted to wait to see if things would improve but they haven't. And not sure if they worsened but sometimes when I chew I get this weird feeling in my ear/TMJ like something isn't in place. I even feel it when I am talking. I will give it another try tonight but I am having my doubts. I go from being so curious about rubber bands to hating them. I guess its like how I can't look at canned soup nor Ensure/Boost the same way.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Oh the Pain....THE PAIN!!!!
So for the most part these rubber bands have been uneventful....UNTIL LAST NIGHT. So I have one band on my right side in the shape of a triangle which is helping to lightly shift my jaw during the day. At night, I am supposed to place a band in front of my teeth that go from the upper right to the lower left at night when I am sleeping or when I am just sitting around at home and not talking. So when it was time for bed, I replaced the band on the right and put on the band in front. I am really tried so I go to bed. An hour later I am awaken due to this intense pain. I toss and turn and even sit up trying to endure the pain and attempt to fall asleep. Impossible. This pain resembles the same pain I had when I was first banded that dreadful day out of the hospital. After spending 30min in bed trying to endure the pain, I am forced to remove the central band. Sadly that didn't remove the pain. The pain lasted for quite a while so I took a couple of Alieve and headed off to bed in pain until I feel asleep.
Well in the middle of the night I woke up again to go to the restroom. I decided to give the band another try. Maybe this time the pain wouldn't be as bad since my midline is set with the one band on the side and the Alieve in my system. WRONG! I put the band on and things look and feel good. I lay down for bed only to be awaken 30min later in intense pain. It was unbearable. I then decide it will be impossible to wear this band at night. So I decide that I will just have to wear this one band at this point for the next 6 weeks. Maybe I will try again but at this point I can't endure the pain and I can't be on Lortab every night for these bands. Id be a mess everyday! LOL
Well in the middle of the night I woke up again to go to the restroom. I decided to give the band another try. Maybe this time the pain wouldn't be as bad since my midline is set with the one band on the side and the Alieve in my system. WRONG! I put the band on and things look and feel good. I lay down for bed only to be awaken 30min later in intense pain. It was unbearable. I then decide it will be impossible to wear this band at night. So I decide that I will just have to wear this one band at this point for the next 6 weeks. Maybe I will try again but at this point I can't endure the pain and I can't be on Lortab every night for these bands. Id be a mess everyday! LOL
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
First Ortho Visit Post Op
Well I have been looking forward to this day. I haven't seen my ortho since mid July and I have been wondering what would be next in my treatment. I knew that my stubborn lower was still not matching up with my upper jaw so I knew that would have to be addressed. I also have some small gaps and of course the issue of my small open bite on the left side of my molars. My appointment was too eventful. So the first thing was the removal of those horrible and dreaded surgical hooks. The funny thing is I was a bit nervous of receiving them but once they were put on, I was ok with them until the second day. They irritated my mouth and wrecked havoc on my mouth after surgery. So I enjoyed every single hook being removed. As the last hook was removed, the tech noticed a broken bracket. I thought I escaped surgery without a broken bracket but no. The lower canine on the left was off and replaced. After everything was removed, my ortho came by and checked everything out. He was really happy with the results. Said everything looked great. He wanted to address the midline issue of my lower jaw and start work on the open bite. Three hooks were added and 4 rubber bands were placed on. 2 of which will work on the open bite and the other 2 with work on shifting my jaw. I am to wear one most of the day and at night. The other I am to wear only at night. I recalled all the chaffing people complained about rubber bands and thought there wouldn't be a problem.... That is until I ate my first meal. The insides of my poor jaw was chaffing. After about 9-10 hours, I had to take it off. Hopefully I will last longer as the weeks progress. I will go back in 6 weeks.
At the appointment, we looked at the before pics. It was surprising to see how bad my teeth looked before I started orthodontic treatment. It was kind of embarrassing. It is really encouraging to see what a 1.5 years of treatment could do. My ortho says if everything goes well, I could be completely done as early as 4 months! I can't believe I am nearing the end of this whole process.
I still have complete numbness in my chin and bottom lip. I also realized that the inside of my lower lip and the front of my lower gums are numb too. I think I am starting to gain minor sensation at the left corner of my lip and when I brush on the left molars I feel a tingle that goes from that too all the way to my chin. I hope this is a good sign to show that the nerve only had a small amount of damage and will heal properly. Only time will tell. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the joy of eating.
At the appointment, we looked at the before pics. It was surprising to see how bad my teeth looked before I started orthodontic treatment. It was kind of embarrassing. It is really encouraging to see what a 1.5 years of treatment could do. My ortho says if everything goes well, I could be completely done as early as 4 months! I can't believe I am nearing the end of this whole process.
I still have complete numbness in my chin and bottom lip. I also realized that the inside of my lower lip and the front of my lower gums are numb too. I think I am starting to gain minor sensation at the left corner of my lip and when I brush on the left molars I feel a tingle that goes from that too all the way to my chin. I hope this is a good sign to show that the nerve only had a small amount of damage and will heal properly. Only time will tell. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the joy of eating.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Full Day of Food.....Unbanded
So for this entry its going to be all about food. I am currently in Houston for a tourney at Rice University. So one of the reason why I was so disappointed with being banded for an extra week was that I wanted to have a week of practice eating under my belt before heading off on this trip. This left me less than 8 hours to see what I could do. Things so far is a lot better than I expected with a few roadblocks.
Breakfast:
We headed for breakfast in the hotel at 9am where we ordered from the menu. At home I do not go for a huge meal and on the road I typically go for the oatmeal or a small breakfast that would sustain me till lunch. I took a gander at the menu and noticed that I would struggle eating half of it until I saw a few items that I do like. I ended up ordering a small bowl of oatmeal and brown sugar, 2 soft scrambled eggs, coffee and a yogurt. Two things to note. This was the first time since surgery that I have had coffee and my stomach isn't used to eating so much foods that I became full fairly quickly. I didn't even touch the yogurt let alone finish the oatmeal. I devoured the eggs. It felt like this was the best meal ever.
Lunch:
We headed to the mall as with most female teams, they want to shop. I went along with the staff and we went to jamba juice. I originally thought that I would grow sick of smoothies since I had at least one every day for 5 weeks. Surprisingly it was ok. I ordered an aloha pineapple with a shot of whey protein and a cranberry orange mini loaf. The task was to see if I could handle the loaf (which was pretty much a muffin in the shape of a loaf). To my surprise, I was able to eat it with minor to no issues. Granted it took about 20min to eat since I had to pinch of small pieces but again it was pretty good.
Dinner:
Since we are in texas, we opted for a good Steakhouse. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat a steak but good thing there is fish. Looking at the menu, I pretty much ruled out 80% of the items. Knowing I wouldn't be able to eat much I had to find things that I would be able to eat and sustain me till bedtime. We were served monkey bread which was very delicious. I noticed that the soft inside portions was very easy to eat and did not require much chewing. I would typically have a salad but veggies would be a nightmare to chew since they aren't cooked so I thought soup would be a great idea. On the menu there was one soup that caught my eye which is the split pea soup. This soup never really appealed to me before so since it said "our famous soup" I thought I would give it a try. I was glad I did. I do like peas and this split pea soup was very flavorful. It came with 4 croutons and I knew I wouldn't be able to take on those so I made sure to soak them in the soup to soften for consumption later. When looking at the menu for the main course, I noticed two types of fish that I was interested in: the mahi mahi and the wild salmon. We asked the server for a recommendation of the two and he opted for the salmon. So salmon it was and it was great. I was shocked at how easy it was to eat. It melted in my mouth along with the side of whipped potatoes. I was in heaven.
An Aside:
During dinner, we had a visit by 3 time olympian (Walton) Glenn Eller. He won a gold medal in Beijing and wanted to meet the team. He actually had the medal with him. The girls weren't impressed with he came to the table as no one knew who he was. When it was announced by the manager that he was an olympian and that he had won a gold medal, the girls went nuts. He had the medal with him and he actually left the medal with them so they could take pics of it and what not. I was surprised that he actually left so the girls could play around with it. After seeing the medal on tv through out the olympics, I must admit it was cool to see it close up.
Breakfast:
We headed for breakfast in the hotel at 9am where we ordered from the menu. At home I do not go for a huge meal and on the road I typically go for the oatmeal or a small breakfast that would sustain me till lunch. I took a gander at the menu and noticed that I would struggle eating half of it until I saw a few items that I do like. I ended up ordering a small bowl of oatmeal and brown sugar, 2 soft scrambled eggs, coffee and a yogurt. Two things to note. This was the first time since surgery that I have had coffee and my stomach isn't used to eating so much foods that I became full fairly quickly. I didn't even touch the yogurt let alone finish the oatmeal. I devoured the eggs. It felt like this was the best meal ever.
Lunch:
We headed to the mall as with most female teams, they want to shop. I went along with the staff and we went to jamba juice. I originally thought that I would grow sick of smoothies since I had at least one every day for 5 weeks. Surprisingly it was ok. I ordered an aloha pineapple with a shot of whey protein and a cranberry orange mini loaf. The task was to see if I could handle the loaf (which was pretty much a muffin in the shape of a loaf). To my surprise, I was able to eat it with minor to no issues. Granted it took about 20min to eat since I had to pinch of small pieces but again it was pretty good.
Dinner:
Since we are in texas, we opted for a good Steakhouse. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat a steak but good thing there is fish. Looking at the menu, I pretty much ruled out 80% of the items. Knowing I wouldn't be able to eat much I had to find things that I would be able to eat and sustain me till bedtime. We were served monkey bread which was very delicious. I noticed that the soft inside portions was very easy to eat and did not require much chewing. I would typically have a salad but veggies would be a nightmare to chew since they aren't cooked so I thought soup would be a great idea. On the menu there was one soup that caught my eye which is the split pea soup. This soup never really appealed to me before so since it said "our famous soup" I thought I would give it a try. I was glad I did. I do like peas and this split pea soup was very flavorful. It came with 4 croutons and I knew I wouldn't be able to take on those so I made sure to soak them in the soup to soften for consumption later. When looking at the menu for the main course, I noticed two types of fish that I was interested in: the mahi mahi and the wild salmon. We asked the server for a recommendation of the two and he opted for the salmon. So salmon it was and it was great. I was shocked at how easy it was to eat. It melted in my mouth along with the side of whipped potatoes. I was in heaven.
An Aside:
During dinner, we had a visit by 3 time olympian (Walton) Glenn Eller. He won a gold medal in Beijing and wanted to meet the team. He actually had the medal with him. The girls weren't impressed with he came to the table as no one knew who he was. When it was announced by the manager that he was an olympian and that he had won a gold medal, the girls went nuts. He had the medal with him and he actually left the medal with them so they could take pics of it and what not. I was surprised that he actually left so the girls could play around with it. After seeing the medal on tv through out the olympics, I must admit it was cool to see it close up.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Im Free!!!
I never thought the day would come. The day of when I would finally be released from the things that have held my mouth closed for 34 days and yes I counted. Every since I was told that I would have to be banded tightly for 3 extra weeks than expected, I literally became depressed. My friends today were telling me that they could tell I wasn't my normal happy self. Well I wasn't happy and I wouldn't say I was depressed. I was disappointed that I got my hopes up when I shouldn't. I went into today's appointment thinking I would get these bands off but I was prepared for them to stay but I wasn't going down without a fight. Not this time.
So today was a crazy hectic day for me. I woke up for a 7am meeting, ran home to eat (er..drink LOL) and then headed off to the appointment. I made it well before my appointment time and after 15min I was called back. After 10 minutes, a new fellow who I haven't met before comes in and takes a complete history. She apologized that she was going over everything but felt it was necessary since she hasn't seen me before. Everything looked good to her and she asked what was my chief complaint. I clearly stated through clenched teeth "These rubber bands!" We both laugh and she said she will make sure Dr Edwards understood. So she heads out to update him. So I read while I wait and I notice that time is slowly ticking away and there is no sign of the doc. Other techs were poking their head in to check up on me and made jokes about me finishing my book before I would get to see the doctor. I didn't really find this funny because it was now 2 hours and I haven't seen the doctor yet. So around 2 hours and 15min, Dr Edwards walks in with his crew and apologizes for being late. He looked like he's been running from patient from patient all morning. Basically he was overbooked with patients. Once I heard this I understood and was no longer upset. I just wish someone would have told me earlier. Anyway, he checked my sutures and my bite. Said everything looked good. He asked about my numbness and said everything from the itchiness, short stabs of pain, tingling, etc are all good signs. The fellow informed him of my chief complaint and Dr Edwards laughed and said "Well I have some good news, you are definitely getting out of those bands". It was music to my ears and I couldn't help but to have the biggest smile ever. I had to contain my smile as he removed each dreaded band. LOL He checked my bite a few times and started to say he will add one band on each side but in mid speech he checked my bite again and changed his mind. He said he likes my bite and thinks I didn't need them. I couldn't believe it. He said I can progress slowly to solid foods but to take things slowly. He said I do not need to come next week for my 6th week follow up but to schedule an appointment for my 10th week. He said I do not really need to be seen unless I am having trouble with my bite and range of motion. He say he wanted to see me once I had my braces removed. I had a couple of xrays and pics taken and was finally sent on my way.
It was now 3 hours later and I headed off to work. Everyone gave me a warm reception. They seemed so happy for me which caught me by surprised. Really showed me that everyone understood my frustration. It is strange to talk again with this new bite and I am still lacking a bit of ROM. I am at 1.5 finger widths so I can just fit a fork/spoon to each. My first meal was a naked ancho chile chicken burito from Qdoba. I found out that I could most of it but struggled with the chicken and the pinto beans. I need to mush them with the fork to be able to eat it. Rice was perfect and the cookie was no problem. I had pizza that night and leaned pretty fast that it wasn't a good idea. I won't lie, I did bite into the pizza and it was so cool (and weird) to bite into something with a normal bite. I didn't really chew the pizza which was the problem. Pizza isn't the most ideal thing to eat on a soft food idea. Chalk one up for lesson learned. The day reminded me of my first week at home after surgery. That week I had to learn what tasted good in liquid form so now I need to find out what soft foods to eat. All in all, I do not have any complaints. Im just happy to be able to talk and to be able to eat with utensils and not a straw. LOL
So today was a crazy hectic day for me. I woke up for a 7am meeting, ran home to eat (er..drink LOL) and then headed off to the appointment. I made it well before my appointment time and after 15min I was called back. After 10 minutes, a new fellow who I haven't met before comes in and takes a complete history. She apologized that she was going over everything but felt it was necessary since she hasn't seen me before. Everything looked good to her and she asked what was my chief complaint. I clearly stated through clenched teeth "These rubber bands!" We both laugh and she said she will make sure Dr Edwards understood. So she heads out to update him. So I read while I wait and I notice that time is slowly ticking away and there is no sign of the doc. Other techs were poking their head in to check up on me and made jokes about me finishing my book before I would get to see the doctor. I didn't really find this funny because it was now 2 hours and I haven't seen the doctor yet. So around 2 hours and 15min, Dr Edwards walks in with his crew and apologizes for being late. He looked like he's been running from patient from patient all morning. Basically he was overbooked with patients. Once I heard this I understood and was no longer upset. I just wish someone would have told me earlier. Anyway, he checked my sutures and my bite. Said everything looked good. He asked about my numbness and said everything from the itchiness, short stabs of pain, tingling, etc are all good signs. The fellow informed him of my chief complaint and Dr Edwards laughed and said "Well I have some good news, you are definitely getting out of those bands". It was music to my ears and I couldn't help but to have the biggest smile ever. I had to contain my smile as he removed each dreaded band. LOL He checked my bite a few times and started to say he will add one band on each side but in mid speech he checked my bite again and changed his mind. He said he likes my bite and thinks I didn't need them. I couldn't believe it. He said I can progress slowly to solid foods but to take things slowly. He said I do not need to come next week for my 6th week follow up but to schedule an appointment for my 10th week. He said I do not really need to be seen unless I am having trouble with my bite and range of motion. He say he wanted to see me once I had my braces removed. I had a couple of xrays and pics taken and was finally sent on my way.
It was now 3 hours later and I headed off to work. Everyone gave me a warm reception. They seemed so happy for me which caught me by surprised. Really showed me that everyone understood my frustration. It is strange to talk again with this new bite and I am still lacking a bit of ROM. I am at 1.5 finger widths so I can just fit a fork/spoon to each. My first meal was a naked ancho chile chicken burito from Qdoba. I found out that I could most of it but struggled with the chicken and the pinto beans. I need to mush them with the fork to be able to eat it. Rice was perfect and the cookie was no problem. I had pizza that night and leaned pretty fast that it wasn't a good idea. I won't lie, I did bite into the pizza and it was so cool (and weird) to bite into something with a normal bite. I didn't really chew the pizza which was the problem. Pizza isn't the most ideal thing to eat on a soft food idea. Chalk one up for lesson learned. The day reminded me of my first week at home after surgery. That week I had to learn what tasted good in liquid form so now I need to find out what soft foods to eat. All in all, I do not have any complaints. Im just happy to be able to talk and to be able to eat with utensils and not a straw. LOL
Thursday, August 14, 2008
To Sneeze or Not to Sneeze?
Ok when people tell me that I have thought and prepared for everything, I think I now believe them. So for the past 7 years I have been working on health. I knew I needed braces, I knew I needed oral surgery, and I knew I wanted lasik surgery. But before I did any of those, I opted for immunotherapy for allergies. Ever since I can remember, I grew up with allergies. No known food allergies but to grass, pollen, dust, mold, etc. As a child, I only had to worry about ragweed in august and september. My allergic reactions were moderate when I was younger but as I aged the severity lessened but I found that I was reacting to more things through out the year. So I felt it was time to get tested and see what happened. The test itself was one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever experience. Yes even after oral surgery. Just imagine someone poking various allergens in your back and watching the reactions. The worse part is I reacted fairly quickly. Some immediately while others took less than 5min. Unfortunately for me, the protocol is to wait 20min! My eyes watered due to the intense itchiness and I left a huge pool of sweat.
Well I underwent immunotherapy for over 4 years and yes it does work. But you have to deal with injections weekly for the first 6 months then biweekly then monthly. Needles do not bother me but after awhile it gets annoying especially when I had to shots in each arm. LOL So I finished up in may. And have noticed a huge difference. I rarely take allergy meds and its usually my eyes that only itch on occasion.
There is a point to all of this. LOL Well august is usually the worst month for me due to all of the ragweed and we have been getting great weather 70s and low 80s which ragweed loves. I have been working and thinking about surgery so much that I never though about my allergies post surgery until I was discharged. So I started to worry a little. The thought of being banded shut with intense TMJ pain and sneezing didn't sound appealing to me. I was worried mainly because when I sneeze, its not just a small sneeze. The earth tends to shake and I nearly explode. So I started to worry. LOL But soon those worries went away because I realized that I never had to sneeze for some odd reason. My biggest concern was pain and trying to yawn. LOL
Today was different. A coworker sneezed pretty hard today and I realized that I haven't sneezed in over 3 weeks. I stated to my coworker and she was shocked as was I. So I had the afternoon off and settled down to have late lunch at home. As soon as I sat down I felt the urge to sneeze. I didn't sneeze once, nor twice but three times! Once it was over, I realized that it wasn't all that bad. I am just happy that this happened today than 3 weeks ago.
So I wrote this huge entry to merely state that sneezing while being banded shut isn't all too bad. LOL
Well I underwent immunotherapy for over 4 years and yes it does work. But you have to deal with injections weekly for the first 6 months then biweekly then monthly. Needles do not bother me but after awhile it gets annoying especially when I had to shots in each arm. LOL So I finished up in may. And have noticed a huge difference. I rarely take allergy meds and its usually my eyes that only itch on occasion.
There is a point to all of this. LOL Well august is usually the worst month for me due to all of the ragweed and we have been getting great weather 70s and low 80s which ragweed loves. I have been working and thinking about surgery so much that I never though about my allergies post surgery until I was discharged. So I started to worry a little. The thought of being banded shut with intense TMJ pain and sneezing didn't sound appealing to me. I was worried mainly because when I sneeze, its not just a small sneeze. The earth tends to shake and I nearly explode. So I started to worry. LOL But soon those worries went away because I realized that I never had to sneeze for some odd reason. My biggest concern was pain and trying to yawn. LOL
Today was different. A coworker sneezed pretty hard today and I realized that I haven't sneezed in over 3 weeks. I stated to my coworker and she was shocked as was I. So I had the afternoon off and settled down to have late lunch at home. As soon as I sat down I felt the urge to sneeze. I didn't sneeze once, nor twice but three times! Once it was over, I realized that it wasn't all that bad. I am just happy that this happened today than 3 weeks ago.
So I wrote this huge entry to merely state that sneezing while being banded shut isn't all too bad. LOL
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
DENIED!!!
This entry will be short.
Well it seems that emergency visits are only for mondays so I will just have to wait until the 27th after all. Sucks in a way but its ok. I started a countdown on my fridge. 15 more days. LOL Sounds depressing but in essence its only 2 weeks and should fly by.
I also changed my orthodontist appointment. It was originally scheduled for the 20th but since I will be banded still the appointment would be useless. I will see him first week of September instead. It would be cool to see the ortho in the same day. Would be awesome to have rubber bands and surgical hooks removed. But at this point, my appointments with the OS is so unpredictable that I think it would be best to wait and see what happens on the 27th.
Well it seems that emergency visits are only for mondays so I will just have to wait until the 27th after all. Sucks in a way but its ok. I started a countdown on my fridge. 15 more days. LOL Sounds depressing but in essence its only 2 weeks and should fly by.
I also changed my orthodontist appointment. It was originally scheduled for the 20th but since I will be banded still the appointment would be useless. I will see him first week of September instead. It would be cool to see the ortho in the same day. Would be awesome to have rubber bands and surgical hooks removed. But at this point, my appointments with the OS is so unpredictable that I think it would be best to wait and see what happens on the 27th.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Banded Mouth:1 Me:0
Well I have been counting down the days from last wednesday. I couldn't wait to see Dr Edwards and maybe have these bands removed or at least be told to come back next wednesday which would be 28days post op (4weeks). But alas none of that happened today. I go in and have one of the fellows take a look in my mouth. The sutures look good and incision is healing well. Dr Edwards wanted xrays so I get taken back. Dr Edwards walks in while I was in the xray room and comments that he doesn't see an open bite and that everything looks good. He is happy with my midline and my overall recovery. This was great news....until I go back to the evaluation room. The original resident Armond from last wednesday walks in and says my bite does look better but I would have to be banded tight 2 weeks from this wednesday. I was floored. I even asked to make sure he meant 2 wednesday away and not next wednesday. Armond stated I have to come back on the 27th. So this shatters my whole world. I immediately become depressed. I check out, schedule the date, and slowly head back to work. The nice thing was everyone was rooting for me at work and they all empathized with me when I told them the news.
I moped around for several hours but now I am feeling better. On sunday, I had a rough time with some blended soup so this threw me back. I added some rice but the rice wasn't small enough to fit in small spaces in my teeth. I even tried the syringe and I ended up wearing the soup. LOL But today, I found that Campbell's chunky Chicken, Broccoli Cheese, and Potato soup is not only delicious, but when blended comes out very smooth. So I am now trying to put together a list of soups that blends well. Classic chunky chicken noodle works well also.
Well if I had known I would be banded for 3 weeks, I might have decided to go for the other procedure where I would be wired shut for 6 weeks. But then again, I will only be banded like this for 3 weeks total so not too bad. I might call the office just to make sure I have to wait 2 more weeks. I am just worried about getting out of these rubber bands so late. I travel with work that weekend where meals will be in restaurants and sometimes we would get subs and chips. I am just hoping that I will be able to increase some ROM within 2-3 days so I can at least eat with a normal sized fork or spoon. And with a numb lip and chin, I am sure I will be wearing my food. LOL I am not worried about what foods to eat in restaurants. I will be fine with mashed potatoes, soups, and/or flaky fish. I was just wish I had at least a a week under my belt so that I could have some time work on ROM. Now that I am thinking of it, I think I will try to have the appointment date moved up to at least monday of that week instead of wednesday. I will call tomorrow to see if its possible. I know its not much but having at least 2 extra days will be helpful. I think it would be a good compromise. I need to hurry as that monday may be full.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
3 Days Banded Completely Shut...and counting
I would just like to say I hate being banded shut. LOL It truly does suck. I find myself looking in the mirror questioning my bite. I mean questioning everything. I do know that it will take an army to keep me banded shut when I go see the Dr Edwards on monday. I personally can not handle being shut like this. Eating is a huge pain and these rubber bands are a nuisance. I already broke a band on one side on friday. Not sure when it happened but probably in the morning since I found it broken at noon. I even found a piece of a rubber band on my tongue after having soup for lunch today. I freaked out a bit as I didn't know what it was. I managed to push the band between my teeth and pulled it out with some tweezers. I was shocked when I pulled at it and it stretched. This even didn't help matters either. Well the fellow did say he is attempting to fix an open bite on one side but at this point, I think I rather have my ortho take care of it. I mean, I can only handle one thing at a time. I can't deal with work, finding ways to eat, finding new things to eat, having mouth banded shut, trying to heal from jaw surgery, etc. I will be much happier if I can cut the being banded shut. Its been 16 days of liquids and I need to move on to some other foods. My teeth feel like they are fused. I can't move my jaw even 1mm. Not even a wiggle. I guess I am finally becoming jaded. I wish it is noon on monday so I can head to the clinic. LOL
The funny thing is I miss the simple things. My tongue is used to surveying everything in my mouth. Being restricted to the inside is frustrating. I can't lick my lips, can't really survey the inside of my mouth, can't check my braces with my tongue, nor check sutures (which in all honesty is probably is a good thing)
With all of this, I do not have any regrets....as of yet LOL My swelling is down and I can now feel the surgical site on my jaw. One thing I have noticed is that my cheeks have been sore. I wonder if its just muscle soreness. Well whatever it is, I hope to either be unbanded on monday or at least most of this mess taken off or I will be forced to do so myself. LOL
The funny thing is I miss the simple things. My tongue is used to surveying everything in my mouth. Being restricted to the inside is frustrating. I can't lick my lips, can't really survey the inside of my mouth, can't check my braces with my tongue, nor check sutures (which in all honesty is probably is a good thing)
With all of this, I do not have any regrets....as of yet LOL My swelling is down and I can now feel the surgical site on my jaw. One thing I have noticed is that my cheeks have been sore. I wonder if its just muscle soreness. Well whatever it is, I hope to either be unbanded on monday or at least most of this mess taken off or I will be forced to do so myself. LOL
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
"THE" Follow Up
As you know I had my follow up today. It was an interesting appointment. I have come to learn that this clinic is really slow in all areas but that is medical clinics for you. Well I get in at10:45am for my 11am. I get called back at 11:10am. I sit around for about 20min then one of the residents came in and took a look. They have been working on shifting my lower jaw over since my midline of my lower jaw is off by 1.5mm. The resident wanted the chief resident to take a look as he didn't know what I should get next. He answered a few of my questions, took off my current bands, then left to get the chief resident who was in on my surgery.
SO FINALLY!!!! I WAS ABLE TO BRUSH THE INSIDE OF MY TEETH!!!! I think I brushed my teeth for 5min. I was in heaven. The resident kind of laughed at how fast I jumped up to brush my teeth.
The main doctor is off on vacation so the chief residents are running his clinic. Eventually the chief resident enters with several med med students. He took a look and is happy that my midline has progressed but not enough. So he added a few for rubber bands in different positions to see if it would hold. While I was waiting, I over hear one of the residents say "I do not know what to do to Mr Turner's mouth based on these molds". I thought to myself, thats the last thing that I would like to hear. After about 10-15min, the chief resident came back with less students and my molds. He explained that there is a slight open bite on my left side. He feels the orthodontist may be able to take care of it but feels we should take care of it now if we can. So he had one of the med students hold my molds while he applied the bands based off the molds. Now I am heavily banded. Before my appointment, I was able open my mouth a little. Now its completely closed. He wants hold everything tight into a good position and have my doctor take a look at it when he gets back on monday.
Normally I would be bummed about this turn oof events but surprisingly Im pretty cool with everything. The worst part is over (the surgery) so now all I have to do is recover and wait to see what the doctor will say on monday. I can't see it getting any worse than it is right now. I will just be sure to take some ibuprofen prior to my appointment just in case. LOL I am not in any pain. Being banded completely shut is uncomfortable but it feels similar as getting an adjustment by the orthodontist. I just feel a lot of pressure on each tooth from the bands. The good news is I will not have much time to worry about my mouth. I go back to work full time on friday and things will be pretty busy from here on out. And whenever I am busy with work, time really does begin to fly by.
Some questions the resident answered for me:
-Surgical hooks will be on for awhile (will assume off after week 4)
-Next ortho appointment at 8/20 is good
-Had plates put in and not screws
-Order of follow ups are 2, 4, 6, and 10 week intervals
-May have rubber bands removed at week 4 (only 2 more weeks!!!)
-I could technically eat soft foods now with the plates but want me to wait at least 4 weeks.
-Can finally stop peroxide/saline rinses for my incisions.
I might re-ask these questions again when I see the doctor on monday just to make sure.
SO FINALLY!!!! I WAS ABLE TO BRUSH THE INSIDE OF MY TEETH!!!! I think I brushed my teeth for 5min. I was in heaven. The resident kind of laughed at how fast I jumped up to brush my teeth.
The main doctor is off on vacation so the chief residents are running his clinic. Eventually the chief resident enters with several med med students. He took a look and is happy that my midline has progressed but not enough. So he added a few for rubber bands in different positions to see if it would hold. While I was waiting, I over hear one of the residents say "I do not know what to do to Mr Turner's mouth based on these molds". I thought to myself, thats the last thing that I would like to hear. After about 10-15min, the chief resident came back with less students and my molds. He explained that there is a slight open bite on my left side. He feels the orthodontist may be able to take care of it but feels we should take care of it now if we can. So he had one of the med students hold my molds while he applied the bands based off the molds. Now I am heavily banded. Before my appointment, I was able open my mouth a little. Now its completely closed. He wants hold everything tight into a good position and have my doctor take a look at it when he gets back on monday.
Normally I would be bummed about this turn oof events but surprisingly Im pretty cool with everything. The worst part is over (the surgery) so now all I have to do is recover and wait to see what the doctor will say on monday. I can't see it getting any worse than it is right now. I will just be sure to take some ibuprofen prior to my appointment just in case. LOL I am not in any pain. Being banded completely shut is uncomfortable but it feels similar as getting an adjustment by the orthodontist. I just feel a lot of pressure on each tooth from the bands. The good news is I will not have much time to worry about my mouth. I go back to work full time on friday and things will be pretty busy from here on out. And whenever I am busy with work, time really does begin to fly by.
Some questions the resident answered for me:
-Surgical hooks will be on for awhile (will assume off after week 4)
-Next ortho appointment at 8/20 is good
-Had plates put in and not screws
-Order of follow ups are 2, 4, 6, and 10 week intervals
-May have rubber bands removed at week 4 (only 2 more weeks!!!)
-I could technically eat soft foods now with the plates but want me to wait at least 4 weeks.
-Can finally stop peroxide/saline rinses for my incisions.
I might re-ask these questions again when I see the doctor on monday just to make sure.
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