June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[jaime]

That’s a great idea getting the opinion of the TMJ doc. A fresh pair of eyes is good especially if you’re considering taking the plunge again

I thought you were 100% in the US now except for your appointments? If you’re still working in Canada you can’t get free national orthodontics or something?

TBH that whole “years in elastics” thing seemed pretty weird to me. I really hope you get some resolution! Is it causing issues for you with chewing too? Or the TMJ pain is the main issue now?

I never stopped working in Canada. Dentists and orthodontists aren’t free there. It’s a common misconception that everything medical-related is free in Canada but many things are not.

I have a lot of issues chewing. My bite is so messed up now. It’s so disappointing.

My appointment is next Friday so I’ll post again after I know what’s going on. I’ll be spending the next week trying to keep myself from panic spiralling, haha.

[snapdresser]

I have a lot of issues chewing. My bite is so messed up now. It’s so disappointing.

My appointment is next Friday so I’ll post again after I know what’s going on. I’ll be spending the next week trying to keep myself from panic spiralling, haha.

Ughhh… that sounds terrible. Good luck with your appointment!!

[Nozzelnut]

Jaime hope they sort things out for you. And the TMJ issues get fixed.

Snap I understand about the nasal congestion.

I guess we’re getting the band back together.

Had an appt with my max/fac surgeon. And an ENT.

SARPE is on the table as well as an ENT fixing my deviated septum(again) and reducing turbinates (again)

Good luck everyone.

[jaime]

Jaime hope they sort things out for you. And the TMJ issues get fixed.

Snap I understand about the nasal congestion.

I guess we’re getting the band back together.

Had an appt with my max/fac surgeon. And an ENT.

SARPE is on the table as well as an ENT fixing my deviated septum(again) and reducing turbinates (again)

Good luck everyone.

Hey Nozzel!!!

Hopefully new members of this forum aren't reading because we'd surely be scaring the heck out of anyone considering jaw surgery.

What's next for you after those appointments?

[Nozzelnut]

I have an appt with my ortho thursday to see if everyone is on the same page and if everyone believes this will have enough benefit for the risk.

The deviated septum and turbinate reduction is relatively low risk.

For me to get SARPE; they'll have to remove the plates from the previous surgery and make some small cuts where the plates were and the one long one along the palate suture. At the same time as the deviated septum surgery; similar incisions to access the septum from what my max/fac and ENT said. A bit more risky but I think it would be worth it if it gets me the width I need so I keep my teeth together instead of sticking my tongue out the sides and better nasal breathing so I don't immediately revert back to mouth breathing when my nose is a little stuffy. That will hopefully make a solid stabile base for my upper and lower to fit together and prevent future shifting. That was the biggest issue and why I sought out another orthodontist.

For anyone reading through this thread; I had a complicated case where the issues started way back when I first had braces as a teenager. They probably shouldn't have used extraction orthodontics as much as they did back then. Could this second round (as an adult) been avoided if my ortho had actually listened to my concerns instead of being in a hurry every appointment? Maybe.

[snapdresser]

Hope your appointment went well, Jaime! Or at least that you have a light at the end of the tunnel on all this!

[jaime]

Thanks for remembering my appointment was today!

I just got home. My joints are in worse shape than I thought, but the treatment sounds pretty reasonable. It was kind of funny because the doctor came in and started doing some different assessments. It was all very sedate until he did a test that vibrated my jaw and sends feedback about the condition of my TMJs. It seemed like he woke up after that. He was like, “Holy cow, look at that!” or something to that effect.

My left side is pretty bad, bone on bone. I guess the discs in the joints have slipped out of place, which is why my bite is off now.

Anyway, sounds like I probably won’t end up in braces or require surgery unless the splint therapy (phase I) doesn’t work. He seemed to think braces specifically wouldn’t be a good idea and if anything, he’ll put build-ups on my teeth that need help making contact. I think I remember reading about around here so I’ll have to do some digging.

I think the best part (aside from the totally reasonable cost estimate) was him saying “You have the type of case that makes my job interesting.”

Soooo I guess all things considered, I’m somewhat relieved.

[snapdresser]

That’s great news! I hope the splints work! What’s the outlook on the splint therapy?

[jaime]

That’s great news! I hope the splints work! What’s the outlook on the splint therapy?

Do you mean long term? I’m not sure, but he did say 90% of his patients are eventually weaned off the splints. He said the other 10% are the ones who never wore the splints properly in the first place or are particularly severe cases. He said my issues are pretty complex so conservative treatment may or may not work, but he did seem optimistic overall? Maybe??

[snapdresser]

Well, optimism is good! Hopefully some of that rubs off on you

What does the splint therapy do? Is it supposed to get the disc back in place? I know slipped discs in the spine can be tricky to treat. I think they do a disc replacement surgery, don’t they? I’ve never heard of such a thing as disc replacement for TMJs tho.

After googling TMJ disc displacement it looks like your doc has a slew of options to pursue with a good likelihood that one of them will work, it’s just a question of which one

[snapdresser]

It looks like I’ll be going under the knife yet again in February. I’m getting the neck and cheek lipo that I probably should have had done in conjunction with my bimax, but lipo wasn’t my surgeon’s forte so that’s ok. I’ve wanted it ever since I got back up to my normal weight post-surgery (I lost about 30 lbs after the surgery so my face and neck were very thin). I recall several years ago seeing the before/after picture of a girl that got a bimax and neck lipo together and her results were nothing short of stunning. Putting the weight back on made me think neck/cheek lipo was right for me. The only difference in doing it now (I think) is that I’ll have a scar under the chin, which I don’t love. My dad had a similar procedure many years ago as a fatty neck/chin and lower cheek area run in the family. I wonder if anybody else on here is riding the same slippery slope of that quest for surgical improvement?

[Nozzelnut]

Thought I'd stop in today after my ortho appt...

Getting my deviated septum fixed (again) and some bone spurs removed from my nasal passages in November. Hoping he will remove the front plates while he's in there; to remove a potential source of infection...The SARPE can't be done because my lower jaw isn't wide enough to add anything more to the upper. I did get a button for an elastic today. On the lower molar on the tongue side; so it tips outward and lines up better with my upper molars. So thats great and definitely isn't rubbing on my tongue

Hope those splints are working for you Jamie! Thats what started me down this road years ago; trying to fix TMJ pain. The splints worked for me.

Snap good luck with your surgery too!

[snapdresser]

Thought I'd stop in today after my ortho appt...

Getting my deviated septum fixed (again) and some bone spurs removed from my nasal passages in November. Hoping he will remove the front plates while he's in there; to remove a potential source of infection...

What are your continuing issues related to the deviated septum and bone spurs? General difficulty breathing through your nose? I’m going back to my ENT next week for a follow up. The turbinate reduction didn’t fix everything for me either and now there’s a weird bump inside my nose. I think the dryness is the biggest problem though, causing congestion at night. When do you find it hardest to breathe through your nose?

[Nozzelnut]

Just generally congested; decreased airflow which makes me immediately go to mouth breathing. Turbinate reductions only last 5-7 years and then they grow back. Fixing the septum and doing a clean out should open things up again. Unfortunately they can't expend my upper palate (because of my lower arch can't get wider) and add room to my nasal passages. Might see if we can stiffen my nostrils because they collapse too.

I've been doing sinus flushes with saline daily but that only works so well.

All this because I was treated with retraction orthodontics back in the 80's. Airway's weren't really considered back then. Wish we had gone with expansion orthodontics.

[snapdresser]

Yeah, they put spreaders in my nostrils to help last winter. I’m not sure it has tho. I think the dryness at night might be what’s causing my congestion. It can’t be allergies since I’m on allergy shots now. Hopefully your procedure in November helps!