Aimee's Orthognathic Adventure

2.5 Years Post-Op

2011-12-10T20:48:00.001-08:00

Here's a couple pictures of me 2.5 years post-op. I don't even think about my surgery anymore. In fact, the only time I think about it is when somebody posts on my blog. I'm still happy I did the surgery. I'm turning 40 this month!! Happy Birthday to me!! :)
Good luck to everybody who is getting ready to have surgery. It'll be worth it.

On a side note, I finally graduated from nursing school in June 2011!! Aimee Pickens, RN. I like the sound of that.

Pictures - 6.5 months after upper and lower jaw surgery

2009-11-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

I doubt anyone is still reading this blog, but in case you are...it's been six and a half months since my jaw surgery so I thought I would put some pictures up. I still have my braces on and no idea when I will be getting them off, but everything is going great. I'm very happy I had the surgery done.

Help/Question

2009-06-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I kept waking up to two of my teeth sliding off each other and my bite settling with a big CLICK. I looked at those teeth this morning and it totally looks like the top one just wore the bottom one down and has fit itself into place. Does that make sense? This doesn't seem right. Has anyone else experienced this? My whole bite just feels completely weird. And does anyone know exactly what the rubber bands are doing? I didn't even ask. I have one on my left side on 3 upper teeth and one on the right side on 2 upper teeth. Are they moving teeth or moving jaws? I hope my teeth aren't getting ruined with all this rubbing and grinding. I'm so fed up with all of this.
My face is still swollen and looking like a "stone face." I'm not too thrilled about any of this right now. The ortho said that it takes 3-6 months for the swelling from upper jaw surgery to go away. It seems like most everyone's swelling is gone by 6 weeks though. At least most of it. I'm definitely not at the point where I'm super glad I had this done. My smile is weird too. It looks forced and stoney. Grrrr.....

6 Weeks Post-op/Adjustment

2009-06-12T10:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went to the orthodontist for an adjustment. They put new wires on the top and bottom and gave me new rubber band configurations. My ortho was looking in my mouth and checking out my bite and said to himself, "That man is a genius." (Referring to Dr. Relle) I guess my bite was pretty messed up, especially the top jaw. So the ortho is happy with the way things are looking.

I'm still trying to get used to my new face. The swelling is still there. It is pretty bad today. Advil helps to bring it down, but it's only temporary. Some days I think I am happy with the results (cosmetically) and other days I'm not. Some days I just feel like it's not me and this chubby face is just weird looking. :)

P.S. I ate some pasta today and tried to chew a little just to see what it felt like, and it felt so WRONG. Teeth on the bottom were hitting teeth on the top in all the wrong ways. It felt so unnatural. Dr. Paz mentioned that I have a crossbite (the reason for the rubberbands). I hope this can be fixed because it feels really bad.

A little over 5 weeks....

2009-06-06T21:52:00.001-07:00

Today is 5 weeks and 3 days post-op. My swelling is slowing going down. And I do mean slowly. My bottom lip is still pretty numb and so is my chin. I can tell the feeling is starting to come back though ~ it's not dead numb like it was. I'm still getting used to my face, especially when I accidentally catch my reflection in a mirror or a window. It's weird. I'm still waiting to see the final result.
I am sick of rice and beans and don't know if I will ever eat them again. Lately I have been eating Indian food. It's just a matter of time before I get sick of that too, I'm sure. I've also been mashing up avocado and eating that. And I've been eating lots of pancakes. Lots and lots of pancakes. I can't wait until I can bite into a big fat slice of pizza with tomato, garlic, and basil. Yum.
I'm actually kind of nervous to chew. I can imagine it is going to feel very weird.
I'll post a picture soon. I haven't taken any lately. (My chin is tingling like crazy right now) Goodnite!

Pizza, Pancakes and Pain

2009-06-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

I think I'll start with the pain first. Last night I had the worst pain so far. It almost brought me to tears. The roof of my mouth and all my teeth and jaws were aching like crazy. I'm guessing it's because the nerves are waking up and I'm not as numb. I'll take the numbness over the pain any day. I took 2 Advils and the pain went away and I feel fine today.

So last night I was starving as usual. I cannot get myself to eat blender food or smoothies. It just doesn't appeal to me. We had gotten a pizza for the kids and I couldn't resist. Did you know you can eat pizza without chewing it? I broke it in little pieces and was able to eat it. It was delicious. Today I thought I would try pancakes. Yum. No chewing required.

I'm still swollen. I'm trying to be patient, but it's frustrating. I find that when I take Advil, the swelling goes down for a bit, but
then it comes back.

A Before Pic

2009-05-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

You can see in this picture how my chin used to veer to the left (and how long it was).

Once I can smile normally, I will post a picture. I still have a lot of stitches that pull when I smile. I'm wondering if they are going to fall out by themselves or if they will have to be removed.

Orthodontist Appointment Post-Op

2009-05-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

I went to the orthodontist this morning. Dr. Paz checked things out and then told the tech to put a new wire on the top. An active wire. I asked her what the wire will be doing and she said it was to level things. I was kind of surprised because they said they wouldn't be moving my teeth until 7 or 8 weeks after surgery. I think Dr. Relle wanted this done, so I'm sure it's fine. Two of my brackets had come off, so I had to get those replaced. I was so glad that my mouth is numb so I didn't really feel anything. It took her awhile to get all of the figure 8 wire things off and then put in the new wire. My jaws were really tired afterwards. I can't believe tomorrow will be 4 weeks since surgery.

Day 25/Pictures

2009-05-23T21:23:00.001-07:00

It still hurts to smile...

I finally took pictures today. I'm still swollen, but I doubt most people would notice it much. And my eyes still look lopsided. Ah well.
It's so great to have that splint out. I saved it and took a picture of it. It felt so much bigger when it was in my mouth. It's so easy to talk now. Both my kids noticed right away when I started talking to them that something was different. Of course, I got a sore throat and my voice is almost gone. That's a bummer, but at least the splint is gone.
I had a nice day today. I had some coffee and oatmeal in the morning, some Indian food for lunch (very easy to eat if you just take the sauce from the food and mix it with the rice, yum), followed by PinkBerry and then of course my usual rice and beans and salsa for dinner. I'm definitely not going to keep the weight that I had lost off for long. That's okay. No blender food for me. I would rather not eat at all.

Here's my splint: :)

Got the splint out!!!

2009-05-22T13:39:00.001-07:00

I just got back from seeing the wonderful Dr. Relle. Wow, that splint was really in there. Lots of wire cutting and snipping and pulling and then it was out. It felt weird at first and the top of my mouth behind my front teeth is numb. It felt really gross behind my front teeth so I asked if I could brush. That felt great. He said that my splint was really clean. I owe it all to the water pic. That thing is priceless.

So right now my teeth are hitting on a high point so Dr. Paz may have to shave down that tooth. My teeth aren't touching completely on the whole left side, but Dr. Relle said it should all settle into place. I am wearing two rubber bands. Ideally, I would have seen Dr. Paz immediately after I saw Dr. Relle today, but because it's a Friday and long weekend, I won't be seeing him until Tuesday.

Well, I am off to eat .... what else? Rice and beans!! Whoohooo! (still no chewing allowed)

Day 23, Last day Before I get the splint out

2009-05-21T17:53:00.001-07:00

I will not miss this splint. Good riddance! My appointment is at noon tomorrow to get it removed. I'm wondering why some people have to have it in for longer. Rita had hers in 6 weeks. Sometimes I notice that my bottom jaw "slips." It's hard to explain. But it feels like it goes backwards or forwards on its own and then the rubberbands catch it and bring it back where it should be. I don't like when that happens.

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but since the surgery, I have had a lot of dizziness. When I look down, I feel dizzy. When I lay in bed and turn over, I feel really dizzy. It's kinda scary. I will ask the surgeon about it. I don't know how it could possibly be related to the surgery, but that's when it started. For awhile I thought it was related to not eating enough, but I am getting quite a bit of food down, so I don't think that's it.

Today one of my neighbors (she's well into her 80's) said hi to me. I said hi back and of course, sounded like I had marbles in my mouth. She said, "Oh, you've got some big problems going on, don't you." I tried to explain to her what I had just gone through. She didn't get and kept going back to "teeth". She said if my parents had fixed my teeth when I was little, I wouldn't be going through this now. I tried to explain again that it wasn't my teeth. She still didn't get it, so I gave up. Ah well. Even some people that aren't in their 80's don't get it. Most of the time it's not worth it to try and explain. Every time I do try to explain, it seems as though they all bring up having had their wisdom teeth taken out. It's not the same, but I'm tired of explaining so I just (try to) smile.

It's Been 3 Weeks!

2009-05-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

I can't wait until Friday to get this splint out. I feel like a broken record, but I really hate this thing. It's really getting on my nerves. I'm tired of people not being able to understand me when I talk. It's very frustrating. Especially in the morning when I am trying to get my kids up and ready for school when I'm tired and crabby already ~ it's not fun. At the same time, I am anxious about getting it out. I hope it doesn't hurt. I'm also anxious about how my bite is going to feel in its new position.

My cheeks and chin feel pretty swollen this morning. I'm wondering when it's going to be gone. It's hard to be patient.

So yesterday I was excited to be able to "eat" oatmeal with lots of brown sugar (thinned down, of course), pintos & cheese from Taco Bell with lots of hot sauce, and then rice with lots of green sauce at our local Mexican place. Food with flavor is so exciting.:) I can't stand all this bland stuff I had been eating.

That's about it for now...

Coincidence?

2009-05-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last night when I was taking a bath, I put a washcloth with really hot water on my face over and over again and my face started tingling like it was waking up. So today, so far all morning, my face is going crazy tingling. I wonder if the heat helps with the swelling and the nerves. Does anybody know?

Rice and Beans Never Tasted So Good/Day 20

2009-05-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I'm posting every day.There's really nothing to tell. Except that I went to a Mexican place down the street and had rice/beans/salsa and YUM was it GOOD. I hadn't really eaten anything all day so it felt really good to get something in my stomach. I tried to eat Spaghetti O's at lunch ~ YUCK. I remember liking them as a kid, but they were really sick today. I couldn't eat them.
I'm still numb, not very swollen, and hate the splint. That's about it. I'll take pictures soon. I'm just lazy.

Day 19, Not as Crabby

2009-05-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Today wasn't too bad. My husband, son and I went to lunch at PF Changs and I actually got some food down. We ordered Kung Pao Tofu with extra sauce and I was able to cut the tofu up in small pieces and eat it. I also drenched the (brown) rice with the (spicy, delicious) sauce and got it down with no problem. It was so very good. We topped it off with PinkBerry. Yum. I was in heaven. Later on for dinner we went to an Indian restaurant and I did the same thing with the rice and the extra sauce from the entree. It wasn't as good as the Chinese food (harder to get down) but it was better than nothing. This is the most I have eaten in one day in the past 17 days. I never knew how much I love to eat. I will never take eating for granted again. :)

On the face front, my swelling has gone down quite a bit. My chin is pretty much totally numb. It's a really gross feeling, especially when I am washing my face. The feeling on the left side of my nose is starting to come back. My chin is totally broken out. I don't know if it's from the anesthesia or what, but zits on a numb chin = totally gross. I really can't believe it's day 17. The time goes by so fast.

P.S. I honestly don't know how people with braces and people recovering from jaw surgery can live without a water pic. It's been a life saver with this splint in my mouth. Definitely worth purchasing if you are going through this.

A crabby post...

2009-05-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am very, very crabby today. I am so sick and tired of having this splint in my mouth, I could SCREAM!! It comes out on Friday, which seems so far away right now. I am hungry and nothing I eat tastes good when I have to basically swallow it whole. I tried some pasta and butter today and thought I was going to choke to death because it was getting stuck when I swallowed. I quickly gave up on that idea. It's to the point where it's too much trouble to eat and I don't even want to. I'm trying to keep hydrated. I'm going to try and eat some egg flower soup later on. I am so sick of soup. Someone mentioned that I should be drinking Ensure. The word ENSURE makes me want to puke. I never again want to think about, look at, smell, or taste Ensure. Ugh, so gross.
So there's my bitchy post for the day. Sorry, but I had to get it off my chest. :)

Day 16, shhhh don't tell...

2009-05-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

I slept until 10:00 this morning. I thought I would try and be productive today so I cleaned up a little and ran some errands. I was so hungry by the time my husband came home that I convinced him that we could go to our favorite pizza place and I could chop up the spaghetti in little pieces and swallow it (against doctor's orders.) Shhhh. It was so good. I could only eat about 1/3 of what was on the plate and my jaw was very tired afterwards. I probably shouldn't have done it, but at least I didn't chew. I won't do it again. I'll stick to my doctor's orders of blended/soft food only. I just had to taste something besides soup and smoothies. I think I still look the same as yesterday, so maybe I'll take pictures tomorrow. Good luck to KATE!!! I'm thinking of you and hoping everything goes smoothly tomorrow.

Day 15

2009-05-13T19:47:00.001-07:00

I will probably stop posting daily since I am feeling so much better. My swelling is still there along with the numbness in my chin and left side of my nose. I get lots of tingling in my chin which I hear is a good thing. I've been using wax at night to cover all my brackets on my top teeth so that my lip will heal. It's looking a lot less gross than it was. The swelling in my lips has gone down a lot. I went shopping today to buy my son some shorts. When I have to talk to strangers, they look like they feel so sorry for me. One lady asked what happened, so I told her "jaw surgery." She said, "I know exactly how you feel. I just had my top teeth crowned and it really hurt." Uh, yeah. I wouldn't really compare this to having some teeth crowned. :) At least she was trying to be empathetic, which is nice.
I've been trying to keep my teeth as clean as possible. I can tell it's going to be really gross when the splint comes out though. The doc said to bring a baby toothbrush with me so I can brush there when I get the splint out.
I didn't eat enough today, but I didn't feel hungry either. I've been sleeping in until noon. It's nice, but I feel like such a bum.

Here's the pics of the day. I obviously need my hair cut and highlighted. I haven't worn any makeup in 2 weeks. It's been kinda nice not having to worry about it actually. I'm not really that vain so it isn't a big deal. I must say though, after comparing my before and afters, I am really happy with the results so far. Especially with my profile. Wow, what a difference jaw surgery can make. :) Oh, I like the change in my nose too. It's more upturned and shorter looking from the side. Did I say I wasn't vain? ;)

And here are some reminders of what I looked like before:

Day 13 and Day 14

2009-05-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Day 13: Very boring day. My husband took the boys to school. I woke up around 10:30, took a shower and was bored the rest of the day. I did have to go to a teacher conference for one of my sons. That was fun trying to talk to the teacher with the splint in my mouth. I haven't eaten much at all today. I'm starving. My husband brought me some mashed potatoes/gravy from KFC, but they grossed me out, so I didn't eat. Not good. I want some real food. I want nachos. Mmmmm, that sounds so good. Ugh, this sucks. Okay, enough whining. :)

Day 14: I didn't post yesterday so I'm putting Day 13 and 14 together. I slept in until noon today. I had to go to the orthodontist at 2:00. It was my first day out on my own. Everyone at the ortho office was so nice, saying how good I look and how they were surprised that I don't have much swelling or bruising. The ortho couldn't really see in my mouth much, but he said he was happy with what he could see. I'll see him again after I get this splint out.

I was finally starving enough today to make potato leek soup. It was a recipe I got online and it was so good. It was really nice to get some food in my stomach. I think I ate 3 bowls of it. I had added extra butter and cream so it was nice and fattening.

I'm being impatient and really wishing this swelling would go down faster. I was thinking about it, and the surgery/recovery really weren't that bad at all. Not even close to as bad as I thought it was going to be. Dr. Paz was saying that years ago, patients would have to be completely wired shut for 10 weeks!! I can't even imagine. I was shocked that Dr. Relle cut my bands 9 days after my surgery. It's pretty amazing. I really can't complain ~ hardly any bruising, minimal swelling, minimal numbness, clear sinuses after surgery, no vomiting, and hardly any pain ~ I feel really lucky. I think I'll give all the credit to Dr. Relle. :) He really is good at what he does.

Okay, I don't know if that is bruising on my lower face/chin or what, but the color is really weird.

Day 12, My Mama's Gone Home :-(

2009-05-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Before I forget, I've meaning to mention that for the last 4 or 5 nights I have been sleeping on my side and not upright. I guess it doesn't matter. I was really surprised to wake up on my side one morning and then just decided to start sleeping like that at night. It's way more comfortable and I guess my jaw can't come apart or anything? Lots of drool on my pillow though.
My mom went home today so I have to start fending for myself. :) I was so sad to see her go. Even though I was on painkillers most of the time she was here and not very aware of anything, it was so nice to have her here. She kept the place clean, beds made, laundry done, kids' lunches packed, not to mention just having her here for the moral support. I can't thank her enough. My hubby is going to take the kids to school for two more days and then it's back to reality for me.
Tonight as I was putting my rubberbands back on, I peeked up underneath my upper lip and almost puked. You would not believe how disgustingly raw it is. I just showed my husband and he told me I should not have shown him. He's all grossed out now. I'm surprised it doesn't hurt more. I don't even want to know what the rest of my mouth looks like ~ when I feel around with my tongue, there are areas that feel like raw bumpy meat. Yuck.
No pictures tonight. I'm not in the mood. :)

P.S. I would smile in my pictures, but it hurts sooo bad to smile. I guess it's because of the stitches underneath my top lip.

Day 11 (Yesterday) Best Day So Far

2009-05-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have to agree with Indiana and Jaw Surgery Aficionado, Day 11 has been the best day so far. My mom and I walked down to a shopping center not too far from here and shopped for a little bit. It felt good to get out. My bff came over made me fresh juice with her juicer. It was delicious. I took a nap. And then in the evening we all went out to dinner to celebrate my son's 12th birthday. Everybody had delicious meals, except me. I ordered a strawberry/banana smoothie with a side of chocolate syrup. Not very satisfying, although I think my 8-year-old was a little jealous. :)

Stephanie noticed that my eyes look different so I was just looking at the pictures to check them out. It looks like my left eye is lower than my right eye. Is that because of the swelling?? I hope so. That is weird!

Day 10, Visit with the Surgeon

2009-05-08T20:41:00.001-07:00

Today was my first real day out of the house since my surgery. My mom drove me to see my surgeon this afternoon. He snipped off the rubber bands that were holding my mouth closed and only put two back on - one on either side of my mouth. I can take them off when I eat and when I brush my teeth. I will have the splint in for two more weeks. I haven't taken the bands off yet because I am nervous about putting them back on. I had some mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC (even though they aren't vegetarian) and they were soooo good.
At my appointment he said everything went well and my face is more balanced now. He said I look like I am healing well and didn't seem to have much swelling compared to a lot of people after surgery. I had to go get an xray taken. I have 4 plates/screws in my upper jaw and 1 plate/screws in my lower jaw. I've lost 8 pounds. As far as I'm concerned, it can stay lost. But he said I would probably gain it back.
The swelling seems to have gone down some more but my lips are still big. I asked him if they will go down and he said that yes they will but that a lot of women would pay a lot of money to have these lips. haha.
My little Connor picture taker is at a sleepover tonight so I might skip my Day 10 photo.
Oh yeah, I had some stitches on the side of my face where they had to make a hole to put in the screws, so he took those out. He said they'll heal up with no scar.

Post-op, Day 9

2009-05-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing new to report. I'm still tired and swollen. I slept until 11:00 today and took a nap in the afternoon. My hubby brought home egg flower soup tonight - I didn't even bother straining the egg. I was too hungry. The surgeon said liquids only, but I thought I would risk it and eat the eggs too. Well, the egg ended up wrapped all in my rubber bands and up in my splint. I washed out my mouth as best as i could; I hope I got most of it out. I'll see the surgeon tomorrow and tell him. :) As I was cleaning out my mouth, I noticed that my left cheek feels like raw hamburger meat. It's so raw and chunky. Gross. I wonder what that is all about. It doesn't feel like the area where the stitches are. It feels like I have been chewing on it or something. My chin is completely numb. I don't like it. I hope the feeling comes back soon.

I Added Pictures to my Last 7 or 8 posts!

2009-05-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

I just sat down and took some time to add pictures to my last posts. Whew, I'm tired now. :) Every little thing takes so much energy. I've lost a lot of weight, so I am going to try and eat more today. It's really hard to get anything down when my tongue hurts so much and nothing tastes good. I know not eating is what is contributing to my feeling like crap and being so weak.

Post-op, Day 8

2009-05-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

It's still sucking. I didn't get much liquid down today. My tongue is all torn up and raw. I have no idea what from. The splint? I woke up at around 9:30 and have been awake all day. I only took 2 Advils today for the pain. I get really dizzy and weak when I stand up, so I've been laying down most of the day. I know I should be getting more calories down, but my mouth really hurts ~ between the splint, the rubberbands and whatever else is going on in there. I don't think the swelling has gone down at all. Lots of tingling in my chin, which is annoying. The numb areas feel really weird. I can't feel anything dribbling down my chin.
I had to go out with my mom today to pick up one of my kids from school (so she could drive, and I could show her the way). It felt so nice to be outside. It was such a pretty day. It's depressing being cooped up indoors with this swollen face. :) I was supposed to see the ortho today but I cancelled since they wouldn't be doing anything anyway. I see the surgeon on Friday. I could have sworn that the surgeon said the splint would come out then, but I could be wrong. I hope I can post something soon without complaining. My poor tongue. :(

Post-op, Day 7

2009-05-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm 7 days post-op. It feels like I blinked and 7 days went by. I guess it's because I've been taking the pain medication and sleeping so much. I stayed awake all day today and didn't take much pain killer. My face is hurting and tingling
like crazy. It really hurts underneath my nose. My chin and bottom lip are still really numb. I drank some broth today, a little bit of shake and some gatorade. This is probably the most of I have eaten since last week. I drank some jamba juice last night and my hubby is out bringing me another one now. My lips are still huge as is the rest of my face. I do have some yellow bruising showing up on my left cheek and neck. The inside of my mouth is hurting and it's hard to open it and talk so I have been writing most everything down on my white board. My nose seems to be numb also. I took a shower, washed and dried my hair was totally exhausted afterwards. I hope I get my splint out on Friday when I see the surgeon. It's very uncomfortable. I've tried to clean my mouth out but it's really hard to get in there. I'm feeling nauseous even though I haven't had any antibiotics today. The swelling is driving me nuts. That's about it...

Post-op, Day 6 : Today sucked too

2009-05-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so uncomfortable. And tired. And hungry. And swollen. I finished the last of my antibiotics today. I hope that helps with the nausea. I woke up at 1:00 this morning with a lot of pain. I tried to get up to take my pain meds but I was too dizzy so stayed in bed. I finally got up around 4:00 and took some Tylenol with codeine and went back to bed. I slept most of the day. I've hardly eaten anything in 6 days which is probably contributing to my weakness, dizziness and nausea. I just had a little bit of banana smoothie, which totally made my mouth and throat itch. I must be allergic to bananas. I never eat them. Ugh. I'm frustrated. My swelling looks the same. It's hard to imagine that the swelling will ever go down. I'm starving. I can't imagine 5-6 more weeks of a liquid/blender diet. Ugh. Thank you for your comments ~ they are very encouraging. :)
Oh yeah, I don't have any bruising but my neck is really swollen. And it still hurts when I swallow.

Post Op, Day 5

2009-05-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

I think yesterday and today have been the worst so far. I've been pretty nauseous all day and hoping I don't throw up. I need to keep up on my pain medication because once I stop, I'm in quite a bit of pain. I got myself to take a shower today and washed my hair. I felt a little better but I was exhausted afterwards. I also tried to clean my teeth with the baby toothbrush. It just seems impossible with this splint in my mouth. My ears keep popping. The swelling looks like it may have gone down a little bit from yesterday. My lips are huge. Oh and my chin and bottom lip are completely numb. It's getting tiring sleeping upright and I wake up with a back ache. I haven't had much of an appetite, but I know I will feel sick to my stomach if I don't eat. So I've been sipping some banana cream Ensure, which I am totally sick of and I just had some egg flower soup broth. I really want to get my pictures up because that is my favorite part of other people's blogs, but I just don't have the energy right now. Some of my back teeth hurt, especially when I breathe in. I think that reading tons of blogs of people who have already gone through this has been extremely helpful. I knew exactly what to expect so nothing is freaking me out. I hope you all are well. :)

Post-op, Day 4

2009-05-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

This has not been a good day. I woke up around 4:00 this morning with a stuffy nose and have been so uncomfortable all day. The swelling is crazy. I'm starting to wonder when it will go down because there's no sign of it going down right now. I have a big fat face and a big fat neck and it's not pretty. Oh my face is hot and red also ~ is that normal?
I'm also starting to feel nauseous. I am taking antibiotics 4 times a day until Monday. I have been taking pain meds as well because of the throbbing, tight feeling in my face. I've been applying ice consistently (which does not seem to help with the swelling but feels good) I've been sleeping a lot and not "eating" much. I got a little bit of egg flower soup broth down today. It was so rich though I was scared I was going to throw up. Thank God I have my mom here to take care of my kids. She's a huge help. And my hubby has been awesome too. I think he's a little stressed out seeing me like this. He keeps telling me that the swelling "isn't bad at all." Obviously he's lying to make me feel better because it is bad. I should get up a walk around a little bit. I get so tired doing the smallest things. It's hard to believe this is day 4. I can't wait until the swelling starts going down. I do not like this fat face look. :)

Post-Op, Day 3

2009-05-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

So I slept pretty good last night. I think I woke up twice to change the ice packs on my face. I slept most of the day today ~ in between taking my antibiotics, pain meds and changing my ice packs. The swelling is really bad. The pain is moderate. I'm uncomfortable, but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I'm trying to get some Ensure down every few hours. I don't have much of an appetite though. It's hard to swallow because the roof of my mouth is sore and my throat is sore from the breathing tube. I'm able to drink from a cup so that's good. I do have some numb areas but not as much as I thought I would have. My son Connor is so cute ~ he likes to come in and check on me and change the ice packs when they get warm. I think I'm going to go back to sleep now. :)

Surgery Day and Post-Op, Day 2

2009-04-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it through surgery. I don't really feel like writing my blog yet, but I also don't want to forget. I got to the hospital around 7:30 yesterday morning. My surgery was booked for 10:30. I guess it was around 9:00 that they took me into the pre-op waiting area where I changed into my gown, little cap, and socks. The nurse gave me an IV and started me on a lactated ringers solution. They then took a sample of blood to screen my blood type (even though they did this when I donated my blood 2 weeks ago) I think they finally came and got me for surgery around 12:00. The CRNA gave me some Versed to relax me and it all went pretty quickly from there. I was out and awake before I knew it. They kept me in recovery for 3 hours. I was fine when I woke up ~ no feelings of choking or not being able to breathe. In fact, my nose has been super clear, which has been great. They finally got me to my room around 8:00 where my family came to visit and took some pictures of me. (I will post those when I am feeling stronger)
I had a really nice private room at the new Kaiser hospital. It was awesome not to have anyone else in there with me. My nurse
was really great too. She gave me my morphine every 3 hours and brought me new ice packs. I think I slept pretty good, waking up every 3 hours or so. I had to go to the bathroom a lot because of the IV. I chose to use the bedpan because I felt pretty dizzy. I don't have much numbness and no throwing up so far, so that's good.
I did have a couple of small nosebleeds, nothing major. I got to leave the hospital at around 12:00 today. Dr. Relle said everything went great. I am (in my opinion) really swollen and my lips are huge. I have some bruising on my cheeks. He said the swelling and bruising will continue to get worse over the next couple of days. I've been keeping ice on at all times. He gave me Tylenol with Codeine for the pain. I wish it were something stronger just to help me sleep better. :) My face feels really tight and has a dull ache. Nothing unbearable.
I can't really tell yet about my appearance. To me I just look the same with some major swelling. My husband and my mom are here taking good care of me. Thank goodness. I'm very uncomfortable so I really just want to sleep. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. And beware ~ they aren't pretty. :)

Today is the Day

2009-04-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe today is the day. It doesn't seem real. I don't feel nervous. Maybe I've resigned myself to everything. I just want to get it over with. They want me to check into the hospital at 7:30 and my surgery is scheduled for 10:30. The doctor prescribed me an antiemetic transdermal patch to put behind my ear. It's supposed to help with nausea for 72 hours. I hope it works. I'll be back home tomorrow and will try to update as soon as I can. Thank you all for your well wishes! It means a lot.

Tomorrow's the Big Day

2009-04-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

I went and had a pre-op pedicure with my mom today. I can't believe tomorrow is the big day. I'm trying not to be nervous, but I am. The hospital still hasn't called me to confirm my surgery time. I'll call them in a few minutes to see if they can let me know. My family and I are going to go out to dinner in awhile. I hope I'm not too nervous to eat! :)

Oh yeah, the surgeon let me know that he will be moving my top jaw forward 4mm and the bottom back (didn't tell me how much) and rotate it.

I'll update as soon as I can.

Surgical Hooks Are On!

2009-04-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

I went to the ortho today to get my surgical hooks put on. It only took about a 1/2 hour. There were a total of 8 put on. They don't feel too bad, just a little more bulk. Dr. Paz told me that Dr. Relle made a special trip down to see him to talk about my case. Dr. Paz said it has been many years since Dr. Relle has done this for one of his patients. I asked if this means that I am a difficult case, but he didn't really say much. He did say that he thinks I will have a good result. Part of the problem is that I have the dental implants and they have to work around that. I know I am in good hands, so I'm not too worried.
As for my nerves, I am feeling much better. Thank you to those of you who left comments. It means a lot. :) It is helpful to know there are so many of you who have already been through this and don't have any regrets.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I am breaking out like crazy...I guess it's the stress. :)
My pre-op appointment is on Monday. I'm really looking forward to having all of my questions answered.

UPDATE: I don't know why the girl told me I was getting 8 surgical hooks. I counted them last night and I have either 16 or 18. It's hard to tell ~ some are clear and some are metal.

I'm nervous

2009-04-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

I picked up my molds from Dr. Paz today and brought them over to Dr. Relle. Dr. Relle showed me how Dr. Paz wants my teeth to be after surgery. Some of my molars are pretty worn down so instead of shaving more of my front teeth down, they are making my bite in such a way that Dr. Paz is going to have to "grow" my molars after surgery to make them fit in the new bite. I hope it all works out like they are planning.
As I was leaving Dr. Relle's office, it hit me that surgery is next week!! I started feeling sick to my stomach. I'm sure this is a normal reaction to having surgery, but I was feeling fine and excited up until today. I can't believe how fast it's coming. I don't feel ready!! It was easy to say I was excited when the surgery was some unknown future date, but now that it's almost here, it's freaking me out. My friend Stephanie asked me what I was most nervous about and I really don't know. I guess it's just a bunch of things... the anticipation of it all, going under, having my jaws broken and put back together, recovery, not being able to eat much for awhile, all of it. Two and a half years ago I was in the hospital for 4 days - it was a bad experience. I'm hoping Dr. Relle will let me go home the day after surgery because I do not want to stay in the hospital any longer than I have to. Having to stay in the hospital is a big part of my being nervous also. Anyway, that's it for today. I'll be going to see Dr. Paz on Wednesday to get my surgical hooks put on. They said it will be a 2-hour appointment. Until then...

Holy Cow...

2009-04-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

My ortho just called. I have to go in AGAIN. He looked at my molds from yesterday and they didn't fit exactly right. So he has to do a little more grinding, take my wires off again, take more molds, put my wires back on. I'm glad he's being so thorough and wants my bite to be as close to perfect as possible after surgery but I just wanted to stay home and clean today!! :)

UPDATE: Just got home. In addition to putting my wires back on after the molds, the ortho put on some little wire things around my brackets in what he called "figure eights" They are to keep my teeth from moving at all before the surgery. Hopefully we are all set with the molds for awhile. I'm really not a fan of them.

Another Ortho visit...

2009-04-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

I just got home from another visit with the orthodontist. It lasted a little over an hour. The girl took my wires and my power chains off to do the molds. One of my brackets came off. Got that glued back on. The ortho had to do an occlusal alignment ~ grinding a bit off 3 of my teeth so that my bite will fit together better after surgery. That wasn't that big of a deal, but now those 3 teeth are rough. I'll have to ask him to polish them the next time I see him. The girl took my molds, which was uneventful. She did a good job getting them out before they got stuck. She put my wires back on and left the power chains off. They made my wires "passive" so that my teeth won't move anymore before surgery. The ortho explained to me that since my teeth are short, he is going to "grow" them after surgery ~ meaning he is going to bring them down so they are longer. I was happy to hear that. That's about it. I'll pick up the molds on Monday and bring them over to Dr. Relle.

More molds...blah/post-surgery supplies

2009-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

I just got a call from my ortho office. The orthodontist and the surgeon have spoken and decided that I need more molds. I will go to the ortho tomorrow and get them done and then pick them up first thing Monday morning and take them over to the surgeon.
The surgeon also just called me to let me know that he doesn't normally do splints, but he is going to use one on me. I didn't really understand the reason why. If I see him on Monday, I will ask him. He mentioned something about the "wearing" on my back teeth, which could mean that the splint will keep my teeth from touching and wearing down even more while I am banded shut. Not sure.

I've been picking up things here and there that I might need after surgery. I haven't bought any food yet. So far I have:

* 2 zip-n-squeezes
* 2 "cool-jaw" wraps from zip-n-squeeze
* neck pillow
* Afrin nose spray
* Saline nose spray
* Q-tips
* facial steamer
* hydrogen peroxide
* dry-erase board
* baby spoons
* sippy cup
* Emergen-C packets (lots of vitamin C and B vitamins)
* Aquaphor

I originally bought a humidifier but decided that a facial steamer would work better. So I returned the humidifier and bought a great facial steamer on Amazon. Since I am having extensive work on my upper jaw, my sinuses and nose will probably have a lot of blood in them after surgery. The nose sprays, hydrogen peroxide and steamer should help clear them out.
I'm debating if I should get a bed wedge or not.
I still need to stock up on movies, book, magazines. I may not need them right away since I'll be on pain medication and will probably want to sleep a lot.

I want to say a big THANK YOU to MARIA for answering my 101 questions. :) She had upper and lower jaw surgery recently and she looks amazing. Thank you, Maria!

P.S. The surgeon has been really great! I am thinking that during my first 2 appointments he may have just been focusing on what needs to be done and didn't come across as having a great bedside manner, but he has been really great since my last appointment.

Long Day...

2009-04-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today turned into a very long day. I had an appointment with the orthodontist at 9:15. They took a set of molds. The top one dried quickly (or she didn't take it out soon enough). It hurt like heck while she was trying to get it out of my mouth. I was sure my two front teeth were going to come out with it. Thankfully they didn't, but they were throbbing for a good hour. Then I had to get 4 x-rays ~ one was a panoramic x-ray, one was a cephalometric xray, one was to show the jaw joints, and I don't know what the other one was for. After that the ortho decided to replace the power chains on both my upper and lower teeth and also change the wire on the bottom. This took a long time because the wire he wanted to put on wouldn't fit so the girl ended up having to put a smaller wire on. Anyway, I left there at 12:00.
My appointment with the surgeon was scheduled at 1:30, so I headed to Kaiser in North Hollywood. Of course there was a car accident on the way, then I went to the wrong building and ended up being 7 minutes late. They were calling me as I was running down the hall to let me know that the doctor was waiting for me. Funny how they kept me waiting over an hour last time, but my being 7 minutes late is a big deal. The good part was I didn't have to wait and went right in. The doctor got started right away making molds. They were so big and mushy; it took everything in me not to gag and throw up. The alginate was just dripping in blobs down my face. It was nothing like getting molds at the ortho office. By the time he was finished with the 3 molds (2 upper and one lower) I had alginate all over my face and neck. He had me bite down on some waxy thing. Not sure what it was. He took some measurements of my face while I had this metal contraption fitted around my head. He took some pictures. He measured the distance between my lips when I had my lips relaxed. He took a good look at my bite and told me that my top jaw was really "wonky". He seemed surprised that the top jaw is so messed up. I guess he didn't pay much attention the last two times I was there. Then he and the two student doctors went into another room and I sat there and waited for a long time. When they came back, the doctor looked at my bite some more, wrote some things down, and then said that he had to rush me off to donate blood for myself. He said that I can't take any aspirin or NSAIDS until after my surgery because they thin the blood. He said that after I donate blood he wants me to start taking an iron supplement and informed me that it is constipating.
I asked what they would be doing for me as far as surgery goes. Apparently they don't know until they sit down and do measurements and work on the molds. The student doctor told me that they will definitely do the top jaw because apparently it is really messed up ~ set too far back and tilted wrong. He said they will probably tilt the bottom jaw but not sure if they will move it back or not. This really surprised me. I trust the doctor though, so I will be comfortable with whatever he decides.
Okay, so then I rushed over to donate blood before they closed. My veins are unbelievably hard to find and I hadn't eaten or drank anything all day. They gave me some juice and cookies and searched for a vein. The lady didn't think she would be able to find one and told me that she wasn't going to poke me "for nothing." She did end up finding one and I was able to donate over a pint of blood for myself. Yay. I ended up getting home at 7:00. Long day. I'm so tired, so I'm sorry if I babbled too long. :) I'm going to bed. Goodnite.
P.S. V - you look awesome!
P.P.S I just realized I didn't get a single one of my questions answered by the surgeon. Maybe at my pre-op appointment (two days before surgery) I will get some answers. That would be nice. :)

Getting Excited!

2009-04-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe there's only 26 days left until surgery!! It's going by so fast. The surgery coordinator emailed me today and told me that she called the surgeon's office to see if there's anything I need to bring with me next Friday when I go see the surgeon. They want her give me a copy of my pano and ceph x-rays. I guess they don't need to take new ones? Or will the surgeon take new ones? I'm just going with the flow here. I don't know what to expect. I have a small list of questions and I hope he takes time to answer them for me.

Is It Worth It?

2009-03-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

A fellow orthoblogger mentioned that she was taking this vitamin supplement. I've been sick for the past week, so I thought it might be a good idea to run out and get it. I also thought it would be good to start taking it before surgery and also afterwards to help in my recovery. The problem is, it's disgusting. I ran right home and took the 2 recommended tablespoons. It tasted awful. My stomach is burning, and I am experiencing some borborygmus (LOL) that I hope doesn't turn into diarrhea!! I'm thinking that maybe I should take half a dose in the morning and half a dose in the evening. I don't know. I have a sensitive stomach, so we'll see how this goes. Gurgle, gurgle...
This just might be a waste of $30 bucks.

UPDATE: Okay, I've been taking this with grape juice and it's not too bad at all. :)

Pre-op and Post-Op Dates!

2009-03-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

The surgeon's secretary just called to let me know what my dates are. I'll be going in on April 10th for a pre-op appointment. I also have an ortho appointment earlier that same morning. Then I have an appointment on the 27th, just 2 days before my surgery. She didn't explain what we are doing at these appointments. I guess I'll find out.
She also set up my post-op appointments, which will be May 8th and May 22nd. She spoke so quickly, I hope I wrote them down right! They always seem to be in such a hurry.

P.S. I'm actually feeling a little nervous. Ugh.

Time's a-flyin'!

2009-03-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

When I first put the countdown thing on my blog, it was at 66 days. I can't believe it's already down to 31! Time flies.

And yes, I have to use lame pictures with all my posts. :)

And let me just say...

2009-03-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

power chains SUCK!!! I laugh now that I ever thought my teeth were in pain before. HAHAHAHA. Boy was I was fooled. I had yet to feel the pain of power chains. The pain caused me to wake from my wonderful deep sleep last night. I awoke to a horrible throbbing pain in each one of my teeth. I fell back asleep and awoke to the same pain in the morning. These things must be doing a lot of work in a short amount of time. At least that is what I am hoping.

I feel like all I do is complain on this blog. :) But hey, it's my blog, right?

Back from another ortho appointment

2009-03-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

I just got home from my ortho appointment and he said not to worry ~ that I will be ready for surgery. He put on new power chains on the top and bottom. Wow, those things are tight. My teeth are numb right now, but I'm sure I'll feel the pain later. It'll probably be soup for dinner. I'll be seeing him again on April 10th and then again on the 22nd to get my surgical hooks put on. They said the last appointment will take about 2 hours.

So I had no idea what power chains looked like until today. They aren't as innocent as they look.
(Mine are clear, not blue)

Another Question

2009-03-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

I don't have a recliner chair and I've heard you need to sit up while you sleep after surgery. I was wondering if I should just use regular pillows or if it would be worth it to invest in one of these. Have any of you used these types of pillows and if so, which do you think would be best? Thanks!
(hmm, that middle one looks a little drastic)

Question for those who've had surgery....

2009-03-20T08:55:00.001-07:00

I was wondering when you guys went in for your pre-op appointments with the surgeon? When I set up my appointment, the girl said she would be calling me sometime before the surgery to set up two pre-op appointments. My surgery is in 39 days (not that I'm counting). I'm just curious if it's usually three weeks before? Two weeks? A week? I suppose I could call her, but they are always so busy, I feel like I am bugging them. Thanks!

Relieved...?

2009-03-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is the email I received from my ortho's surgery coordinator:

Dr._____ says it is unlikely that you will not be ready for surgery. There
was a negative movement on the lower right side. We will take molds on your
next visit and give you an update after Dr. ____ evaluates them.

I guess I am relieved. I hope he's right.

Confused...

2009-03-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

I had an ortho appointment on Friday. I had emailed them a couple of weeks before, letting them know that I had a surgery date. When the ortho came into the room, I reminded him that my surgery date is the end of next month. He started acting all weird, asking if I can't get it moved forward and that now he is under the gun to get my teeth ready. WHAT THE HELL?!?! When I saw the surgeon on December 1, he said my teeth were ready and I could have surgery as soon as I got a date. I don't know why the ortho would mess with my teeth after that. I am so frustrated. First of all, I was under the impression that I would only be in braces a year before I was ready for surgery. I've had them on for a year and a half. And then my teeth were ready and now they're not because he had to go and mess with them. This guy is supposed to be one of the best orthodontists in L.A., so I am a little confused when he acts like he doesn't know what he is doing. UGH. If I'm not ready for surgery by the 29th of April, I think I might have some sort of breakdown!
Oh yeah, I emailed him this morning and asked him if there is a chance that I really won't be ready for surgery. We'll see if he writes back.

Surgery Date!!! April 29th!

2009-02-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

I got a call from the surgeon's office yesterday saying there was a cancellation and would I like to have my surgery April 29th. That would be a YES. Yes, I certainly would like to have my surgery then. Two months away. I'm so excited. And nervous. I'm going to start reading some blogs (again) and getting things together that I will need. I have a much-needed cleaning appointment on March 5th. Maybe I will get a cleaning one more time before the surgery also. Thanks for all the positive comments on my blog. :) I don't always write back, but I appreciate it!

My surgeon's diagnoses of my jaws are: Asymmetry of mandible and congenital maxillary hypoplasia

Super Bummed...

2009-02-12T20:57:00.000-08:00

I just found out that there are no open spots to get back into the nursing program for spring. I went through 6 weeks of remediation, got 100% on my final ~ all the while under the impression that there were 4 open spots. So I have to wait until
fall and hope that there will be a spot then. Blah. I am so bummed out. I am trying to stay positive and tell myself that at least now I can schedule my surgery for something sooner than July. I'm going to call tomorrow and see how soon I can get in. I should have gone ahead and booked it for April, but I was oh so sure that I would be starting school again. I could cry. But I won't. :)

UPDATE: I had to go to the ortho today to get a bracket put back on. He decided to change my upper wire to a heavier one and also put on some power chains. Whatever they are. So I called the surgeon's office and the girl told me that he is booked until July. Argh. I am having the worst luck lately. So I asked her to put me on the cancellation list for whatever comes up first ~ I'll take it. I hope someone cancels soon!

I'm here to complain...

2009-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

I can't help it. I have to. My teeth hurt so darn bad!! I had an adjustment today. The girl said they were putting on "tandem wires." She said there are two wires hooked together on the one wire. I tried googling it, but couldn't find anything. Anyway, they are killing me. I think this is the worst my teeth have ever hurt, for sure. Maybe I am just forgetting how bad other adjustments have hurt, but this does seem to be the worst . Every tooth hurts except for my molars. Seems like the molars aren't involved this time. Apparently these wires will help with the crowding that I have on my bottom teeth. They are already working because there's a little gap between two of the teeth.
He said I don't need to come back until 8 weeks from now. These are "long-term" wires. I haven't been thinking much about my surgery because it seems so far away in JULY, but I am so ready to have it!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T11:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everybody! I really hope that 2009 is a much better year than 2008 was. 2008 was a really crappy year for me and my family. I'm looking forward to a clean slate in 2009 and hope it will be a happy, healthy, productive, and prosperous New Year! By this time next year I should be done with my surgery and have my braces off. Speaking of braces, I had an adjustment the other day. The ortho repositioned 3 brackets and put on lighter wires. I didn't have much pain until today. He said that since my surgery is so far away in July, he will do as much as he can to my teeth before surgery so that I can get my braces off as soon as possible after surgery. The surgeon's office called me last week and asked me if I could have the surgery on February 7th. I wish I could, but I can't. School. Happy New Year!

Christmas in braces, Part Deux

2008-12-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! I thought I'd put up some recent pictures that my friend Stephanie took. I chose a picture with my mouth closed for our Christmas picture. Next year I'll be able to smile ~ with no braces on!!

A Totally Unexciting Post

2008-12-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

I went to the ortho today and got the upper front bracket put back on. The tech was supposed to change my bottom wire, but as he was taking it off, he popped off a bracket on my back molar. I guess he didn't want to irritate the doctor, so he said we would put it on at my next appointment in 4 weeks. They leave at 12:30 on Fridays, so everyone was in a tizzy to get out of there and start their weekend.
I talked to the surgery coordinator and told her the details of my appointment with the surgeon. She said if it were her, she would rather have the surgery in April instead of going back to school. I've decided it would be a waste of time not to finish a semester of school and will go ahead and plan to have the surgery in July.

Decisions, decisions...

2008-12-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

I had an appointment with my surgeon yesterday. It was rather awkward.
I'm wondering how the doctor would have reacted if I had arrived for my appointment an hour late. I'm sure he would have said that I need to reschedule, right? Well, I waited for him for over an hour because he was behind schedule. I am always on time for any appointments I have, so this really rubs me the wrong way. So after having to wait an extra hour, I was stuck in work traffic -- an hour and fifteen minutes to get home. I wasn't in the best mood.
So when I was finally called in to see the doctor, we exchanged the "Hi, how are you's?" "Fine." "Good." I gave him my molds that my orthodontist had given me and he proceeded to scrape away at them and try to get them to fit together in the way a normal bite would fit together. I sat there thinking he might explain what he was doing. But no, he continued picking away and marking on the molds with his marker. He then asked me to show him my bite as he looked at me from both sides and examined my profile. He was talking aloud to himself, saying that maybe my top jaw didn't need to be operated on. (We already went through this before when I saw him the first time and then he decided to do both jaws) So here we were doing this again. I was getting irritated. I know that my top jaw is too far back and bringing it forward would look better. Though I was thinking this, I didn't say anything. He then says to himself, "Well, the top jaw is deficient." Um, okay. So he walks out of the room, comes back and puts my molds and a letter in a box to give back to my orthodontist. He says, "Okay, you can go to the front and schedule a surgery date." So I ask him if he is going to be doing both jaws. He says "Oh yes, didn't I say that? I guess I should have thought that out loud." That's it. That's all the information I got from him. No specifics. No nothing.
I go to the front desk and tell the girl that I need to schedule a surgery date. He's booked until April. Well, I should be starting back to school in February, so I have to make a decision.Do I go back to school in February, finish my semester and then have the surgery on July 15th (his soonest "summer" appointment). Or do I have the surgery in April, waste months May, June, July and August and go back to school in the fall? Any advice? I'm not good at making decisions. If I go to school in February, that would be one more semester of nursing school under my belt. I am dying to have the surgery asap, but I feel like it's wasted time to have it in April. If my orthodontist had PLANNED accordingly, I could have had it this month. He knew that patients were booking months and months in advance. Ugh.
I'm waiting to hear back from my school to see if they can tell me with any certainty that I will be invited back for spring semester or if I will have to wait until fall. That will change everything. Then, of course, I will schedule the surgery for April. I also asked the girl to put me on the wait list in case someone cancels. Fat chance. There are 30 people ahead of me.
I took some pictures of myself yesterday. They are a bit grainy ~ taken from the camera thing on my computer. Nothing exciting, but you can see what I look like "before" in different angles. I really should have my friend Steph retouch them :) but here they are. Some are frightening.

P.S. The bracket on my front left tooth came off, so I'll be going to the orthodontist on Friday. I'll get it put back on and give him the molds and letter from the surgeon. I'm wondering if the marks he made on the molds are tweaks that need to be done to my teeth. Probably.

I really don't like this angle. At all.

I'm Here to Report...

2008-11-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

That there's really nothing to report. I had another adjustment yesterday. While the girl was taking off my upper wire to put on a new wire, two of my brackets popped off. So I had to go through the joy of the lip stretcher, the grinding off of the glue, and the toxic smelling liquid put on my teeth. Fun times. The new wire brought new pain to my upper teeth. I've been living off soup for two days and am starving and cranky.
I noticed today that my bite is really screwed now. It's crazy how much it changed overnight. When I bite down, I can totally stick my tongue through the huge gap between the upper and lower teeth. It's really beautiful. I should take a picture and post it, but I'm lazy. I guess the braces are doing their job. I want to have the surgery already. I go to see the surgeon on December 1. The ortho said that if the surgeon thinks my teeth are "good enough" (position-wise) to have the surgery now, then the ortho can do whatever changes to my teeth after the surgery. The only problem is, I will have to be put on a cancellation list and be called in at the last minute ~ which is fine with me. Otherwise, I will have to have the surgery in the summer (ugh!) because I will be starting back to school in February. I hope it works out and I have the surgery in December. Keep you fingers crossed for me! Congratulations to all of you who have had surgery recently!

Another October in braces...

2008-10-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I last posted. A lot has happened since then. The day after my last post, I found out that my younger brother had passed away in his home. My family and I are still in shock over the loss of such a wonderful person. I had to take a break from school as I couldn't focus on anything. I am starting to feel a little better and look forward to going back sometime after the new year. So regarding my teeth... let's see....

On October 10th, I saw my ortho and he did molds of my teeth to send to the surgeon so he can decide if I am getting close for surgery. He also put on power chains to close some gaps. So at this appointment the ortho informs me that my surgeon is booked until April! All along I thought we were aiming to have my surgery in December. Then he tells me that he is sure my teeth are going to be ready by the end of February. So I made an appointment with the surgeon for December 1 to see what he has to say and to schedule my surgery since he is booked for months.

A couple of days after that appointment, I get a call from the receptionist saying that the ortho wants me to come in asap so he can realign 12 of my brackets and put on different wires. I'm not too thrilled about this because my teeth are killing me from the power chains being on. But I go. It's a long, tiring visit and the next day my jaws are aching from holding my mouth open for so long. But I survive. So now I am scheduled to go back in 4 weeks to have new wires put on. I'm not exactly sure what he is doing to my teeth and really, I am tired of asking. I am just going to let him do his thing and tell me when I am ready to go have my jaws cut and repositioned. I'm so ready for this to be over with. I've been in braces for 13 months and counting now.

I'll post again after my next exciting appointment. Happy Halloween!

Nothing Exciting Going On....

2008-08-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty quiet on here because there's really not much going on. I had an adjustment about a week ago. My ortho remarked that "we have a nice underbite going on." So I guess that's a good thing. I feel like things aren't moving fast enough. Originally I was told that I would be in braces for a year before surgery. Well, next month it will be one year. I hope I am ready by December and can have my surgery during my winter break. I have a week and a half of freedom before I head back to school. Congratulations to all of you who recently had surgery. It looks like you all are doing great!

I've Got a Gap

2008-07-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

So my two front teeth have a gap, which is really odd for me because my teeth have always been so close together. I wish I could have the surgery already!!

Love this toothbrush...

2008-06-28T21:08:00.001-07:00

The other day when I went for my cleaning, my hygienist gave me one of these toothbrushes with just two rows of bristles. I love it! It makes cleaning above, below and in between brackets so easy. I can't believe she waited so long to give me one! It's great for getting along the gumline too. The one she gave me is made by GUM but they're probably all pretty much the same. I might be the only one whose never seen one of these, but I thought I'd share anyway. :)
P.S. It's called a sulcus toothbrush.

Adjustment time again...

2008-06-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

I had an adjustment today. The girl took off 4 of my brackets (ouch ~ yes I am a big baby when it comes to my teeth) so she could put them back on in different positions. Oh yay. I hate those lip stretcher things and the taste of the stuff they put on your teeth to prep them is awful. So anyway, here I am with my brackets in a new position and the same wire. She said I would probably have some "discomfort" this evening. I'm sure I will.

Update: My teeth moved so quickly that I had to go in the next day and have my upper wire clipped. Today is Saturday (4 days later) and the wire is poking my cheek again. I can't believe how fast my teeth are moving since she repositioned the brackets. I was looking last night and my two front teeth are separating. I hope they move fast enough so my teeth are ready for the surgery in December!

Lovely Picture of My Lovely Underbite

2008-06-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, people. Be nice. My husband took this random picture of me while we were sitting at the Grove.
At first I told him to delete it, but then I thought it would be a good "before" picture. So here it is. I love the way my bottom lip is sticking out. haha
(Apparently I need to work on my posture)

BooHooHoo!!

2008-05-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

I had an ortho appointment today. I just had to write and post about how bad the pain is!! Oh. My. God. My bottom front teeth are in the worst pain. I thought my teeth hurt before with previous adjustments, but this takes the cake. I got a new wire put on to pull my bottom front teeth forward. I need to post a picture of my teeth/bite soon. It's crazy. I'm going to look so awful by the time I am ready for surgery. The ortho said there's no way I'm going to be ready for surgery in the summer. He said it will be more like winter, which is fine. At least I can have it done on winter break. Okay, I am going to go take something strong for the pain and go to bed....
p.s. 8 months down.

Funky Bite

2008-04-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I had a funky bite before, but now it's really funky. My bottom teeth are way more forward than my top teeth. It's starting to feel totally weird when I eat. The doc said it's going to get worse before it gets better and he was right. If I weren't so lazy, I would post a picture of my own teeth, but for now this cartoon will have to do. That's kind of how my teeth are. I wonder how much worse they are going to get before I am ready for surgery. (I've had my braces on 7 months now. Time is flying)

Adjustment and Painful Molars!

2008-03-28T13:31:00.001-07:00

My son and I both had an ortho appointment yesterday. He (lucky dog) was there to get his braces off. His teeth look great and when all his permanent teeth are in, he will get braces put back on ~ what they call "phase 2". When I was little I had never heard of phase 1 and phase 2. So yes, we get to pay for braces twice.

I was going to get a thick power chain put on my upper teeth to close up some spaces, but when she went to put the wire on, it popped off two of my back brackets. So I had to sit through the joy of having them put back on. They decided to go with a smaller wire for now. Let me just say, these wires work fast because my molars are killing me today! The ones on the right hurt more so at least I can eat on the left.

The girl said (the doctor wasn't in) that they are going to leave my bottom wire in until I come in next time because the doctor needs to "make space" for my bottom teeth ~ aka filing in between my teeth. Oh yay, something to look forward to!!

Adjustment Time!

2008-02-01T13:27:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a really busy day. I went to the ortho and got my wires removed, went to my cleaning (she said I am doing a great job keeping my teeth clean "compared to her other patients with braces." Hmmm ... is that a compliment? After my cleaning I went and got my filling done. Apparently he did a really good job - my ortho could hardly see it when I went back today to get my wires put back on.
So today I had the same wire put back on the bottom because that one stubborn tooth is still a bit crooked. I got a new, thicker wire put on the top. He said it's going to "torque" my teeth. I guess that means it will move my teeth more forward since they are already straight. I can already feel the pressure on my top teeth. I'll probably really feel it tomorrow. I can't believe it's already been 5 months since I had my braces put on! Time flies.
I wonder how much longer before I am ready for surgery!

Update: It's now 6:30 and my teeth hurt so bad!!! I had planned on having some delicious nachos at Baja Buds for dinner, but that's not going to happen. I'm going to have to go for the egg flower soup at the local Chinese place. For some reason, it's only my upper teeth on the left side of my mouth that hurt so bad. The other teeth are fine. I hope they don't hurt for long. No pain, no gain...I guess.

Nothing Exciting to Report...

2008-01-28T19:13:00.001-08:00

It's been pretty quiet on the braces front. I have a couple of dentist and ortho appointments this week though. Unfortunately, I have a small cavity behind one of my top front teeth (oh yay) and am scheduled to have it filled on Thursday. I went to the dentist on Friday and he was going to do it right then, but decided that he would rather have my wires taken off so it would be easier for him. So on Thursday morning, I have to go get my wires removed, go to my 3-month cleaning appointment, and then get the cavity filled later on in the afternoon. On top of that, I have a test in my political science class. Busy day. I'll go back on Friday and have my wires put back on. I am pretty sure they will change the wires since my next ortho appointment is scheduled for February 12th. Plus I have a pokey wire that is really messing with my cheek. If there's anything exciting to write about after Friday's appointment, I'll be back.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

2007-12-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of my boys. Tyler is the one with the braces (he hated having to take this picture:)). Connor is the younger one.

Ortho Appointment Today

2007-12-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

I had an ortho appointment today. Nothing exciting to report. I have the same wires on, she just shortened them so
they are tighter. She said two of my teeth are still a little crooked, and they have to be straightend out before they
can start working on moving my teeth for the surgery. My bite is really strange already though. My bottom teeth are
sticking out a lot more than they were before the braces.
Today the doctor used some kind of sandpaper thing and sanded in between some of my bottom front teeth. It didn't
hurt but it was kind of disconcerting. He said he was "making room" for the teeth to move. After that they did a flouride
treatment on the bottom teeth.
Oh, the girl also replaced the top last bracket that had come off the last time they were clipping my wires. That wasn't
a big deal except for the things they use to stretch your lips open really far. That's kind of uncomfortable. I haven't
really been aware of my braces too much because I have been so focused on getting through this drug calculations class. I am hoping to start nursing school in February and hope the surgery won't interfere with school. I figure I can wait for winter break
if my teeth are ready in September. I'll cross that bridge when I get there though! I have to go finish my Christmas shopping!

And the Verdict is .... Double Jaw Surgery!

2007-11-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from the surgery coordinator at my orthodontist's office. Here is what she wrote:

"We received a report from Dr. Relle, he agrees with the need for orthognathic surgery and recommends an upper jaw advancement with lower jaw rotation to correct asymmetry. So, it will be a double-jaw surgery."

I emailed her back and asked her if my upper will also be widened and will my lower be moved back. I assume The lower
will be moved back and not just rotated. I guess I can ask the surgeon all this when I get closer to a surgical date. It would just
be nice to know in advance...

****Okay, so my upper jaw will be broken in a couple of places and widened and also moved forward. My lower jaw will be move back in addition to correcting the asymmetry. *****

Happy Halloween!!

2007-10-31T10:09:00.001-07:00

Ouch!!

2007-10-26T11:37:00.001-07:00

So yesterday I had that thicker wire put on my top teeth and today they are killing me!! I had to go in again this morning because the wire was too long and it was tearing up my cheek. The assistant went in there to clip it and my back bracket
came off. She said she was going to leave it off until my next appointment (in 8 weeks) and said it wouldn't interfere with
my progress. I hope she's right. That back tooth was really hurting, but now that the pressure is off, it's okay.
But the rest of my top teeth are so sore. Oh and by the way, these snap-open brackets on the Damons aren't all they are
cracked up to be. When your teeth are sore, and they have to snap open the little door things to get the wire out ~ OUCH! And
then they have to close them again which also hurts! I guess I'll be drinking my protein drinks for a couple of days.

Thicker Wire

2007-10-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today I went back to my ortho to have my wires put back on. I have the same wire on the bottom and a new thicker wire
on the top. I can definitely feel the pressure on the top. It makes me wonder if am going to be eating soup for the next
few days...

First Cleaning With Braces

2007-10-24T12:23:00.001-07:00

I just got home from having my first cleaning with my braces. I went to my orthodontist first (he and my periodontist are in the same building) and had my wires removed and then had my cleaning. My hygienist said it was nice to have the wires removed as it was easier to clean my teeth. It felt so good getting my teeth cleaned. I wish I could go every month. I have my wires off until tomorrow morning, so I am going to enjoy flossing tonight! (Who would have thought I would ever be excited about flossing??) My hygienist said that I was doing really well with my hygiene (whew!!) and I had hardly any bleeding. I usually have some bleeding and now I am wondering if my gums are less irritated because the teeth are in new positions. My ortho commented that my bottom teeth have moved quite a bit since I had my braces put on 6 weeks ago. He was telling the assistant to put a heavier wire on my top teeth when I go back tomorrow but to keep the same wire for the bottom since I have one "twisted" tooth that hasn't straightened out yet.

I asked the surgery coordinator lady why my surgeon would mention only doing lower jaw surgery and in so many words she said that Kaiser is an HMO and they would try to get away with doing as little as they can. That was a bit disconcerting to me. So I asked my ortho about it and he told me not to worry, that he would push for whatever would give me the best functional and aesthetic benefit. That put my mind to rest for now.

Appointment with Surgeon

2007-10-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

I had my appointment with the surgeon yesterday. It wasn't very exciting. He said that he doesn't know if he will do upper and lower jaw surgery or just lower. I was really surprised to hear that because I have been told by another surgeon and three orthodontists that I would need both upper and lower surgery. I was trying to absorb the fact that he said possibly just
lower surgery and now regret not asking him more questions like WHY? Anyway, the surgeon has
an excellent reputation, so I suppose I should trust that he knows what he's doing. I'm thinking that maybe once he takes all the
measurements and once all my teeth are in place he will have a better idea of what he is going to do.

He then explained to me that he won't be reducing the length of my chin because he doesn't want it to look "flat" and I might get a "turkey" neck, which I wouldn't be happy with. I told him that the other surgeon I saw said that I would benefit from cheek augmentation and my chin reduced. He said that I wasn't going to hear the same thing from him and that he doesn't do cookie cutter faces.

Scheduled Appointment with Surgeon

2007-09-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I scheduled my consultation appointment with the surgeon. It's set for October 22nd. I'm so eager to hear what he
has to say. I have to stop by my ortho's office to pick up my xrays, molds, and treatment plan to bring with me.

Yesterday was my 3rd week in braces, and I have to say, it has gotten much better. I hardly think about them anymore. Some of my teeth are still sore, and one of them actually feels loose (I hope that's normal!!) but I'm not constantly aware of them anymore. The tooth that feels loose is my only "crooked" tooth, so I wonder if that has something to do with it. I just hope it doesn't fall out!

Eeeek.... a picture!

2007-09-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is me with my braces...

I Swallowed a Bracket...

2007-09-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well, today I was eating pizza, (yes, again) and when I was finished, I realized the bracket on my last bottom molar had popped off and the wire was just dangling there. So apparently, I swallowed my bracket. I was able to get into the ortho's office and get it replaced the same day, which I was happy about. It was pretty uncomfortable getting it replaced, so I hope it stays put. The fact that the tooth is a crown makes it more likely that it will happen again though. He said if it does come off again, he will put a band around the tooth instead of just a bracket. There's not much new to report. My cheek started to get sore again today so I have wax on some spots. There have actually been moments when I have forgotten that I have braces, so that is nice. Now is not one of those moments...I need to go put more wax on...

It's Getting Better...

2007-09-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yay! My teeth aren't hurting nearly as much as they were a few days ago. I actually ate pizza today (cut up, of course). It's nice
to be able to chew again. That sensitive tooth is much better also. There are still moments when I want to rip the braces off my teeth, but it's not as often. I hope in a couple of weeks I won't be aware of them 24/7.

Two Brace-Faces Under One Roof....

2007-09-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today my son had his Phase 1 braces put on. He has been wearing upper and lower expanders (torture devices) since December. So now that he has the braces on, he knows a little bit of the hell I have been going through for a week. Just wait until tomorrow... it gets worse.
It's kind of cute to have braces along with my kid. Of course, he looks cuter than I do. Today I took some pictures of myself with braces, but I don't know if I am brave enough to post them. They definitely aren't "cute." The doctor reminded me again that my bite is going to get much worse. I can only imagine...

Week 1 in Braces

2007-09-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Today marks one week that I have had my braces on. Time goes by quickly. I wouldn't say I am used to them by any means, but it is getting better. At least my lips/cheeks aren't all raw. I have definitely noticed that my teeth have moved. My bottoms are sticking out much more now which is making my underbite worse. My bottom lip sticks out more now too (not so attractive). I'm just trying to keep a positive attitude that this is only temporary.
My top front and bottom teeth are pretty sore. Even when I wash my face, it hurts my teeth. I've given up on flossing for the time being. My teeth are way too tight to fit any floss in there. Thank God for the waterpic. I don't know what I would do without it. I wish I could pack it up and take it in my purse whenever I go out.
I am getting much better at eating. Yesterday I had Mexican food and even had chips and salsa! It was so exciting. :) I do cover my mouth when I eat because it feels so weird to chew. I can't exactly chew with my mouth closed now. :)
So as far as the surgeon goes, I am waiting to get a letter from Kaiser before I make an appointment to go see him. I can't wait to meet him. He has a fantastic reputation (was even on Extreme Makeover a couple of times) and I hear he has a really nice bedside manner, which is oh so important to me. (He is also WiredLady's surgeon)
That's all for now. I am off to school. I feel like one of the youngsters there now with my braces. haha

Sensitive Tooth!! Ugh!

2007-09-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, the day I had my braces put on, an upper right molar starting killing me when I brushed, and now it is even hurting when I breathe. When I brush that tooth, it feels like an electric current ripping through my mouth. I am assuming it is the nerve, but why? It never bothered me before the braces were put on. I hope it's not going to stay this way. It's awful. It makes me scared to even brush that area. At first I thought it was the crown I have on back there, but it's not. Has anyone else had this problem?

BRACED!

2007-09-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! Wow, I can't believe it's been 4 days since I had my braces put on. I went in on Tuesday and had them placed and have been in a bad mood ever since. Getting them put on wasn't a big deal, but as soon as I looked in the mirror and saw the hideous things, I was not happy. Plus I could hardly get my lips around them!! My mouth has been all torn up and sore, which I can deal with, but my teeth are very sore and sensitive and that really bothers me!! I can hardly eat. I've been living on soup and ice cream. I don't know if it's possible or not, but it feels like my teeth have already shifted ~ my eye teeth hit really hard on my bottom teeth when I am eating or talking. It's very uncomfortable. Is it possible for teeth to move so quickly? Will the teeth soreness go away? It doesn't feel like it will ~ ouch!! Also, my teeth hurt so bad that it's even hard to brush them. Will this get better? My waterpic is my new best friend. It works so awesome. I tried flossing for the first time last night. That was a load of fun. I think it took me 25 minutes and I don't even know if I was doing it correctly.
It's hard for me to just let go and trust in the orthodontist and what he is doing to my teeth. I am totally worrying now if I made the right decision. I had a dream the other night where one of my bottom front teeth was so loose that it fell out. I woke up all freaked out!
Oh, and one more thing, since having the braces on, I notice that my bottom lip sticks out a lot more, which makes my class lll bite a lot more noticeable. I had been putting wax on my bottom brackets and that was pushing my lip even further out. Needless to say, it was not a pretty sight.

To Bleach or Not to Bleach?

2007-08-15T10:16:00.001-07:00

I am debating if I should bleach my teeth before I get braces. I have those custom trays with the
bleach and once I get the braces and jaw surgery my trays won't fit any longer. :) I know ... such a lame thing to be thinking
about, but the thought crossed my mind. Has anyone else bleached before getting their braces?

There Are Different Types of Braces?

2007-08-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

I had no idea there are different types of braces out there. I mean, I know there are metal vs. ceramic, invisalign and whatnot, but I didn't know about the Damon 3 brackets, which are what I will be getting. The idea of no elastics around the brackets sounds nice. At least I won't have to worry about what color elastics I want. Since I am a terrible decision-maker, this could have been very time-consuming. Another plus to the Damon brackets is that I can have the wire removed before I go get my teeth cleaned and then replaced afterward!! Anyway, I thought I would post a little bit about the Damon 3 design since I find it pretty fascinating.

Conventional braces on the left are tied in with elastics, which cause friction and pressure, making treatment slower and less comfortable. Damon braces use a slide mechanism to hold the wire, which allows teeth to move more freely, quickly and comfortably.

Damon braces are designed to be discreet, comfortable and easy to keep clean. Without the elastic ties which attract and collect plaque, Damon braces make dental hygiene easy during treatment.

Okay from the Orthodontist!

2007-08-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

I had my appointment with the orthodontist today to talk about my treatment plan. He gave me the okay to start the
braces, so I have an appointment set up for September 4th to get them put on. I wish I could have gotten them on
today!! He said that I most likely will have to be in braces 14 months prior to surgery. I am hoping it will be less though. So
nothing really exciting to report, so I'll be back on September 4th with my braces installation update!

Scary Pictures

2007-08-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I'm not exactly thrilled to be posting these pictures, but here they are in all their glory. Of course, not only are the pictures awful, but I just had to blink every time she clicked the camera. You can see in the pictures of my face how long my chin is (I swear it's gotten worse over the years!) My midline is off and my chin goes to the left. Hmmm...funny how I never noticed that before. You can see on the right lower side that I have three dental implants to replace two molars that I had to have removed because of the bone loss. I hope the orthodontist can work around the implants since they can't be moved. Five more days until I hear what the treatment plan is. I am waiting, impatiently...

X-rays & Molds at the Ortho

2007-08-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the orthodontist and got the preliminary molds and X-rays done. I started getting nervous for some reason. I keep telling myself it will be fine. It's one thing to tell my son to go sit in the chair and get it over with and quite another for myself to be sitting there. So now I have two weeks of waiting until my next appointment when the ortho will tell me what the treatment plan is. I'm eager/anxious to hear what he says!

Dentist Update

2007-07-31T11:36:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I had my checkup and xrays with my periodontist this morning. Unfortunately, I have 50% bone loss around my implants and some bone loss in my upper right side. This is not good. The doctor adjusted my bite by grinding down the
implant crowns and some upper teeth to take the load off my implants. Now my eye teeth are hitting and it feels really strange. He gave me the "ok" to start braces but said that the ortho will have to find a way to put the braces on without putting any load on my implants. I asked him how that can be done and he mentioned "headgear." "What?" "Headgear." "Headgear?" "Yes, headgear." "Um, okay." That'll be just lovely if I have to wear headgear. I don't even want to go there right now. I will see what the ortho has to say about it. I haven't made my ortho appointment so I will do that today. I just want to get this whole thing started as quickly as possible. "Bone loss" is not something I enjoy hearing, so I hope the braces/jaw surgery will stop the bone loss. Ugh, my crowns/teeth feel all rough and weird now. I envy those people out there with good teeth and a good bite!

Going to the Dentist...

2007-07-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going in for a cleaning and checkup today. I am going to get xrays done and I am praying that there isn't more
bone loss in my jaws. I hope I get the "okay" to start with the braces process. I'll update when I get home....

Okay, I am home. Nothing to report since I wasn't scheduled to have my exam and xrays today (not my mistake). So I am
now scheduled to have it done on Tuesday. My cleaning went well, although she said she could detect bone loss in my upper
right quadrant. Ugh. I'm just hoping it's nothing major. I think tomorrow I will schedule my xray/molds appointment with the orthodontist...why wait?

My Orthodontic Diagnosis

2007-07-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

DIAGNOSIS:

• Jaw joint rubbing or grating was found on the right and it may be due to arthrosis
• Excessive grinding of teeth (bruxism) may result in enamel wear and muscle fatigue
• The upper jaw did not develop as much as the lower jaw in relation to the forehead
• The upper jaw did not develop as much as the lower jaw in width
• Lower jaw has developed more than the upper jaw in relation to the forehead
• Chin is positioned to the left of facial midline
• Improper relationship of posterior teeth on right side
• Improper relationship of posterior teeth on left side
• Improper relationship of right cuspid teeth
• Improper relationship of left cuspid teeth
• Space available for upper teeth is insufficient resulting in dental crowding. This condition tends to worsen with age.
• Space available for the lower teeth is insufficient resulting in dental crowding. This condition tends to worsen with age.
• An underbite is present
• Upper dental midline is symmetric and coincides with middle of the face
• Lower front teeth are left of center midline
• Improper width relationship of upper and lower teeth. This condition may affect jaw growth and may also reflect in enamel wear and periodontal trauma.
• Soft tissue facial asymmetries noted
• Lower jaw (chin) is positioned too far forward in relation to the forehead
• Upon smiling, tooth exposure seems insufficient. Records will be evaluated to determine means to achieve a nicer smile.

TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Orthognathic jaw surgery in combination with braces: estimated treatment time = 22-26 months

TREATMENT OBJECTIVES:

Correct existing malocclusion to improve "bite" relationship
Eliminate existing crowding
Achieve normal overbite/overjet
Broaden dental arches to maximize smile line
Align dental midlines with each other and facial midline
Cosmetic alignment of anterior teeth
Stop and prevent further enamel wear of anterior teeth due to heavy and end to end tooth contact
Correct existing cross-bites to improve chewing function
Improve jaw relationship and function
Improve profile; lip relationship, function and posture

Orthodontist Consultation

2007-07-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

I am writing my first blog today!! I had a consultation with my orthodontist today. I am a little overwhelmed. The braces are going to cost more than I thought they would. Since I am a surgical case, I got a quote of $8,475.00. My insurance should pick up a portion of this, but it's still a lot of money. I feel rather self-indulgent thinking about spending this amount of money on myself when we have two kids, a mortgage, car payments, etc. to also think about. I know the jaw surgery is a medical and not a cosmetic procedure, but still. I know having the braces and surgery done would result in improved functionality of my jaw and reduce the wear and tear on my teeth. The way my jaw is now, I have major wear and tear on my teeth, along with bone loss in my jaws. I already have two dental implants on the lower right side that I had to have put in because of bone loss. I feel like if I don't do this now, I won't ever do it. I am excited and nervous to get it all started!!!