April 18 Surgery Buddies...

[MoJo2685]

Haha the furry tongue thing was so gross. I only had it very mild. But it was what made me be so stubborn about using my normal electric toothbrush probably way sooner than I should have. I could barely open wide enough to get it in sideways. But I was not having that grossness in my mouth. My toddler toothbrush was adorable and all, but it was not doing the job.

Tomorrow will be an interesting milestone. I'm getting on a plane for a short 35 minute flight. But not sure how the pressure change is going to feel.

[runrabbitrun]

Bahaha, I side-eyed my electric toothbrush yesterday for exactly that reason. Put it on my tongue for a second, then wussed out and grabbed my cartoon-covered kids toothbrush. Sigh. I know it's not horrible and luckily it's not causing bad breath/taste, but I'll be happy when I can scrape all that crap off.

How did the flight go??

I'll be headed back to the office tomorrow. I'm more nervous than I expected. Hopefully, I can refrain from drooling all over myself.

[MoJo2685]

The flight was great. I felt the pressure change a bit in my nose. Kinda felt like air bubbles. And one little place on the left side of my jaw. I laughed because suddenly I'm that old lady that can tell the weather based on how my creaky old bones feel. The town I went to had some crazy pollution going on right now so I got to experience my first full blown allergy attack. Runny nose, felt like someone was sitting on my chest, feeling drainage down my throat all night long. But weirdly, even at the point where I was only breathing out of one side, I was getting so much oxygen. That was crazy. I was utterly miserable, but I was still amazed by that little fact. Surgery recovery is the greatest!

Oh good luck tomorrow! First day back is rough. I had so many emails to go through that day. And then everyone wants to hear your story. By the end of the day your mouth will be so tired from over use. Don't overdo it. It's a great feeling though. Getting back to a version of normal.

[MoJo2685]

I'll be headed back to the office tomorrow. I'm more nervous than I expected. Hopefully, I can refrain from drooling all over myself.

Hope the first day back went well!

[runrabbitrun]

So glad to hear that the flight went smoothly (for the most part)! Totally know the old lady feeling, the OSA gave me Reynaud's which made my hands swell up and turn purple whenever it was about to rain. SO glad I've lost that super-cool "skill" post-surgery

Obviously clear it with your doc first, but when I told mine about my allergy issues - nose running like a faucet, constant sneezing, itchy eyes - he told me I could use Flonase spray. I was kinda dubious at first because I'd already tried Xyzal, Benadryl, and Claritin and they all had basically the same effect as taking nothing, but oh my god, he was right. It's amazing. No more painful awkward open-mouth sneezes or constant snot running down my nose. I'd definitely check it out if you're still experiencing those symptoms.

First day back went pretty well, thank you! Your description was pretty spot on - lots of Q&A sessions. Everyone said I sounded different and I laughed and was like, umm yea, you mean my lisp from all the bands and bolts? But they said no, the pitch of my voice was different. Thought that was interesting. But otherwise, everyone was like, wow you look amazing - like you, but better. So that was definitely reassuring! I was a little more exhausted by late afternoon than I expected, but it's nice to be back in a routine.

[MoJo2685]

I had my annual dental cleaning/exam at my normal dentist's office today. Cleaning went about how I expected it would, pretty uneventful except when she was near my incisions then hurt like a b. Then the dentist comes in, reads my chart:
Him: So you had oral surgery in conjunction with orthodontic care in April?
Me: That's correct
Him: Oh, okay. Do you have any areas of your mouth causing any pain?
Me: We just covered that whole surgery bit so, yes.
Him: Oh. That makes sense. Any of it unusual?

It was a magical moment. ‍♀️ But on my way out random dude in the elevator told me I have a great smile. Things are starting to really look like I'm almost done with all this.

My ortho was talking about sending me to a periodontist to retract the gum over one of my front two teeth. Have any of you gone through that? Know anything about the pain levels?

[N2Deep]

I had a gum graft done once to fix a sagging gum line around a tooth. They took the healthy gum from the roof of my mouth and I had to wear a roof guard for two weeks. I would def not want to do that right now. Maybe in another month or two, but yeah, not terribly fun.

[Punakmouth]

MoJo - Long before this surgery journey started, I got some gum work done. Basically, he used a laser to take away some gum from the front teeth and make the arches of the gum tissue over the teeth look better. Totally painless for me and easy-peasy.

My daughter got braces about a year ago (we are brace faces together) and her gums are growing over her teeth. I'm so upset about it! Anyways, she will most likely need this treatment after her braces come off too.

[PierreDeFermat]

If you've had arch bars there might be some gum reduction but it will usually regrow within 2-3 weeks after having the arch bars removed. Tooth sensitivity is also normal but should subside. Sucks that you might need the graft Mojo, hope it goes well.

Speaking of arch bars, today I had mine removed and it was an interesting experience:

I was placed in sequence with oxygen, nitrous oxide, and anesthesia (without intubation). When I woke up my mouth was numb and my lips were a little bit swollen but there was no pain. I still feel as though the arch bars are in my mouth but I know it will go away in the next day or two as the swelling/numbness subsides. The entire procedure took about 20 min. I was prescribed a couple days worth of NORCO for pain and Chlorhexidine mouth rinse.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be well enough to start eating with my molars instead of just my incisors!

[MoJo2685]

Luckily for me it should just be on one tooth. My front two top teeth were angled and now that it's all straightened out, the gum on the right side is noticeably lower than the left. A girl I work with weirdly just had her entire gumline raised yesterday. She told me she was under anesthesia for it. But she was back at work today and wasn't in any pain.

[runrabbitrun]

PdF - great to hear that you're now arch bar-free! How are you feeling now? Any residual pain/swelling after the first day or two?

Mojo - My mom had to get gum grafts and it definitely doesn't sound like something you'd want to do right after bi-max. That said, it sounds like what your doc is suggesting is much less invasive. Gum-work aside, it sounds like you're healing wonderfully and almost finished with this whole ordeal!

I will hopefully have my IMF screws removed on Thursday. I experienced a lot more pain this week - probably a combo of talking more b/c I'm back in the office, and because the nerve regeneration is getting more noticeable. I know that's a good thing, but the feeling is a bit unsettling sometimes.

[MoJo2685]

Yay for losing screws! Although that does limit your ability to blend in to the bionic half people that take over the world some day...
I am realizing how exhausting re-learning to chew is. It's not so much that it hurts. But it feels weird. And I'm just not accustomed to my teeth actually fitting together. So I worry when I bite down and they meet. I just had to remind myself that that was the goal and this is how normal people eat.

[N2Deep]

I was just appreciating today the emotional rollecoaster this whole experience takes us on. I don't think there is any way to mentally prepare for the way this surgery affects your state of mind and perception of yourself. So I'd like to give you all (and myself) a pat on the back for keeping your sanity thus far. This s#$t is not for the faint of heart.

In other news, I sucessfully ate grilled salmon and some pop chips today at just shy of the 8 week mark! My molars still don't touch so it's all pre-molars at this point, and definitely weird feeling to chew, but somehow it still works .

If you're still having a hard time, I've had my doubts about every week, but hang in there just a little bit longer. It does actually get better at some point.

[MoJo2685]

N2Deep interesting. I'm about the same, I was realizing that my right side all connects, but on my left it's just my molars that connect. The premolars have a little gap. I did have two teeth removed on the bottom and the left is the side that still had a tiny baby gap pre-surgery. It's just strange.

But you are completely right about the mental roller coaster. Within two hours I change my mind 6 times about how confident I feel, how well I'm healing, how well I'm handling the whole process. Cheers to all of you to making it through your journey so far. And also thanks for being there.

[PierreDeFermat]

The arch bars may move your teeth a little but your occlusion should return to normal a few weeks after having them removed. Residual swelling may also play a part. I'm not sure about occlusal discrepancy after IMF screws but I assume it's similar.

I just saw my surgeon for my 7th week post-op visit and he said everything looks good and I can return to my normal pre-surgery routines (including lifting weights).

My gums and molars still feel very fragile and ticklish but he said that's normal and will resolve in time. I'm currently able to open to 1.5 fingers and he gave me some stretches to perform. Facial massage was also recommended to reduce long-term residual swelling. I see him again in one month.

Hope you guys are doing well