I am 34 years old, living in Belgium and have just had my first of two surgeries to correct the numerous problems with my mouth. As I write I am almost in tears as I am so relieved to have found this forum. Belgium is not my home country (Ireland) and it is great to finally have a chance to THIS IS SPAM REPORT TO ADMIN THIS IS SPAM REPORT TO ADMIN THIS IS SPAM REPORT TO ADMIN THIS IS SPAM REPORT TO ADMIN with english speakers about what I am going through.
Today the gap between my front teeth is 9.25mm wide and my friends have nicknamed me Mummy McPhee! The expander is due to be replaced with a retainer that is less intrusive next week and I can't wait. 10lbs lighter but feeling very self-conscious. difficult to eat and talk. I hate when the phone rings or the doorbell goes. Will need two extractions over the coming weeks and then the jaw break next year. I can't believe I chose to go through all of this.
will write again soon!
zita
relieved to find people in same situation
Moderator: bbsadmin
Welcome, Zita! Nice to have you with us 
How great that you're about to get rid of the expander!
How great that you're about to get rid of the expander!Case: Impacted canines, crowding & crossbite.
Treatment: SARPE 2004/10/6, RPE 2004/9/28 - 2005/1/31, w-arch until 2005/11/22, impacted canines extracted 2005/5/18.
Braces on: top 2005/6/2, bottom 2005/8/30.
Braces off: 2008/6/9.
Retainers, phase one: expanding Hawley retainer 24/7, bonded retainers on top & bottom.
Retainers, phase two: Hawley on top, bonded both top & bottom, positioner for night time use.
Treatment: SARPE 2004/10/6, RPE 2004/9/28 - 2005/1/31, w-arch until 2005/11/22, impacted canines extracted 2005/5/18.
Braces on: top 2005/6/2, bottom 2005/8/30.
Braces off: 2008/6/9.
Retainers, phase one: expanding Hawley retainer 24/7, bonded retainers on top & bottom.
Retainers, phase two: Hawley on top, bonded both top & bottom, positioner for night time use.
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Brandyleigh35
- Posts: 1018
- Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:25 pm
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Welcome Zita,
Sounds like we are on about the same schedule. I'm having my SARPE in about 3 hours, and I'm tenatively scheduled for jaw surgery next May. Are you needing Upper or lower jaw surgery? I need lower and I'm 41 years old so trust me I totally know what you are going through. I have a blog on my journey if you want to check it out. Best wishes and I will see you around this forum!
Brandy
http://brandysjawjourney.blogspot.com/
Sounds like we are on about the same schedule. I'm having my SARPE in about 3 hours, and I'm tenatively scheduled for jaw surgery next May. Are you needing Upper or lower jaw surgery? I need lower and I'm 41 years old so trust me I totally know what you are going through. I have a blog on my journey if you want to check it out. Best wishes and I will see you around this forum!
Brandy
http://brandysjawjourney.blogspot.com/
Never thought I'd enjoy reading about ortho work so much - thoroughly enjoyed your blog Brandy and it was as if I had written it. I guess you look a bit like a chipmunk at the moment with the swollen cheeks. It took a week for mine to go down. hope they don't have your nose plugged!
Everyone seems to be going through the same procedures but in a different order. I had the expander put in on feb 3, surgery Feb 6. It will come out Mar 8 and then I'll have extractions before the braces are put on end Mar/early April.
One thing that has helped me greatly with the dreaded 'device' is the Oral B irrigator. It sprays water into your mouth and you can also add mouthwash to the water box. It really clears out all the gunk and means you don't have to keep brushing your teeth. I also tasked my friends with coming up with different types of soup. Spicy soups taste strange cause I think they react with the metal but tomato and squash soups are a big hit with me - once all this work is done I will never eat soup again.
Take it easy,
Zita
Everyone seems to be going through the same procedures but in a different order. I had the expander put in on feb 3, surgery Feb 6. It will come out Mar 8 and then I'll have extractions before the braces are put on end Mar/early April.
One thing that has helped me greatly with the dreaded 'device' is the Oral B irrigator. It sprays water into your mouth and you can also add mouthwash to the water box. It really clears out all the gunk and means you don't have to keep brushing your teeth. I also tasked my friends with coming up with different types of soup. Spicy soups taste strange cause I think they react with the metal but tomato and squash soups are a big hit with me - once all this work is done I will never eat soup again.
Take it easy,
Zita
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Brandyleigh35
- Posts: 1018
- Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:25 pm
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Hey Zita
Glad you enjoyed the blog. I posted some pretty graphic pics of my bruising and stitches on there today. I had a hard time finding anything like this and really wanted people to be able to see what the whole process looks like. I'm sure each surgeons procedures are a bit different, but this would've been nice to see before hand for me, I think I might not have been so worried.
Yes you are right about being swollen like a chipmunk. I'm hoping the swelling will go away fast, I iced everything like crazy yesterday and have been alternating between hot and cold compresses today, hoping to benefit from my constant attention.
I feel pretty good though, no real pain so that is a big plus. I'm also so pleased with my oral surgeon, which is good cause he is also doing my eventual jaw surgery. I had heard great stuff about him, but you just never know til you get in there how it is going to go. He is/was awesome though so that was a huge plus!
Brandy
Glad you enjoyed the blog. I posted some pretty graphic pics of my bruising and stitches on there today. I had a hard time finding anything like this and really wanted people to be able to see what the whole process looks like. I'm sure each surgeons procedures are a bit different, but this would've been nice to see before hand for me, I think I might not have been so worried.
Yes you are right about being swollen like a chipmunk. I'm hoping the swelling will go away fast, I iced everything like crazy yesterday and have been alternating between hot and cold compresses today, hoping to benefit from my constant attention.
I feel pretty good though, no real pain so that is a big plus. I'm also so pleased with my oral surgeon, which is good cause he is also doing my eventual jaw surgery. I had heard great stuff about him, but you just never know til you get in there how it is going to go. He is/was awesome though so that was a huge plus!
Brandy
You're looking pretty good Brandy, puffiness goes down after about a week but you'll probably still feel numb in places as nerve endings will be regenerating (or so my doc told me). Will be interested to hear if you have lock jaw after the op. My right side still won't allow me to open my mouth more than a few cms and I don't know how the ortho plans to take out the expander.
Sometimes wish I could drink my way through this whole process and I'm not talking smoothies but I have found wine reacts with the metal, champagne and beer seem to fizz too much. Will just have to start on ocean once my body can handle more abuse!
Someone asked me the other day if I'd had a front tooth pulled - lovely! Ihave also found that one side of my face is now longer than the other and my lips are on a slant - very attractive. I know it will all be worthwhile in the end but I think someone should invent a laser that allows all this work to be done in a day, they'd make millions.
Off to feed my boys, until next time
Zita
Sometimes wish I could drink my way through this whole process and I'm not talking smoothies but I have found wine reacts with the metal, champagne and beer seem to fizz too much. Will just have to start on ocean once my body can handle more abuse!
Someone asked me the other day if I'd had a front tooth pulled - lovely! Ihave also found that one side of my face is now longer than the other and my lips are on a slant - very attractive. I know it will all be worthwhile in the end but I think someone should invent a laser that allows all this work to be done in a day, they'd make millions.
Off to feed my boys, until next time
Zita
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Brandyleigh35
- Posts: 1018
- Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:25 pm
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Hey Zita,
Yes things are going pretty well. I'm still pretty swollen, but hey its only the second day! No real pain though so that is a big plus. I go in tomorrow to the ortho to begin the keying of my RPE. I'm a little nervous about that, hopefully it won't hurt. Otherwise things seem to be moving right along. I figure by this time next week things shoud be significantly better! My lips and upper gums are starting to tingle a little bit, like when you are getting that pins and needles feeling coming off novacaine. I suppose that is a good sign that the nerves are regenerating right?
Zita when did you have your SARPE? How many weeks ago?
Brandy
Yes things are going pretty well. I'm still pretty swollen, but hey its only the second day! No real pain though so that is a big plus. I go in tomorrow to the ortho to begin the keying of my RPE. I'm a little nervous about that, hopefully it won't hurt. Otherwise things seem to be moving right along. I figure by this time next week things shoud be significantly better! My lips and upper gums are starting to tingle a little bit, like when you are getting that pins and needles feeling coming off novacaine. I suppose that is a good sign that the nerves are regenerating right?
Zita when did you have your SARPE? How many weeks ago?
Brandy
SARPE done Feb 6. Different method to yours as I had upper gums peeled back and then had 10 stiches. Not sure why!
Opeing with the key is not bad. you'll feel some tightness in your back teeth which disappears pretty quickly. For my last 4 days I was opening it 3 times a day. I noticed some tightness also in my skull, not headaches but soreness. Apparently the widening of the palate puts pressure on the skull also. Used head massage and good old painkillers.
With the key I used it would open by about half a mm with each turn so I saw the gap widen within a few days. 9.25mm was reached within 10 days. fingers crossed that I get the expander out on Weds.
Hang in there and enjoy measuring the gap.
Zita
Opeing with the key is not bad. you'll feel some tightness in your back teeth which disappears pretty quickly. For my last 4 days I was opening it 3 times a day. I noticed some tightness also in my skull, not headaches but soreness. Apparently the widening of the palate puts pressure on the skull also. Used head massage and good old painkillers.
With the key I used it would open by about half a mm with each turn so I saw the gap widen within a few days. 9.25mm was reached within 10 days. fingers crossed that I get the expander out on Weds.
Hang in there and enjoy measuring the gap.
Zita
expanders
Hi to zbbelgium and Brandy,
It's been a couple of weeks since I've been to the forum, but I am really interested about expanders, I say that because my orthodondist and my oral surgeon which is his brother, told me they will be expanding my palette with surgery because it would take much longer to use an expander because when yor older(35me) your bones take much longer to move. Maybe this is because I am having surgery to correct a couple of things, open bite, crossbite and narrow upper jaw. Did they say anything about expanding in surgery??
It's been a couple of weeks since I've been to the forum, but I am really interested about expanders, I say that because my orthodondist and my oral surgeon which is his brother, told me they will be expanding my palette with surgery because it would take much longer to use an expander because when yor older(35me) your bones take much longer to move. Maybe this is because I am having surgery to correct a couple of things, open bite, crossbite and narrow upper jaw. Did they say anything about expanding in surgery??
Billie
Be Blessed
Be Blessed
With or without the surgery you will need the expander to do the actual expansion and to maintain the gained width for a period of time when the expansion is completed. As far as I know, that is.they will be expanding my palette with surgery because it would take much longer to use an expander
Case: Impacted canines, crowding & crossbite.
Treatment: SARPE 2004/10/6, RPE 2004/9/28 - 2005/1/31, w-arch until 2005/11/22, impacted canines extracted 2005/5/18.
Braces on: top 2005/6/2, bottom 2005/8/30.
Braces off: 2008/6/9.
Retainers, phase one: expanding Hawley retainer 24/7, bonded retainers on top & bottom.
Retainers, phase two: Hawley on top, bonded both top & bottom, positioner for night time use.
Treatment: SARPE 2004/10/6, RPE 2004/9/28 - 2005/1/31, w-arch until 2005/11/22, impacted canines extracted 2005/5/18.
Braces on: top 2005/6/2, bottom 2005/8/30.
Braces off: 2008/6/9.
Retainers, phase one: expanding Hawley retainer 24/7, bonded retainers on top & bottom.
Retainers, phase two: Hawley on top, bonded both top & bottom, positioner for night time use.
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Brandyleigh35
- Posts: 1018
- Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:25 pm
- Location: Alaska
- Contact:
Billie,
Yes, visit my blog (link is under my name below) it pretty much details the whole entire process. You will still have to wear an RPE appliance. Probably from 4-6 months after the surgery and expansion turns have been done. It takes this much time for the bone to refuse and stabilize again. My husband is currently doing the turns on my appliance twice a day. I will be done expanding on Monday the 20th. The appliance isn't much fun, but it serves a purpose, and as all of us who have worn it can attest....IT WORKS! AND WE HAVE ALL SURVIVED! I started my blog as I couldn't find too much info on the SARPE before I had mine. There were bits and pieces out there, and of course a lot of info in this forum, but nothing that detailed the process from beginning to end.
Also, sounds like Zita's procedure was quite a bit different (surgery wise and expansion wise) I will be getting about 7.5 mm of expansion in 15 days. From what I have read, and been told by my ortho it is not recommended to turn more than twice a day or a 1/4mm per turn so (1/2mm a day) as the blood supply and bone can have trouble keeping up at speeds that are faster than that.
Brandy
Yes, visit my blog (link is under my name below) it pretty much details the whole entire process. You will still have to wear an RPE appliance. Probably from 4-6 months after the surgery and expansion turns have been done. It takes this much time for the bone to refuse and stabilize again. My husband is currently doing the turns on my appliance twice a day. I will be done expanding on Monday the 20th. The appliance isn't much fun, but it serves a purpose, and as all of us who have worn it can attest....IT WORKS! AND WE HAVE ALL SURVIVED! I started my blog as I couldn't find too much info on the SARPE before I had mine. There were bits and pieces out there, and of course a lot of info in this forum, but nothing that detailed the process from beginning to end.
Also, sounds like Zita's procedure was quite a bit different (surgery wise and expansion wise) I will be getting about 7.5 mm of expansion in 15 days. From what I have read, and been told by my ortho it is not recommended to turn more than twice a day or a 1/4mm per turn so (1/2mm a day) as the blood supply and bone can have trouble keeping up at speeds that are faster than that.
Brandy
Hi all, a very relieved and expander-free Zita here. Now have the arch in place and what a difference it makes. Very easy to take out and painless. Felt I had a huge mouth when it came out. Tongue needed time to settle.
I speak with a slight lisp but it is easier to understand me and food goes down much more easily - was chopping up chocolate a few nights ago and sticking it to top of mouth, such joy after all these weeks. Gap has reduced to about 8.5mm which is apparently normal. 4 teeth out next week so will have gaps equalling 1.9mm on top as of Weds! Bit worried that remaining top teeth won't fill the gap as not very overcrowded on top. Ortho wants 2 out on bottom and 2 on top so mouth more stable, whatever that means!
Hang on in there you'll be amazed how good it feels when main expander out.
I speak with a slight lisp but it is easier to understand me and food goes down much more easily - was chopping up chocolate a few nights ago and sticking it to top of mouth, such joy after all these weeks. Gap has reduced to about 8.5mm which is apparently normal. 4 teeth out next week so will have gaps equalling 1.9mm on top as of Weds! Bit worried that remaining top teeth won't fill the gap as not very overcrowded on top. Ortho wants 2 out on bottom and 2 on top so mouth more stable, whatever that means!
Hang on in there you'll be amazed how good it feels when main expander out.