One week update and a question about sleeping

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#1 Post by **ellebee** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:57 am

Week One. Eight days in. Despite my doubts, I am adjusting. Still canâ€™t chew, but doing fine with shakes, smoothies, soups, oatmeal, yogurt, applesauce, pudding, jello, etc.

Going back to work Monday was hard but it gets easier day by day. A shocking number of people have commented, which makes me think many more notice and are too tactful to comment.

Tonight is another test, when I meet my fiancÃ© at the airport. We got engaged the day he left and I got my braces 4 days later. So he hasnâ€™t seen me yet. And weâ€™ll have to road test the kissing.

First adjustment â€“ 2 weeks from this coming Monday. Iâ€™m hoping if I can go every 4 weeks, I just might be done in a year. !2 to 18 months was what he told me, but I noticed my chart says 18 to 24 months.

One annoying thing. I paid 30% up front the day I got my spacers, which was 2 weeks ago. I checked with my insurance carrier today and they had not received the claim yet. I called my ortho and the person who handles insurance was off today, so I will have to wait until tomorrow. The claim has to go through my insurance before I can get a refund from my FSA. And I need that refund to pay my VISA bill.

Oh, I do have a question. Until I got the braces on, I used a mouth guard to prevent grinding my teeth at night. Obviously I canâ€™t wear it with braces. Right now it is hard for me to even close my bite enough to get my molars to contact. I find myself waking many times during the night with my mouth wide open and very dry. Does this happen to anyone else? How long did it last and how did you cope?

Thanks!

Elle

#2 Post by **SDFD TSchott** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:31 pm

I Think I can relate to the mouth being very dry when you wake up. I have done everything that I can think of to keep my mouth moist in the morning from drinking a few glasses of water before bed time to having a humidifier next to me on all night while I sleep. Nothing works I still wake up in the mornings with severe dry mouth.

SDFD TSchott
CODE 4

#3 Post by **ghostmyimag3** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:18 pm

I still grind my teeth or i catch myself attempting to. I have not woke up to sore teeth like i did when i grinded them everynight. I think i might be catching myself before it happens. But i dont have a dry dry mouth. Its somewhat dry from no saliva moving around but its as it always has been.
I am back to eating regular food. I can chew pretty much what i did before now. My advice keep working at it. Try to chew things and you will see a difference. I dont know about the insurance thing, i'm paying out of pocket for my orthodontic work. Everything else like cleanings is covered by my insurance.
Your molars....i couldnt put mine together at first but i kept trying to chew stuff cause i'm not a big soup fan and i got tired of eating mashed potatoes, yogurt bleh. Work at it, it might be a little uncomfortable but i swear it works.

#4 Post by **iBorg** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:31 pm

If you know you are grinding, tell your ortho. I'm a bad grinder. That's one of the three reasons I have a metal mouth (yikes I said it!). My ortho recognizes the damage I've already done, such as ginding away parts of all of my front teeth, and fitted a bite plate with the intent I'd sleep in it to prevent further grinding damage. During my first adjusment, which consisted of getting my lowers, I asked about wearing it more as it helped my TMJ (reason #1), and her comment was she wasn't surprized I'd want to and I should wear it as much as I could. Guess it was a sneaky way to get me to wear it nearly 24/7. You may not need it that much, but a bite plate will perform many of the same functions as a splint.

Good luck and let us know about the romance!

Mike

#5 Post by **rsprouse** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:15 pm

Nothing works I still wake up in the mornings with severe dry mouth.

Don't sleep with your mouth open

Regards,
Rory

#6 Post by **SDFD TSchott** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:25 am

lol now that you say that I've actually gone to the far cry of taping my mouth shut for one night and breath through my nose and that still made my mouth DRY!

SDFD TSchott
CODE 4

#7 Post by **neelie** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:36 am

My ortho's assistant told me at the one week point to start chewing. So I tried foods like pan cakes, scrambled eggs, sweet potato slices. Foods that needed chewing but nothing hard. Gradually things inproved and I could eat things like cheerios, cut up chicken SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM, cookies dunked in coffee/tea. They say the blood starts to flow in the gums which is important.

I keep a glass of water by my bed and several times a night take a sip. Feels like the braces stick to the inside of my mouth when my mouth is so dry.

#8 Post by **bip** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:33 am

I found that after a week or so eating became easier - i agree on the suggestions to definately keep practicing and easing your way into chewing. I too have experience the really dry mouth thing at night and all i can say is keep drinking that water! I find myself waking up at night and it feels like every bit of moisture has been sucked out of my mouth - i keep a glass of water on my nightstand for such moments. It still seems to happen even when i am hydrating well, but not as bad.

I couldn't agree more with kk though on the work thing and other people. Reactions from people I knew have ranged from "good for you" to "oh you poor thing" when they found out i had to get braces. I don't think of myself as an "oh you poor thing" sort of gal so I refuse to be defined by that reaction. As for romance, be positive about that too! You are doing something great for yourself - your man should be proud. The day i got my braces I went home, walked right up to my husband, smiled and said - i know you are dying to run your tongue over these aren't you???? LOL. Attitude makes all the difference!