Adventures of Adult Orthodontics and Jaw Surgery

Orthodontist's thoughts

2012-02-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

First, let me start by saying I got my new retainers! And they fit gloriously and I'm going to wear them every night, I promise, I promise, I promise!

Talked to my orthodontist about the veneers/bonding and he didn't seem to think bonding would be a good option and didn't think I'd be happy with the results. So now I'm back to thinking about veneers. I don't know what to do.

If anyone has any experience with bonding or veneers, I'd love to hear from you!

Bondage

2012-02-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

Did that title get your attention? ;)

I saw my dentist today for a consultation regarding veneers. I wasn't very happy with the cost of the veneers ($1200 per tooth) or that it was looking like I'd actually need six veneers to achieve the smile I wanted instead of just the two I originally thought. My dentist hesitantly pointed out a few other "flaws" and if I was going to correct one thing, it would affect the way the tooth next to it looked, etc. He put some temporary bonding material on the two laterals so I could see what it would look like if they were shaped more squarely and I liked it. And that's when I found out bonding could be done (instead of veneers) and that's the path I'm going to take. But first I need to whiten my nasty yellow teeth. I got Crest Professional white strips and I guess I'm going to endure the pain to get these suckers lighter and then get the bonding done. I didn't get a quote, but it's considerably cheaper than veneers.

Anyone have experience with tooth bonding?

Veneers: the new ethical debate?

2012-01-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a few...different...reactions regarding the veneers I plan on getting. Apparently to some people, wanting a couple of veneers to improve one's bite and smile is preposterous! It's bad! It runs deeper than just wanting nicer teeth!

STOP.

I'm not doing this for some deep psychological reasons other than wanting nicer teeth. And even if I were, what business is it of yours anyway?

I do have the financial means to do this. I'm only getting two, and no, I totally don't think it's a waste of money. I see it as an investment.

I would never get braces again -- ever. Love what they did for my teeth, hated every second of having them. Something I never posted about (because it's personal) is that for me, braces triggered anorexia in me. As in, I started losing weight, got addicted to it, couldn't stop, etc. and ended up in a treatment center in February 2006, sick and underweight. To get braces again would put me at risk for going nuts (or more so).

So if anyone wants to argue why I shouldn't get veneers, step right up.

I will like my smile again

2012-01-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

Great news. I just saw my orthodontist and he said that for not wearing my retainer for 6 months (it's been longer actually...) my teeth look awesome. He said my bite is still very functional and yes, my laterals have tipped in, but overall things look good. We acknowledged that I am just super critical and picky. So I could get braces for 6-9 months to get it back to where it was...or I could just get a couple of veneers. Guess which one I'm going to go with? ;)

This will be cool because I've never liked the lateral top teeth. They're shaped funny from the years of having a misaligned bite (worn away at the corners). I'm really excited!

Jaw surgery -- the worst surgery?

2012-01-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

I had abdominal surgery last Thursday. The procedure is called a Nissen, and it involves making about 6 incisions in your stomach for all the tools they're going to use to basically take the top of your stomach and wrap it around your lower esophagus so that acid can no longer easily splash up into your esophagus, causing damage. (I have damage from this already.)

Anyhoo, this surgery and recovery made me really realize how hardcore jaw surgery is. It really is a HUGE thing to go through. Somehow I was only given codeine post-jaw surgery whereas for this one, I've been given heavy duty doses of Norco. But I just must say, anyone that goes through jaw surgery is one tough cookie! Those that have done it, give yourself a pat on the back for going through what is seriously a rough surgery. For those that haven't (yet) don't let this deter you! It's not fun, but it's worth it. And thankfully, slicing nerves makes a big difference with that whole pain thing...

Jaw surgery was frustrating. I'd try calling the nurses with the call button and they'd hang up on me because I couldn't speak. I had to keep pressing the button. As I was lying in my hospital bed last week, it just really occurred to me how much easier this surgery was. We should get badges or something. ;)

I'm not perfect

2012-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

I'm a flawed human being. I'm not the perfect patient. Sometimes I feel like I had to be "perfect" on this blog and say everything was great and I was so happy, etc. I really hesitated to blog again this month because I was exposing myself so much and I did fear I'd disappoint my fellow bloggers (and I did). I wasn't quite expecting the backlash I got, but oh well. It's out there, I'm honest, and I'm not deleting it to make the blog sound "perfect" or try to portray myself as anything close to perfect. There's no such thing as perfection anyway.

I'm just a girl that started a blog to document her process through all this crap when there wasn't really much out there to read about personal experiences. I'm honest, but I was starting to feel like I had to omit some details or even sugar-coat things. That's not who I am. So, did I make some mistakes? YES. Do I love my teeth? No, not "love." Do I wish I had done some things differently? Yes. Am I glad I went through with the surgery? Absolutely. Did I pick the right surgeon? Hmm, probably not. (And I certainly didn't pick the right orthodontist at the beginning of my treatment which wasted tons of time.)

I don't mean to disappoint people but as I pointed out a previous post, I am not a role model. I'm just another patient; this was just another experience.

Try to be nice

2012-01-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

The Anonymous commenter from my previous entry was rather rude to me. I want to let it be known that I'm not going to tolerate further comments written in this "style." I always welcome comments and will read all that I get, but if you're flat-out rude, as this person was, I will not be publishing your comment.

Fair enough?

Is it ever really goodbye forever?

2012-01-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

I knew I'd be back at some point. ;)

First of all, holy spam comments! I'm clearly going to need to add an extra layer of verification to prevent these silly comments I'm getting! Not that you guys are reading my comments, but I am, and they're all junk. Except for the escort services one -- that's legit.

At least it's "nice spam" telling me in badly written English that my blog is nice and informative. Uhm, thanks?

News from me: haven't worn my retainer in many months, teeth have shifted, not happy. But I can't get braces again. I'm thinking of saving up and getting some veneers. Does anyone have any experience with them?

It would be weird, but if I liked my smile more then I'm all for it! So I need to figure out if I'm going to do that. I'm also nervous about how much such a thing would cost. I started a new job in November and I'm paid a LOT less than I was making at my previous job, so... money worries are once again in my mind.

Some people suggested Invisalign. Nope, not interested. That still involves moving my teeth, which isn't advised. Plus I don't see myself being able to wear them 24/7. I don't have the patience. Look what happened with my retainers. Eh, I never said I was a role model. :P

I guess this is goodbye!!

2011-08-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm no longer going to post any new entries on this blog (unless there is some great need). I guess you can say this is THE END.

I will still answer your questions in the comments, or you can email me anytime. I love getting your questions, feedback, etc.!

I just don't have anything new to add to this blog. I've been done with orthodontics since May 2008! It's hard to believe it's been three years since I finished. Time moves so much slower when they're in active treatment and then when you're done, the time just flies.

Braces aren't fun (no orthodontic appliance is pleasant in any sense). Surgery isn't fun (but those painkillers can be nice!). Retainers aren't fun. None of it is fun. I'll admit that! But are we glad we did it? Usually. :)

I wish you all luck! Don't hesitate to send me any questions or comments via email or through this blog. I'm retiring this blog but I still exist. ;)

Insurance?

2011-06-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Someone left a comment on an old post, asking me how people were expected to pay for jaw surgery if insurance didn't cover it.

So I'm going to answer in this new post: I have no clue.

This is a very common question. Everyone wants to know about insurance, how to go about getting surgery covered, fighting insurance, etc. I can only offer you my experience which I've written about already and you can read the stories of my fellow orthobloggers (linked on the side of my blog). There is no cookie-cutter answer to "will my insurance cover it?" And to ask how to pay for it if it's not covered, I thought, was amusing. Job? Sell stock? Second mortgage? Loan? Lottery?

Not knowing how I was going to pay or whether insurance would cover the costs is something that kept me from doing it for several years. But as it so happened, I got laid off, was then on COBRA for a year (paying a ridiculous amount for it, too) and then had a new employer with new benefits. And even then, I still didn't take action for almost 3 years. I'll be honest -- I made some ca$h when my company IPO'd in 2004 and for once in my life I like, actually had some real money saved up. So I guess knowing that I had some money to cover some of the expenses, I finally went ahead and got to work on the whole process, but I believed my insurance should cover it (I did research my insurance to find out what their policy was on maxillofacial/orthognathic surgery).

For me, I needed that financial security there before I could emotionally invest, I guess. And I was at the point where I was ready to fight with my insurance company to get it rightfully covered. I knew it wasn't "cosmetic." I didn't have to fight with them though, thank god, because I guess my surgeon (in network) presented a good enough case to have it approved the first round. Things got a little scary when it had to get approved a second time because the first approval actually expired after 6 months (and who has surgery after only six months in braces?). Anyhoo... I was fortunate enough not to have to deal with trouble. He even got lower jaw surgery approved which 1. I'm not sure was necessary at all and 2. I'm not sure I should have done in hindsight...

But I'm babbling. Long story short, I don't know how you should pay for your treatment. ;P

Cleaning and fears

2011-06-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

So, despite allllllllllll the stuff I've gone through, I have developed a big fear of dentists or anything touching my teeth. (Look but you can't touch!) Well, I had a cleaning on Monday and this time I didn't postpone. I went. Took 2mg Ativan first. That helped a bit. Then had nitrous before she started touching anything. She was really good... I told her what tooth was bugging me and she really didn't touch it much at all.

Long story short, my teeth and I survived. The dentist had my suspicious tooth x-rayed and although it has a funky root (malformed and really dense) it seems to be OK. The culprit for pain and sensitivity is probably clenching at night and I should be wearing my retainers!!!!

And guess who gets to go to the dentist every FOUR months now? Oh, just me!

Hey, it's 2011!

2011-03-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

No news is good news right? I haven't had any teeth stories to share so I haven't been posting but I DO check this blog for comments (hmm, not that there have been any in a long time!)...

It's really hard to believe that I began this blog SIX years ago! This is what started my blogging (I think I maintain 5 blogs now). Six years ago, I was just getting started. In July it will be 4 years since my surgery. In May, it will be 3 years since getting my braces off. I seriously don't even know where the time goes. It seems like yesterday I was blogging about my braces or posting pictures of my surgery recovery.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Root trouble

2010-12-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

Any out there had a root canal? (Um, I'm not even sure anyone is even still reading this blog, but I'm asking anyway...)

I have some really super sensitive teeth following my cleaning and I've been told (by a non-dentist) that it sounds like I could need a root canal. Oh no!

Blast from the past!

2010-12-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is me in January 2005, while in Hawaii for vacation. Look at those teeth and the facial structure! Quite different. (I just found this picture and "fixed" it with Adobe Photo Elements so I figured I should do something with my experiment.)

Clean teeth

2010-12-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

Nitrous is CRAP

2010-12-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

Personally, I didn't find nitrous to do ANYTHING. The 1.5 mg of Ativan I took beforehand, yes, but the nitrous added NOTHING to it. It was disappointing. And it cost me $100.00 that insurance didn't cover. Lame!

Why do they call it "laughing gas" seriously? I was not laughing. I was not feeling a thing from the stuff. For all I know they were giving me straight oxygen.

But anyway, I did get my teeth cleaned, so yay.

Nitrous

2010-12-04T01:14:00.000-08:00

I met with my new dentist last week and we worked out a plan for the cleaning. I'm going to take a little Ativan and get nitrous oxide. I've never had nitrous before so it should be quite an experience. I think he's also going to numb me up. I know, all of this just to clean my teeth but with my really sensitive tooth, the hatred of the sounds and my newish fear, it has to be done. My appointment is on the 13th. Wish me luck!

Congrats, xbites!

2010-11-29T14:33:00.001-08:00

I've been awarded with a 2010 Top Orthodontic Blog Award! Thanks guys!!

DentalHygienistSchools.com

Link on my blog?

2010-11-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

Several people have asked me if they could have a link on my blog (under "Orthobloggers") and I was lazy and didn't do it. If you'd like to have your link there, please comment here and I'll add you!

Ortho update, a pic, and new dentist!

2010-11-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

I saw the orthodontist yesterday and he said that while there has been a small shift, there's really nothing to fix. He wouldn't touch it. And to fix one tooth could move other teeth unfavorably, causing a whole mess of new problems. I'd be in braces 9 months minimum all for one tooth and maybe for no reason. So, I'm keeping them as they are. :) I might do a little cosmetic dentistry though.And I got a referral to a sedation dentist! He sounds perfect. I have a consultation on the 30th. I am having all of my x-rays forwarded to the new office. The dentist I saw back in April was very nice and all (and I told them this) but she just wasn't able to handle a patient like me, so it's time to move on.

I rarely post pics of myself anymore so here's one from a few days ago, proudly sporting my Ireland soccer track jacket. I don't follow soccer (er, um, football) but I do freaking love Ireland!

Relapse?

2010-11-16T21:22:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be hilarious if my teeth have regressed so much that I could use braces again? Oh, funny funny! I'm worried about it. I'm not happy with the way things have moved and with how my teeth are coming together. I know I'm ultra picky but I expect close to perfection and I don't see that. I think my surgeon under-corrected my bite and I should have had more of an overlap of the top over the bottom.

So I'm seeing my orthodontist tomorrow and we'll see what he says...

Thank you for your support

2010-10-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

I just want to take a minute to thank you all SO much for all the support you've given me. I have been honored to hear from readers either through this blog or those that have emailed me after finding my blog. Please feel free to continue to do so!

Someone asked a question from my June post about why I had some hardware removed from my jaw. I did it because they were causing me pain and because I was disturbed that I could feel them through my skin. You couldn't see the screws but you could feel them and it was kind of creepy. But really the bothersome part was that it felt like I had a slight bruise any time I touched my lower jaw. It was just added discomfort I didn't need. I also got some strange idea in my head that my nerves would heal better with the plates removed. Ha, they haven't! I often wonder if I'm ever going to have the correct sensation in my face but at this point I don't believe I will. I don't know -- I'll have to update in like 7 years... You'd think I'd just adjust to these sensations but they honestly still annoy the crap out of me.

Oh, and thank you to the person that said they thought I had beautiful teeth! I have been so self-conscious about them lately and that was nice to hear.

Retainers

2010-10-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it...I hate wearing my retainers. I've had big lapses in wearing them after swearing up and down to myself that I'd gladly wear them the rest of my life. I think one of my teeth has moved and I'm not happy about it. I'm going to go back to my orthodontist in a few weeks and I'll see what he says.

I'm also having issues with my gums, even though I switched back to a very soft toothbrush.

I guess I should just be glad that my retainers still fit. Now I just need to wear them every night.

:( Warning: a downer

2010-06-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

My face is really bothering me. It's itchy and tingly and I HATE it. Not that I remember what it's like to have a face that feels "normal" though. Lately (the past week or two) it's been feeling much more...obnoxious. And it's kicked up on the left side, where it was feeling more normal before (i.e. I wasn't feeling it constantly!).

This is really frustrating and I'm sorry to be a downer. It's just frustrating that after almost 3 years (yes, it will be three years on July 20th!), I still struggle with this. I also don't think my teeth look as good as they did when I first got my braces off (my fault though) and my tooth sensitivity is horrible. It's so horrible that I've developed a fear of the dentist and refuse to get my teeth cleaned because I'm terrified. I will do it though. I have to. I had some bonding done on some teeth last month and it was torture. She even numbed me and it was still awful. Considering how much I've gone through with my mouth, it really surprises me that I'm now scared of just a cleaning! :(

I've tried to be "inspirational" on this blog and for the most part things have been positive. I needed to have this done and no, I don't regret it. I just have moments when I'm very frustrated and this is one of those times.

But you know, while I ate my sandwich at lunch, I was so grateful for having a functional bite! I was able to bite and chew without pain, without using my tongue in place of teeth in order to tear off smaller pieces of the sandwich like the tomatoes and lettuce... and I was so grateful.

So it's not all bad, right?

New dentist

2010-05-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

It's always scary to go to a new dentist. I had to find a new dentist because mine sold his practice to move to Washington. To find a new dentist, I Googled "gentle dentistry" and ended up finding my new dentist. Well, I had my first appointment today and she deemed me too sensitive to even do the cleaning. She wants her assistant to do it, so I have to go back in 2 weeks to have that done. Next week I'm going in to get some bonding on teeth that have erosion (and where there's gum recession). That should help with my sensitivity! I'm going to get numbed up to have it done because I can't stand air or water on these teeth -- that's how bad it is. :(

So it was a relief to escape with just x-rays today (like 100 of them!) but now I have two more appointments. This dentist seems very thorough and she's very nice. My previous dentist never mentioned bonding. He was always really gentle with me but I think my teeth have gotten more and more sensitive over time.

Oh, I had to get new retainers because I was BAD and didn't wear mine for quite some time. There was a little shifting. I know -- I am bad. But still, my bite is pretty good. The dentist said I make so much contact with my "almost perfect bite" that she's not surprised there's been some sensitivity. Now that I have new retainers that fit comfortably (that I won't take out in the middle of the night due to pain), I'll wear them and that will help with clenching and force (which will also help with the sensitivity) when I sleep.

That's my update! Wear your retainers, kids!

Book

2010-02-26T19:12:00.000-08:00

When I started my blog, way back in 2005, I dreamed that one day I could turn it into a book. Well, that didn't exactly happen (yet?!) but I did use a self-publishing service that was advertised here on Blogger and now own my blog in book form. It's really awesome. 161 pages (and that's just posts and pictures -- I chose to leave out comments).

Yay! I am so proud of it!

Happy holidays!

2009-12-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ooops, I didn't mean to ignore my blog! Where does the time go? I can't tell you.

I'm doing well. Getting the stitches removed by my doctor was a huge help, and I started healing much more quickly after that. But that didn't mean all of my stitches were out. I still had stitches that were underneath that had to work themselves out or dissolve. Well, while my mom was visiting the weekend before Thanksgiving, all three of my remaining stitches (annoying strings and knots!) came out! I was SO happy that night! I think I loosened them up with my tongue and then I did a tiny bit of pulling and out they came! It was a Thanksgiving miracle!!

There's no difference in the way my face looks, or feels. Actually, that's not totally true. If I feel along my jawline, no more bumps!!! Nice and smooth! This wasn't a visible thing -- just something that I could feel with my fingers.

Here's a picture of me and my mom in Texas over the holidays. I hope you're all well. Happy New Year!

My junk

2009-11-10T21:13:00.001-08:00

Here's the crap that was in my bottom jaw! What do you think? (Obviously the tweezers were not in my jaw.)

Picture update!

2009-11-10T18:23:00.001-08:00

Wow, those last two pictures are bad! Advice:
1. Really keep your head elevated -- always!!!
2. Take anti-inflammatory meds
3. Ice, ice, baby!

Me today:

Holy swelling

2009-11-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

They're gone!

2009-11-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

The surgery was quick but I'm in quite a bit of pain right now. I'm waiting for the Vicodin to kick in. For some reason I have these little incisions on the outside of my face when I thought it was all going to be done inside. But they should heal up fine.

Here are two pics of me in the recovery room, getting close to going home. The little jar has my plates and screws.

Surgery delay

2009-10-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Instead of having surgery on Monday the 2nd, I'll have having surgery on Friday the 6th. Why? Because the plastic surgery surgical center doesn't have any cases on Monday besides mine, so it's not "cost efficient." I hope Friday is hopping, with lots of breast enhancements and tummy tucks. Mommy make-overs!

Surgery scheduled!

2009-10-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is way faster and better now that my surgeon no longer works at the Stanford clinics. My surgery is scheduled for November 2nd. Yes, that soon!

You're out!

2009-10-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

And the verdict is in: I will be getting my bottom plates & screws taken out! Although people don't usually do this (he said only 2% of his patients), we both feel that mine should come out because they bother me. I feel really good about this decision and I'm looking forward to getting them out! (I don't have a date yet.)

Surgeon (again)

2009-10-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to see the surgeon tomorrow (for real this time!) and I'm working on coming up with a list of questions. Mostly I want to know the benefits/risks to having the plates and screws removed from my bottom jaw. I don't like them. They bother me, but not all the time. I'll leave the top ones in forever -- that's fine. But I'm leaning towards getting these lowers taken out, if there isn't significant risk of anything. Yes, it'd be another surgery and a little bit of recovery time, but then I'd have those suckers out.

Can you tell I really want them out? But right now I'm putting the chances on getting them out at 65%. I'll update after I see the surgeon tomorrow.

No surgeon appointment?

2009-09-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently my surgeon's office is sooooo organized that they waited until Friday to call me to tell me the doctor would be in surgery on Monday morning, when I was supposed to have my appointment. Then we played phone tag a few times on Friday which resulted in nothing and now it's look like I'm not going to be seeing him at all tomorrow. Oh well.

Back when he was at Stanford that place was completely chaotic. Now that he's gone private with a few other surgeons, shouldn't he (they) be a little more on top of his schedule? You'd think so.

Ehhhh, I might try to call in the morning (if I feel like it) -- otherwise I'll just reschedule. My orthodontist basically told me not to hold out too much hope that getting the plates out would help with the sensations in my face. And I need to know the risks. The bones are healed, but what can removing the plates do? Hopefully nothing. But my ortho also said it's still a surgery, and why go through it if I don't have to? Like I should have a good reason for wanting to get these babies out. I really wanted to talk to my surgeon about that. Now, my surgeon is not in an insurance network that I know of, so I might actually have to go to another surgeon to get them out IF I do. That's a little scarier. This guy's already been in my jaw and all...

Le sigh. Who knows what I'm going to do, what I'm going to say, etc.

I just know that my face doesn't feel right and I'm tired of it. And I'm wondering if this is just how it's going to feel for the rest of my life and I need to just accept it.

All good!

2009-09-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

I went to my orthodontist appointment today prepared to be in a little bit of trouble over my bottom retainer no longer fitting "perfectly" but he was very cool. It does fit, it's just tight. He said my bite looked really good and to just go back to wearing the bottom retainer. It will kind of work like Invisalign and get my teeth back exactly to their old positions. Looks like I'll be taking some Advil at bed time for a few days!

I'm really glad that my orthodontist said everything still looks great!!

Next Monday I'm seeing the surgeon, so I'll update after that.

Back...to the surgeon

2009-09-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen my surgeon in a really long time and I think I was supposed to follow-up after 6 months. I don't even know how long it's been, but quite a bit longer than that.

But I decided to make an appointment because my face is bothering me. I still don't have full feeling and I'm worried that this is how it's going to stay. Also, the lower jaw plates bother me at times, so I want to talk to him about possibly taking them out (or having another surgeon do it).

I started getting curious...could these plates actually be blocking nerves from connecting? Or is that impossible? Or do the nerves grow all over the plates? Then what would happen if he took them out?

Clearly I'm confused and it's a good thing I'll be seeing him in a couple of weeks.

You might see me posting a bit more here in September since I have several things going on!

I'm gonna be in trouble

2009-09-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Confession: I went a while without my retainers. I've started wearing the top again (because it still fits perfectly) but the bottom doesn't fit right and it needs to be addressed by my orthodontist because I don't know if I'm supposed to wear it if it's not right anymore. I avoided the bottom retainer because of the gum surgery and then just never got back into it and guilt and avoidance took over. I avoided making an appointment with my orthodontist...until today. So, I'm going on the 14th. Ugh.

I also postponed my dentist appointment (cleaning) until next month because the tooth where I had the gum surgery is still very sensitive. Apparently that's not normal, so I have to go to the periodontist tomorrow. Eeek!

Wish me luck with all this!

Wear your retainers, kids!

Gum update, etc.

2009-07-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

I went back to the periodontist today and my gum graft from June 12 looks great! All has healed well and I can start to brush there again (and floss!) so that's exciting. But then they realized how sensitive those three teeth have become and had to put this weird stuff on my teeth that I'm not supposed to brush off until tomorrow. And I got another super soft toothbrush and toothpaste that they say is better than Sensodyne. Woohoo. (I know, another exciting update from me.)

Next appointment in 6 months. Need to follow up with the orthodontist some time this summer and maybe check in with the surgeon. Sometimes I contemplate getting these plates removed from the bottom because they'll often feel bruised, but is it really worth it? I also want to ask about the tingling/lack of sensation in some spots. But you know, I think this is just the way it's going to be. :(

YES, I'm still glad I did it.

Happy anniversary to me!

2009-07-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, TIME FLIES!!

Today marks the two year anniversary since having my jaw surgery. Can you believe it? To commemorate the event, here is a picture taken today.

Easy peasy

2009-06-18T16:19:00.001-07:00

Gum surgery is seriously easy. :) Do not fear it!!

Ack, gums!

2009-06-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

Gum surgery (graft) tomorrow!

May 12th

2009-05-17T20:54:00.001-07:00

I forgot to mention an important anniversary that just passed on May 12th. A year ago, I got my braces off! Wow, I can't believe I got them off a year ago now. Time definitely goes by s l o w e r in braces!

It's important to chew

2009-04-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Whether with braces or post-braces, it's important to chew. It's important to challenge your bite. This is what makes your teeth mesh -- this is what makes your bite good.

This is a challenge for me, but it feels so much better when my teeth are meshing. Otherwise they start hitting more on the left side for some reason and I'm too conscious of trying to get them to connect and obsess over it. But it's as easy as chewing!

It feels wonderful to chomp down and have your teeth mesh just as they are supposed to!

No gum surgery for me...

2009-04-11T11:00:00.001-07:00

Well, not until June 1st anyway. The surgery was approved, but I decided that the timing wasn't great. I'm going on a trip May 1-3 and I didn't want anything screwed up from the surgery. Plus I haven't been in the best health lately so it's probably best to wait.

My new Nimbus toothbrush + Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste makes my gums a lot happier!

Gum surgery -- hopefully

2009-04-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Damn. I have to get approval from both my regular physician and hematologist before I can get gum surgery. Why? Because I have a blood disorder. I have a low white cell count (leukocytes and neutrophils) so the concern is that I could get an infection and have trouble fighting it because of the low WBC. Nevermind that this has been going on for a while, and that I rarely ever get sick, AND that I'll be taking antibiotics anyway as a precaution. I hope they approve. I hate this gross tooth and want to get it taken care of.

Gum surgery ahoy!

2009-03-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

I will be having gum surgery on April 22nd. It will be just on one spot on the bottom, so one spot from the roof of my mouth will be used to get the tissue.

I do have other spots that need to be watched but this one spot I'm getting done is a definite. It's yucky!! It scares me!

She gave me a special super soft toothbrush and I'm going to abandon all my other toothbrushes, including the Sonicare electric brush. I just can't risk messing up more of my gum tissue. And honestly, since the surgery, I hate using the Sonicare. The vibrations it creates is very bothersome. Seeing as I've actually become afraid to brush my teeth because of all this gum recession, I feel much better getting this toothbrush and seeing the periodontist.

If anyone is interested, the toothbrush is called Nimbus and can be found online at www.nimbusdental.com. I have the Xtra Soft Microfine Compact.

So...yay, gum surgery! (And yay, Vicodin!)

Good comparison

2009-03-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

This picture is good to compare with the top picture from my previous "before" post.

Old pictures of me

2009-03-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

I found these pre-surgery pictures of me on my old computer. Look how different my whole face looks!

Frustrated

2009-03-22T19:08:00.001-07:00

I try to keep things on the positive side on this blog because I never want to discourage people from adult orthodontics and corrective jaw surgery.

But sometimes it's frustrating. Yes, even when it's over.

I guess because your teeth go through a lot. Or maybe I'm just unlucky. I still have a lot of tingling in my face. At this point I'm wondering if my face is ever going to feel normal. And it's really frustrating, and really bugs me on some days. I can speak fine... you'd never know by looking at me that I had jaw surgery or that my face didn't feel right. It itches. Some days it itches more than others. I just want to be unaware of my face. Is that too much to ask??

And then there's the issue with my gums. I'm starting to get scared of brushing my teeth. Last night I brushed them and they were sore for hours. I felt like all of them were receeding and I was terrified of looking at my teeth. I worried that my gums were dissolving and soon my teeth would surely be falling out. Irrational psycho? Yes. WHAT IS MY PROBLEM?

I am seeing the periodontist a week from tomorrow and honestly I can't wait (although I'm scared of what she'll tell me). Gum surgery doesn't scare me, but it IS a hassle. Siiiiiiiigh. I'm just so...annoyed. Tired of this. You think you're done, but you're not done. But I'll do anything to keep my teeth nice looking. I've gone through too much.

So I'm back to my baby soft toothbrushes and trying to be as gentle as possible. I'm worried how long I'll be unable to wear my retainer(s) with gum surgery. I skip a night here and there but never two nights in a row.

All of this just sucks, to be honest.

Back to the periodontist

2009-03-02T21:06:00.001-08:00

I went to the dentist today. No cavities but more gum recession was noted. One of my bottom molars looks... scary. He didn't say that I had to do it now but I was looking at it in the mirror and it scared me, so I made an appointment with the periodontist I saw in 2005. She did a good job with my gum surgery then.

Another thing bothering me is that there's still cement on my teeth. I don't know why I'm noticing it more lately. Anyway, I told him that there was absolutely no way I could go through with another attempt to get it off without Novocaine. He said that's a possibility but he doesn't know how much he could get off and he didn't want to damage the enamel. So, I'm slightly annoyed about this cement situation. Oh, and the gum recession was a result of the braces and jaw surgery. But hey, gum surgery isn't so bad.

Removing plates?

2009-02-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

Has anyone had any of their plates or screws removed?

I'm pondering (just slightly) getting my lower jaw plates/screws (2 plates, 8 screws total) removed some time this summer, after I see my surgeon. Why? I don't know...they bother me sometimes. I can feel them through my skin. But you can't SEE them. And they don't usually hurt. Sometimes they feel bruised.

But is it worth it to get them removed?

Vitamin B

2009-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share with my readers that my surgeon suggested that I take vitamin B to help with the numbness/tingling (nerves healing). I don't know it helps, but he says it does, so I'll be trying it!!

Denture cleaners = OK for retainers

2009-01-12T23:30:00.001-08:00

Just one quick follow-up. Someone commented a while back that denture cleaners were not good for Essix retainers and could erode them more quickly. I checked with my orthodontist and his staff this morning and found that this is not true. So continue to use Polident or Effervescent or your choice of cleaner on your retainers and enjoy your extra minty-clean mouth jewelry!

Checking in with the orthodontist

2009-01-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

I had my first orthodontist appointment this morning in about 6 months. It seems like just recently I'd be there every five weeks. Anyhoo, my orthodontist was pleased with everything. Everything is fine. My retainers are all good -- nothing wrong there. So, really, nothing to report! I'm feeling better and better about my smile, and my "new face." I know it's been a year and a half since the surgery, and 10 months since I got my braces off (wow!) but sometimes I'm still in awe. By the way, 10 months out of braces is a lot shorter than 10 months in braces! But IT DOES END! And the ending is happy!

Like a surgeon

2009-01-09T11:50:00.001-08:00

Looky, looky! An update!

I saw my surgeon today for the first time since...April? Not sure. I was supposed to follow up with him when I got the braces off (which was in May) but uhhh, well it just didn't happen.

Anyway, he was VERY pleased with the results!! As am I! My bite is good, my teeth are straight, my jaw doesn't swing when I open/close, the clicking is minor, and I have no jaw joint pain. Woop! He said the tingling/numbness is still expected because it just takes so long for nerves to heal, but since I have tingling, it's a very good sign. My nerves want to heal! I just wish they'd hurry up.

So, that's that. We're all good. :D

Oh, going to the orthodontist on Monday for a check-in. I haven't seen him in several months either.

Still around!

2008-11-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm kind of around. I'm checking for comments on a regular basis, but as you can see, I'm not usually posting. But I am checking, so please feel free to comment and I'll respond! It's best to comment on the most recent post since it's the easiest to find.

Also, I can be reached at galbraith[@]gmail[dot]com anytime. :)

What we do in our sleep

2008-09-12T22:50:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning and my bottom retainer was not in my mouth. It was not on my nightstand. Oh no. I know these things aren't cheap but I was really dreading the inconvenience of having to replace it, not the money.

I ended up finding it underneath one of my pillows. What happened? No idea! What are the chances that I do this again? Probably pretty good. Hopefully I'll continue to find it in my bed when it happens. Also, hopefully my cats won't get a hold of them and chew them up. My old cat wouldn't have touched them but my new cats still have their baby teeth and love to chew on things -- anything. And, they are insane.

I haven't been good with checking this blog, or following the blogs of others, and I apologize. Something happens when those braces come off... it's like being in a new world. Sometimes I cannot believe that those things are off after soooooo long. Three years ago, I was struggling so much. I had my braces on for a little over a month and was miserable. I couldn't eat, was losing weight really quickly, and only huge things were ahead of me. It seemed like I'd never see the end. Now, it seems like it was so long ago. It was 4 months ago today that I got my braces off, actually. It's strange how 4 months in braces is so much longer than 4 months without braces!

Keeping those retainers clean

2008-09-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

A quick post to pimp POLIDENT as a retainer cleaner. Wow, this stuff is great for cleaning my Essix retainers! Before Polident, I was trying to brush my retainers with toothpaste...they always remained gross. A friend mentioned that she let hers sit in Polident for a few minutes and they'd get super clean. I've been doing it for the past month and it has been great. Keeps the retainer looking like new!

(No, I'm not being paid by the makers of Polident, I swear.)

Been a while

2008-08-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting. There just hasn't been much to say on this front. This month, I had my three year anniversary since getting my braces on (and I was so glad to be able to say I didn't still have them on!). It was kind of a bittersweet memory. I remember how much pain I was in and how it felt like time was just creeping by and I'd never be done. It was depressing, that's for sure.

But time did go on, and my teeth got straighter. I eventually had my surgery. I eventually got my bite in line. And now I'm done. It was a hard time but worth it. If you've looked at my recent pics, you can see I've got some big smiles!

One lingering concern I have has to do with how my face feels. Sometimes it drives me absolutely crazy. The nerves are still mending and doing their thing and it leaves me with a tingly/itchy face and odd sensations. Touching my left cheek, the left corner of my lip tingles and itches. I don't have any spots that I can't feel -- it's just that what I feel isn't right. This is frustrating because I thought that by the year mark I'd be back to "normal." Last time I saw my surgeon, he said it can take even longer. But it's been several months since I checked up with him and I need to schedule my final appointment with him and I want to bring this up. Also, sometimes my lower jaw bones feel bruised where the plates are. I don't think it's worth it to have them removed though. I think I'd have to be quite uncomfortable to be willing to go through another surgery again, however minor. I have had too many surgeries in the past 5 years (4 on my arms, then the jaw).

So that's basically what's going on now, one year and one month post-surgery. I've been having some jaw joint pain but that is thanks to stress (my 14 year old cat died a month ago).

I am going to go to Maui with my sister in November and I plan on snorkeling although I know I have to be very careful! Even people with normal jaw joints need to be careful. I need to be SUPER careful. Biting on the snorkel puts a huge strain on your jaw muscles and joints. My joints are healthier than they were 3 years ago when I last went, but I don't think it would take too much to anger them temporarily.

And that's my update!

One year post op

2008-07-20T11:46:00.001-07:00

Ortho follow-up

2008-07-07T09:51:00.001-07:00

I went to the orthodontist today for my first post-braces checkup (it had been 8 weeks). My orthodontist said I was doing a great job with the retainers and to keep it up (wearing them at night). I don't have to go back for 6 months! Crazy.

The only bad thing about this appointment was that they tried to drill off some extra cement that was stuck and it was awful. I had to have him stop several times because of the sensitivity. The two teeth with the cement are MUCH better but I can still feel a little. Still, I couldn't take more. I can live with it!

Needles!

2008-07-05T08:15:00.001-07:00

My friend is an acupuncturist and I went to her house on the 4th of July. Look what I got to try!

It's supposed to help with the numbness/tingling heaviness/itching I still feel in my face (I'm coming up on 1 year post-op) and it was interesting! Can't say if there's really been much of a change but this was my only treatment. The needles in my hands were more uncomfortable (the ones in my face didn't bother me at all). It will be interesting to see if I feel any improvement!

Hardware material

2008-06-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know what the most common hardware is used in jaw surgery? They never told me if I have titanium or surgical steel in my face and I'm curious. What is most likely?

When I had a plate in my arm, it was surgical steel.

Payment update

2008-05-25T11:40:00.001-07:00

I finally got another bill from Stanford (that only took 10 months!) for about $418 and some cents. I think this marks the end of all of the charges. This means that I had to pay just a little above $1000 for my entire surgery and three day hospital stay. I must say, that's pretty freaking awesome! (I hope I'm not jinxing myself here.)

Me & my retainers

2008-05-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here I am wearing my retainers. Can you tell? (By the way, it's normal that my teeth aren't coming together because of the retainer material.)

Happy 10 months

2008-05-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, May 20, marks ten months since my surgery. And the first month that I can say I am brace-free! So I finished just under 10 months post-surgery, which I don't think is too bad.

Can I just say that I love my retainers? OK, love might not be the right word but I could not have asked for a better post-braces retaining system. Sorry for those with Hawley's but I just don't envy you. Of course, if you only have to wear it to bed, I guess that's not so bad. I wear mine a little in my non-sleeping time and it's almost like I don't have anything in there. I can speak clearly, there's no metal...it's just pretty damn cool. I've heard that the Essix is cool because it really does keep teeth in their correct positions when they can shift slightly with a Hawley.

I went to the dentist today and he thought everything looked pretty good. No cavities. A little gum recession that I could go check in with the periodontist about but she'd probably recommend a graft and really right now, it's just cosmetic. No one sees it. I'm not ready to go through more mouth stuff right now. Maybe in a few months I'll consider it. We also talked about whitening a bit but I haven't made up my mind about anything.

Retainers!

2008-05-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

Well now that the braces are off (wow, are they really??), it's retainer time. I think I am lucky because my orthodontist has started using Essix retainers, which are completely clear and shaped like your teeth, kind of like Invisalign. Yay, no annoying metal wire! And no bonded retainer on the bottom. I have to say, the Essix is pretty comfortable and I'll have no problem wearing them 12-14 hours a day.

The debracification

2008-05-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

Since I only posted a picture yesterday, I figured it was time to write a description of what it’s like on that magical day when you get your braces off.

If you’ve ever had a bracket taken off for some reason (maybe to be repositioned) then you know what it’s like a little. You just have to imagine that they are doing that to every tooth! So, they get out some tool which grabs the bracket and they rip it off. The metal ones came off pretty easily. A couple of the ceramics broke and that required more yanking. For my comfort, I bit down on a rolled piece of gauze as they ripped those suckers out. Really, it wasn’t that bad. It really just feels like a tug and you might be bothered more by the noise if anything.

My least favorite part was the cement removing tool. I’m sure this electric tooth sandblaster has a technical name but since I don’t know, it is the sandblaster in this post. The vibration wasn’t that bad. I was really worried about that because of my electric toothbrush experience about 6-7 months back. (Geez, that was a long time ago now!) It wasn’t even the scraping and scratching vibrations on my teeth that really bothered me….it was the cold air from the suction thingy. I have some sensitive spots and I definitely had several moments that were just a wee bit uncomfortable. Luckily, they gave me lots of breaks.

And then…I was done! It actually went by really fast. Then it was time for x-rays, pictures, and molds. I had to get 2 sets of molds – one for the case and one for the retainers. I chose pineapple. It wasn’t so bad. After that, I was completely done! I got a bottle of wine and was sent off on my merry way (to go to work).

I will pick up my retainers on Thursday. I’m expecting them to be clear trays like Invisalign but besides that, I really don’t know what to expect!

I have been worried that my teeth would feel really loose when I got my braces off but they actually don’t. Everything seems to be holding steady, but retainers will be good. I know how shifty those teeth can be!

So in summary, it feels pretty neat not to have braces! And eating and brushing are suddenly tasks that are amazingly easy. In fact, I need to re-learn how to brush nice and softly!

Yay!

2008-05-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

In less than 24 hours

2008-05-11T12:52:00.001-07:00

In less than 24 hours now, I will be brace free! Can I believe it? No! What am I going to do today to keep my mind occupied?

Here are some things I am not going to miss about having braces:
1. The food getting stuck everywhere
2. Having to swish like crazy after I eat
3. Avoiding certain foods because they could stain my rubber bands and give me bright yellow or green teeth
4. The scraping up of my cheeks (although to be honest, they really quit doing this after a while. It just took some time for my cheeks to toughen up)
5. Being self-conscious about having braces

Things I will miss:
1. These super strong wires that I know hold everything exactly in their correct places

Well, uh, I could only think of one thing I'd miss! And really it's just a pseudo-miss. The truth is, I can't wait to see these suckers go!

SO SOON!

2008-05-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

This might possibly be a very slow weekend because I have to wait until Monday at 10 for this debracification! But I might buy a bicycle tomorrow and that could be a fun thing to do! Is this really happening?? So much stuff going on through my head right now and I'm freaking out just a wee bit. (Can you tell?)

I'm pretty happy!

2008-05-04T00:05:00.001-07:00

Why YES, I am thrilled that my braces are coming off May 12th!

10 more days

2008-05-02T12:43:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that in just TEN days, I will be free of braces. This journey started so long ago and I am so excited. I'm also nervous about the actual de-bracing experience but also scared to death that my teeth and bite are going to shift. I have huge, thick square wires that have been holding my teeth together for a year now. It's almost like a security blanket to have it there because I know that my teeth are "safe." I do not trust my teeth one bit. I don't trust them to even stay put in the 3 days that I have to wait for my retainers to be made. I wonder if it is normal to have this much anxiety about this.

Still, of course I want them off! I can't wait to feel how slimey my teeth feel without brackets!

MAY 12!!!!

2008-04-14T11:29:00.001-07:00

I have a date! May 12! I'm so excited! I even got a red powerchain on the bottom just since it's the last chance to do a color (but it looks like my gums are bleeding -- I'll take a picture!). I also found out that my orthodontist is using the clear tray retainers now so I'll be getting those instead of a hawley. This is actually better I think.

WHEEEEEE!!!!!

Soon

2008-04-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I've pretty much ignored the thing I got from Cigna. I've decided not to freak out until I get the bill from Stanford. That's when I'm going to start making calls and figure out what these dorks are doing. I guess it goes to show you that no matter how good you think your insurance is, they'll still screw up. And hospital billing departments are pretty much equally bad.

On Monday (two days!) I'll have a better idea of when my braces will come off. I have a feeling I've got another month because of the way my bite shifts after I haven't had my elastics on all day. It doesn't stay even. So, I'm ready to hear my fate either way. Gotta stay realistic.

Maybe I'll ask to see the retainer list anyway! I'm just too excited about that.

Are you kidding me??

2008-04-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

I just got something from my insurance carrier, CIGNA, telling me that it is my responsibility to pay $18,089.66 (although I haven't received a bill from Stanford). Where do I even begin with this one?!

1. My surgery was July 20, 2007. Count it up people -- that's almost NINE months.
2. I got one of these back in hmm, September or October and was told that either Stanford or CIGNA switched up some claim number and it was fine and would be reprocessed.

Now it's April and I get this stupid piece of paper.

Oh, I am so not paying this.

I see the light

2008-04-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

I saw my surgeon today and after looking at my bite, he declared it as "perfect" and said that he thinks this was the best result I could have had. Now are my midlines perfect? No. But maybe they just couldn't be with the shape of my teeth or all the other things that go on with teeth and jaws. But they're close. I'm happy with the results. My surgeon is happy. And I think my orthodontist will be pleased when he sees me on April 14th. Hopefully that is the day that I'll get a de-bracing date!

I'm very excited. It's been such a long journey. I'm scared of what will happen to my teeth when I don't have this huge arch wire holding my teeth in their positions. What happens when I don't wear rubber bands ever? I will faithfully wear my retainer of course but I have so many what ifs. It's just scary. But excitement > scared/nervous. :)

I'm crossing my fingers that May is the month for me. Cross your fingers for me!

Mustard = bad

2008-03-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

I had a Gardenburger with a ton of mustard on Monday evening. I should have known what the result would be. It turned my little elastics bright yellow/green. I swear, I bet these things could have glowed! So I went to the orthodontist yesterday and got them swapped out with some nice new clear ones. I guess I'll be avoiding mustard for the next few months.

My orthodontist's office just started using the self-ligating clear brackets and the assistants love them! No more elastics. Apparently my brackets are really bulky and they have trouble getting the ties over them sometimes. Oh well, just one or two more times and then hopefully no more!

I'm already thinking about my future retainer. I haven't seen the choices yet but I'm pretty sure I could get red with glitter and for some reason that sounds fun. Ha - a retainer sounds fun? Yes. Trust me...when you get near the end of the braces phase, you will be psyched about a retainer!

Happy 8 months!

2008-03-20T13:08:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been eight months since my surgery. Kind of hard to believe it's been that long. But it's even harder to believe that I might be ending this journey in a couple of months.

So what's it like 8 months post-op? Well for me, I still have a pretty weird sensation in the lower part of my face and much more so on the right side. I've been a little disappointed that I don't have more of a "normal" feeling in a lot of spots yet. I know it's normal and nothing to worry about -- I would just like it to come back. I'm seeing my surgeon next Friday and I'm going to ask him about it. At my orthodontist appointment on Monday, the tech person was doing something on the right bottom side and suddenly said, "Oooh, I'm so sorry!" I had no idea that she had cut me slightly. There was no feeling whatsoever. It's not like it was a big cut; I get the impression that it was very small but it resulted in blood so maybe I should have felt something. If I were "normal." I hope that one day I can say it's all back to normal.

Really?!

2008-03-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

So I asked THE question and he didn't answer at first. Instead he talked more about what he would like to do. So I said, "You didn't answer my question though," and he hesitated. I said, "Just tell me...6 months?" And he said, "Oh, no way! Way before that!" He said that it might even be after my next appointment! I don't believe it but it is definitely going to be early summer at the latest. I told him I'm even excited about picking out my retainer and he laughed.

Wow, pinch me!

The question --- TODAY

2008-03-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

I'm going to ask how much longer at my appointment today. I'm nervous! I am hopeful, but also know that there's more work to be done on the back teeth. They aren't touching (last molars). I have a feeling I'll leave with a new rubber band configuration, but that's OK. Anything to get closer to being done! I'll update after the appointment.

Elastics and gaps

2008-03-02T19:30:00.001-08:00

I have some little gaps forming on the lower left due to my elastic. Not so happy about that. I emailed the orthodontist and asked him about this. At this stage in the game, I want to be refining my bite, not dealing with these gaps. Well, I was in no mood to wear my rubber bands today anyway. I've had them off for most of the day. They were just irritating me. You know, there are just some days that are like that. Geez, I thought my bottom teeth had finally realized (after a year) that they were meant to be together. I guess not!

Antsy

2008-02-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

On February 4th, I reached the 2 1/2 year mark of having braces. Let's just say I'm starting to get really antsy about getting this all done with already. I'm going to start asking the dreaded question to the ortho: "So, when do you think I can get these off? How much more time?" I have never asked this because I always knew that 1. there was so much work left to do that it would be pretty much impossible for him to give me any sort of accurate answer and 2. any estimate would be depressing.

But now it's time. I know there's still work to do, but I have to be getting close enough to start asking, right? I do not want to reach the 3 year mark. If I still have these on in August, I'm going to be pretty annoyed and unhappy. I am actually looking forward to having a retainer! I am SO sick of braces. My next appointment is March 17th.

Oh, weird stuff: my cheeks have some more swelling again. Mostly on the left side, but a little on the right now. It's so weird and random! I understand the nerves mending and causing all the changes in sensation that I have in my face, but I have no idea what could explain the slight swelling. It's not a bad thing. If anything, it gives me more of a "healthy" look anyway.

"Thrilled"

2008-02-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's me! I had my zillionth orthodontist adjustment today and I asked my orthodontist how I was honestly doing and if he was OK with how things had moved since my last adjustment and he said he was "thrilled" with how they'd moved. Yay! The sides and back are coming together quite well. He asked me if I wanted more of an overbite, I said yes, so now I'm wearing the elastics back to front to bring the lowers back.

Oh, and I got those annoying little buttons removed from the inside of my top molars! It was so easy getting those removed. Snap! And they were off. I think I'll notice this more when I have some food because that's when I really noticed them.

I'm also glad to have them off because it means that there's no longer a cross-bite concern! Take that, cross-bites!! So, here's a picture taken TODAY. :)

It's just amazing

2008-02-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm not done with the orthodontics yet & I've hit some bumps in the road, seeing some "before braces" & comparing them with after pictures really cheered me up. So glad I did this!

Wax, I love you!

2008-02-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

I never, ever use wax. Guess what I found myself searching for last night? If you guessed wax, you are correct! Luckily I easily found some in my dental drawer. I stuck some on that button that's been bothering me and finally -- relief! Duh, Erin. I must just be a glutton for punishment for not breaking down and using it sooner.

Getting impatient

2008-02-01T13:29:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling antsy about getting these things off my teeth. The main thing bothering me: the "buttons" I have on the inside of two of my molars. My ortho said he's done using them (I was wearing crossbite elastics for a while after the surgery) so I'm going to get them off at my next visit. I'm really excited about this because I have this big groove on one side of my tongue from this thing and it hurts! It's driving me batty. Oddly, it's just the left side. Can't wait to get these things removed! I'm a little nervous about the tools they use to get the cement off the tooth. I still cringe at my electric toothbrush experience and that was months ago. I hope that I can handle it and I hope it won't take long to get the cement off of them.

WHEN the day comes along that I finally get these things off all of my teeth, they might have to numb me a bit. I hear that getting the ceramics off is really difficult -- they usually don't just snap off easily, they break. A lot of work will probably be needed to get everything off my teeth. I still remember when I got my braces off when I was 15, and how awful that was. Of course once it was over, it was a happy day!

I'm back to saying when I get my braces off, and not if. It just feels like it's never going to happen but I really want to wrap this up. Crossing my fingers for this summer. That will make it 3 years.

Anger and smiles

2008-01-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

I want to thank you all for your support (and anger on my behalf!). It makes me feel better -- it really does.

I want to comment on your comments but no time now. The weekend got busier than expected and I didn't write the letter to my surgeon yet. Oh, it will get done!

I posted some pictures to my photo album if you're interested. My sides and molars are coming in much better contact now. The midline is off but you know, right now that's the least of my concerns. And my sister informed me that it is not a "hat" that I am wearing, it is a "cap." ;)

The appointment

2008-01-23T14:42:00.001-08:00

My orthodontist is back in my good graces, although possibly for a probationary period. My surgeon on the other hand, is not.

After getting my wire taken out, my OD came out and took me to his office and I sat down and we discussed my concerns, progress (or lack thereof in some areas), status, etc. Rather than writing out a whole narrative, it's easier if I just list discussion points.

He just finally talked to my surgeon yesterday (he's only in his private practice once a week, apparently)
No one wants to do another surgery and right now it is absolutely out of the question anyway because the bones aren't healed. Even if they were, my surgeon doesn't think it's a good idea at all
Apparently my OD has been concerned about a lot of things post-surgery and has not voiced these to me, so I had no idea... and he basically told me that he had a lot of different problems to work with, there are limitations, and I'm a difficult case and continue to be (super!)
He told me that he told my surgeon that he was "disappointed" with this surgery (wow, harsh)
Our priorities are now fully in line: 1) get functional bite and 2) address any cosmetic issues

So, I didn't want to run out crying of this appointment. I appreciated the honesty and said I wish he could have told me more of his concerns early on, rather than leaving me in the dark (or saying things were fine when in fact they were not). I think he's going to be more straight-forward with me in the future -- telling me pretty much exactly what he's doing and why.

For this adjustment, there were a bunch of bends made to the wires. The focus is all about getting my teeth in better contact. I have elastics again -- this time another box formation on each side. One challenge is my jaw muscles and tension. They can skew everything and it's safe to say that my jaw muscles are a bit tense. I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do here. Maybe I'll try applying heat. I've never tried that before.

Am I disappointed? Yes. I can safely say yes. Perhaps I should have had more realistic expectations from the beginning. And I didn't know my case was that much of a challenge for people that do this for a living. I still don't know if I believe that. It seems so extreme. Obviously the surgery did a lot of good things and there was an improvement. It just wasn't enough. It wasn't what my orthodontist really needed in order to get a better result. There's really nothing I can do about it. We agreed that we want to focus on doing as much as we can with what I have now and then just see. It sounds like surgery is very unlikely.

I'm quite unhappy with my surgeon right now. I am going to write him a letter. It's really the only way I have to communicate all of this and it will be good for me to write it.

Thank you

2008-01-19T12:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your kind words and support at this time. I'm definitely going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment. (Quite possibly an understatement...)

My grandfather's service is Monday the 21st (in Illinois) and then I'm flying back to California on Tuesday the 22nd, so I had to reschedule my ortho appointment. Luckily, I was able to schedule it for the following day. I scheduled it mid-morning, which is a less busy time for him because there are less kids then. He knows I want to talk to him. I need to talk to him.

I'm starting to wonder how serious he was at that last appointment. I mean, how could this just suddenly come up? I think orthodontists have a tendency of thinking out loud and you know, sometimes you just don't want to hear their thoughts. I'm wondering how much more I can take. The plates in my bottom jaw are bothering me because they are tender to the touch. Maybe some day it will be a good idea to get those taken out. They're just sitting in there anyway. As horrible as it might be, I think I could probably handle another upper jaw surgery, but I don't think I can go through another lower jaw surgery and deal with all the damaged nerves again. I'm still struggling to get a lot of feeling back and have a face that can feel somewhat "normal." Right now they're working overtime -- I can tell because I'm having more discomfort and itching -- it's a good sign but obnoxious.

I'm having a lot more jaw joint pain and I attribute this to stress, mostly. I just can't help being stressed right now. There are big things going on. Sometimes I take more Flexeril. I'm having a lot of tension headaches, too. Advil's really just not doing much for either thing. I also think my jaw joints just aren't that happy with the way my bite is shifting and teeth are coming together. They're just coming together in the front now. It's really weird. That's not normal and it's certainly not good for jaw joints. (This is why biting on a snorkel is so bad.) I guess it's good that I've been eating/chewing less. It's like I don't want to even encourage this bite because I know it's wrong. I don't think it would help because those back and side teeth just aren't meeting. There's no point. They simply can't "mesh" right now.

So, I'm pretty stressed right now, to say the least. I'm not a happy camper. And for the first time ever, I'm wondering if I made some mistakes. I'm wondering if I did something wrong, if I went about things the wrong way. I'm wondering if I picked the wrong surgeon or just doomed myself to a bad bite forever. Can things ever be right? I had so much hope and I was willing to go through so much and now I'm wondering if I should have done that. I've always said I've had no doubts or regrets but I'm just so lost right now. There is no doubt that my teeth are in a much better place. Improvements have been made. But was it enough? Can it be? I keep thinking about all the "what ifs" which aren't very productive. Maybe psychologically, I'm trying to prepare myself for anything that comes out of next Wednesday's appointment. I know what I want, but it's a matter of how I'm going to get it, or if I even CAN. We can't always get what we want and that's just reality, but that is a bitter pill to swallow.

I think I'll have a lot of decisions to make this year. I think there are a lot of possibilities, kind of like a "choose your own adventure" book, but there are a lot of risks and complications for each of the choices. I don't know which one ends with me landing in the magical land with the happy ending. And unfortunately, since it's not a book, you can't skip ahead and cheat and read the end of the chapter to see.

I will update again following my Wednesday appointment.

Midlines

2008-01-07T10:48:00.001-08:00

Grr, midline shifting!! I'm glad I go back to the orthodontist so soon. I feel so unsettled about everything. I've been tempted to email him several times but I want to just wait until my appointment and speak in person.

The sitch

2008-01-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write something to update on Wednesday's upsetting appointment, but didn't want to be rambling or too emotional. It really took me a few days to process everything and of course I'm not done. Right now I'm just kind of sitting with it, thinking, pondering, getting angry, getting upset, feeling let down, feelings, feelings, feelings. But, also facing facts.

So here's the gist.

1. You know I have been concerned about the angle of my top teeth. I have probably brought this up before because it was a concern I've brought up with my surgeon and orthodontist several times and it even came up with my regular dentist at my cleaning.

2. All along the surgeon has been so reassuring. "Oh, everything looks great. No, that's fine. That can be fixed orthodontically."

3. Orthodontist says stuff about addressing everything through orthodontics.

All good so far, right?

So Wednesday's appointment rolls around and my teeth are looking pretty good. Those top teeth are still slanted but I have been told several times now that it will be addressed later on with adjustments.

1. Orthodontist says my bite is so much more improved and he can see that my teeth are really starting to mesh better and the work I've been doing is paying off.

2. Then he says, "Here's where I start getting very nit-picky." I originally think that's great, since I want this done RIGHT. But soon he brings up this top teeth angle situation. "It's not your teeth that are at an angle. Your entire top jaw is sitting at a slight angle..."

3. I said, "well, FIX IT."

4. Here's where it went downhill very, very quickly. I don't know if my surgeon didn't correct this angle thing, or if he tried and it didn't hold. I don't know what the situation is there. I do know that looking at all my photographs post surgery, the angle is there. In other words, my top jaw has not changed post surgery and everything's been "fine" I've been told time and again.

5. "Well to really get your teeth to fit together correctly, we'd need to fix the angle. We could do that with another surgery, or we could drill a post in your jaw and connect rubberbands to it to bring up top right side. But...then we don't know what your bottom teeth would do and they could quite possibly get worse and the midlines might really be affected." GREAT. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

6. At this point, I'm in shock so I'm not yet totally pissy, but I was very clear when I said, "You need to contact Dr. S. before you see me next and talk to him, because he said everything was FINE. And you need to figure out why you two are telling me different things and what I'm going to do about this."

7. My next appointment is scheduled for January 22nd. At which point, he better have some freaking answers.

After the appointment, I attempted to carry on with my day by going to work, but that morning's news continued to sink in and I couldn't stay at work. It was a very bad day. At first I was just full of despair and disbelief. To say that this is not fair would be a fair thing to say, I think. I couldn't even go to work the next day although the despair was not as bad, at least. Now I'm fairly angry and frustrated. So disappointed. Very anxious. I know the orthodontist and surgeon haven't talked yet so I don't know what the outcome of that will be, but I have already made my decision.

I can't go through another surgery.

I can't prolong this process any further. It has already been dragged out so long for multiple reasons.
A second surgery would probably not be covered by my insurance (at this point it's very cosmetic, I think) - I'm not paying 50-100k!
My surgeon is no longer in an insurance network
If my surgeon didn't correct the angle problem in the first place, why would I want him to do a 2nd surgery?

I can't agree to Plan B (i.e. jaw post & rubber bands to move upper right side up)

It presents too many problematic variables, too many unknowns, and a possible worsening of the situation, dragging everything out even longer.

I set out on this to fix my bite. I knew it would be a very long road. But I thought in the end, I would get that "perfect bite." Maybe the "perfect bite" was an illusion. Nothing is perfect, after all. I aimed for 100%. I am coming to the realization that I'm going to have to settle for something like 80, 85%.

I am planning on telling him to just do what he can -- get my teeth together as much as possible. Get everything to the point where no more can be done. And then...be done. Live with the angle. You know, it's so minor. Most people would never notice such a thing. I think my teeth are looking pretty good. I cannot imagine going through another surgery to fix this minor problem. I'm just now starting to have moments where I don't notice my face and I love it. I'm tired. I'm worn out. I've done everything I can. But I simply can't do much more. I'm 31 years old. I want to get on with my life.

So anyway, yeah, I'm devastated. Yeah, I'm pissed. I'm confused and frustrated. I'm feeling a lot of things. On January 22, I better get some answers or information. I better hear that some discussion has taken place. I also think I'm going to have to ask him to step into a private room to talk to me, because I don't want to frighten the other patients.

I'm going to take a picture today because I haven't posted one in a few weeks. I'll smile and proudly show my off-angle jaw and everything!

First adjustment of the new year

2008-01-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

I went to the orthodontist yesterday morning. 7:30am. Ouch. I went in feeling good. I knew my teeth were coming together -- "fitting" -- so much better. I was feeling optimistic.

Things did a complete 180 & I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to write about it without sounding completely negative. I'm still trying to figure it out. I spent most of yesterday crying. I even left work as I was completely useless. But all of this is going to have to be explained in a different post because I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. Right now I'm between despair and anger. Anger feels better, but can get out of control. Anyway, I promise an update on what happened soon.

Let's end on a positive note:
I left the appointment with NO elastics. That's right! I don't have to wear any elastics for the next 3 weeks! This is the first time I've been free from them in over 5 months. Now I keep finding myself feeling "guilty" because I should be wearing them and I'm not. But nope! I'm not! So guilt, please banish! You get 3 weeks vacation.

2008: a year for more adventures!

2008-01-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year! In 2008, some of you will be starting treatment, having surgery, or maybe even getting your braces off (like me!). It's all good stuff, though. I started this blog almost 3 years ago now, when I first embarked on this whole adventure. I wish I had started sooner, but oh well. For those of you that read my blog or find my blog and are just considering going through everything, I hope you'll take the step towards treatment in 2008! It's worth it! For all the bumps in the road I've encountered and for all of the whining I've done on this blog, I still haven't had one single regret about going through this. Now I look at my teeth in the mirror (or in pictures) and I am just amazed. I know they aren't done yet but they've come so far. And it wasn't easy! Everyone going through it will tell you that. Nope, it's not fun. Nope, it's not easy. But I bet they'll also say that they're glad they're doing it (or they're especially glad they did it post-surgery!).

It's orthodontist time for me tomorrow! Good -- these little ties around my brackets are really grungy looking! I have absolutely no idea what he will say about the bite, or which way my rubber bands will be changed, or what the next objectives are, so it should be interesting. I know that I feel better about my bite and the way my teeth are making contact though, so I'm not going in all upset.

Happy 2008, everyone! May your journey be a good one.

Normalcy?

2007-12-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

I have had some brief moments lately when I am not aware of my face -- when it doesn't feel weird or heavy or itchy or tingly or otherwise strange. When I actually forget. I can't tell you how nice that is! In general, the face feelings haven't been bothering me as much. I have "new" cold spots. Now when I drink something cold, the areas around the corners of my mouth "light up" instead of my entire chin. All of this is normal. Nerves are doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing. It's like there's a big dance in the lower half of my face and the nerves are mingling, trying to make connections. It seems to be a successful dance.

On the teeth front, I don't really have any news. I'm happier with the bite but still wish I had more of an overbite. I'm not sure what my orthodontist's focus will be next. I kind of feel like we focused on this part because it was making me so unhappy, but I know that the real way they go is back to front. Gotta get all those back teeth touching and in the correct positions first. I definitely have molars that aren't touching, especially on the left side.

My jawline is a bit sore. Not so much on its own, but when I touch it. I think that I might eventually want those two plates out. I will wait and see. At this point, I'm a surgery veteran (I had multiple wrist surgeries before this but the jaw surgery takes the cake and pushed me over into pro territory) and I have no fear. If they end up bothering me, I have no qualms about having them removed.

P.S.: it's been 5 months!! Wow, how time flies.

I'm still around!

2007-12-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

I've been quiet because there just hasn't been much to say. Chewing has gotten easier, as in more natural. And I have enjoyed biting into things. How cool is that? Wow, I can actually bite into something and my teeth do what they are supposed to do!

I still worry about my bite and have to remind myself to relax. For the past two nights, I have woken up with missing rubber bands. I found one in my bed. I don't know if I'm taking these things out in my sleep or what. Let's see how many I wake up with tomorrow!

I posted a new picture. Still looking about the same. I'm going back to the orthodontist on January 2nd.

Gum

2007-12-03T19:09:00.001-08:00

I bought some gum (that only took me a week to do). I got Trident because I recall that being braces-friendly. I have to say, it is so weird. Now why would it feel so weird? I've been chewing more and feeling more normal about it, but gum is quite different for some reason!

Picture coming!

2007-12-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't been feeling well (just ran myself down, I think) so I haven't taken a picture. But I am going to take one in the next hour! I'll even wear my fancy brightly colored elastics in it. :)