Five Month Update On Surgery Overseas

[4beauty4symmetry]

Hi everybody,

Feel bad I've been AWOL from the board. Guess my signature says it but I'll say it anyway:

On Nov 2 I had BSSO, mandibular setback with genioplasty (well, my chin was moved to center my midline) and anchors for two bottom molar implants. Had surgery in Costa Rica.

Everything is fine. No numbness or swelling to report--my jaw has felt completely normal since. . . January? I forget. I remember in January when it was very cold here in Boston I had to wear a scarf over my chin--it's been very cold, but my chin needs no special protection.


I was concerned that my surgeon's last minute decision not to do a LeFort had left me with a 'gummy smile' so excessive that I would need gum laser surgery as soon as possible after debracing. That is no longer the case. Very little of my upper gums show now when I smile. Why the change? I don't know--but I wonder if my change in brushing is the reason. I followed someone's advice and began brushing upwards, in cicular motions, against my upper gums, as I was told the opposite motion tended to elongate the gums.

Was able to resume completely normal diet two days after Xmas. Remember because I was staying with family and it made things easier.

This is the only thing that disturbs me and I assume it is something for me to take up with my orthodontist or with a prosthdontist: I whistle my s's when I talk. Read a New York Times article about it, and evidently the only thing that can be done is to possibly thin the interior of the upper and/or lower front teeth.

Here's the article, don't know if the link will go thru:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/scien ... ref=slogin

It can be googled under "When those simple s's sound so sinister."

This is a real issue for me because I'd like to maybe do Shakespeare in local theater at some point, and that language requires full and clear enunciation.

Does anyone else have this problem with braces? I wonder if debracing will somehow resolve it?

Still in braces, supposed to get them off in a month or two. The only hassle with them is that the lower bottom molars are not completely aligned with the upper molars. I'm wearing a single elastic back there to get them lined up, but until they meet I need to use my tongue or index finger to spoon the food that gets caught back there. I'm a little concerned the ortho hasn't been more agressive in getting that resolved, will press him on it next week.

I'll try to get caught up on how everyone is doing in the next week or so. Just thought I'd post now before being beset by the demons of procrastination.

But my basic message is this: my recovery went very well and I have no post op issues to report.

Hope everybody is well. It's nice to Meryaten's byline and know that she's still around being so unbelievably helpful.

Anybody else have problems with whistling their s's?