SARPE Surgery

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#826 Post by **badbite** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:18 pm

Meryaten, Thank you for that response. It is nice to hear from someone who understands, and can give me some hope. I think I might try for the metal/gold crowns this time even though they are on the lower jaw and they might be seen. I want to go for what is best for my bite and keeping my teeth. I am sure gold crowns are a fortune, but what does it matter if I already owe more than I can ever pay (not really, but it will be a very long time before all of this is paid for).

The weird thing is that that incompetent dentist never had to do anything to my top teeth, and guess what----they are all fine! No aches (not even after SARPE) or crowns/root canals needed.

#827 Post by **badbite** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:00 am

Okay, it's me again. My lower jaw is feeling somewhat better (down to 1 ibruprofen every 4-5 hours). I guess the nerves must be really inflamed because they are still tingling/burning. I go for my root canal in two weeks.

On the up side ---I went to the Ortho today. I was completely shocked when he said no more turning.

I had a total of 28 turns (7 mm), which is less than I thought I would, but I guess I am only looking at the front my mouth. He thought the front of my mouth is borderline ready, but my molars are almost pushed too far out. He said it should even out with the braces. Has anyone else experienced this?

No one answered my braces question a few posts back (how soon did your ortho put on the braces after SARPE?), but that is okay. My ortho told me no braces until expander is out. Is that normal? I know my ortho is on the conservative side. I go back in two months to check my bone healing/growth or whatever. If all looks well, 4-6 weeks after that I will get the brcaes and loose the expander.

At this rate I may not get my bottom braces until the holidays!

I would love to hear updates on all the SARPE people, new and not so new to the surgery.

#828 Post by **wardenclyffe** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:08 pm

Hey All,

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. There just wasn't a whole lot to say.

I went to the ortho today. I've been using elastics (rubber bands) for the past couple of months and they have pretty much closed my open bite. It's pretty cool. It's weird, though. I'm accustomed to having lots of rapid changes in my mouth, but with the elastics, those changes can happen over the course of hours or minutes. When the elastics are on, everything seems to held in place where it should be. When the elastics are off, things start sprining back to where they were. This is a good lesson for those of us who are in a hurry---springback happens. Just because you get something where you want it, that doesn't mean it will stay there if you remove the ______ (fill in the blank---braces, expander, TPA, elastics, etc.).

I needed a root canal after my SARPE (actually, it was half before and half after). I wasn't in pain, and it sucked that it had to happen, but the X-ray clearly showed the infection. Again, it sucked, but no worse than if it had happened at any other time.

My incisors have started meeting (occluding top and bottom). This has not happened in decades, and I don't like it. Since I had an open bite, my top and bottom front teeth had no contact. Now they do, edge to edge, and it sucks. My ortho is working on getting the lowers slightly behind the uppers the way they are supposed to be.

To whoever was asking about uneven expansion, don't worry too much about it. Mine expanded very unevenly, but it's settling in symmetrically.

They did a whole bunch of tightening and added spacers in front of my last molars which they are going to band in about a week, so everything in my mouth hurts right now. Nothing too bad, and it'll be fine tomorrow. Just whining a little. Just a heads up to the beginners here----the whining never ends.

Enough!
Ward

#829 Post by **PastorHeather** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:59 am

Hey there - Badbite - Don't know if its normal or not but I am going in tomorrow to get upper and lower braces put on along with my expander. Then I have my surgery on Tuesday next week. So, when I turn I will have my braces on. Does anyone know if I will get a space between my front teeth even with the braces on? -

#830 Post by **badbite** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:33 am

Yes, you will. You need to read Brandy's blog. It is really good and informative.

#831 Post by **wardenclyffe** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:58 pm

I don't mean to brag, but I keep getting really lucky. I mean, it's unlucky to need SARPE, but beyond that, things seem to be going really well. I'm about 99% off the hook for needing more surgery. I was originally scheduled to have Lefort 1 surgery, but it's pretty clear that I'm not going to need it now.

I go to a school for orthodontia, so my Dr. is actually a student (she's already a DDS). On Thursday, I was in to see her. Her supervisor asked what my finish date was supposed to be (it's more than two years away). The supervisor said that I was going to beat that date by a mile---that I would be breaking records.

Also, I have escaped the dreaded TPA (sort of). I was in on Thursday to get a removable retainer that will act as a TPA. So I still have an appliance in my mouth to keep my palate from collapsing back to where it was, but I can remove it if I have an important meeting or something, and I can take it out to clean it. It looks just like any normal retainer---clear, pink.

I'm going out of town for a couple of months because a show I'm directing is going to New York City, and we thought that it might slow my progress down a lot. My ortho was worried about putting in too heavy a wire to compensate for the time I'd be gone. She tried putting it in and it went in easily, and so far so good. I hope this luck keeps holding out, but knowing me, I'm just hours away from losing my new retainer.

Thought I'd contribute some good news. I hope everyone else is making progress.

Ward

#832 Post by **sauerkraut** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:42 am

Glad to hear that things are going well, Ward. I was pleased to hear that I'm not the only person getting a removable retainer when the RPE comes out. I thought the usual procedure was TPA and/or full brackets straight after the expander is removed so it came as a bit of a surprise when my ortho said I'll just be getting the removable expander for a while. That's just a temporary measure, tho, while he rethinks his treatment plan to see if we might be able to avoid further surgery. I'm hoping I can follow your example, Ward!

#833 Post by **Delag** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:15 pm

A quick quesion for all SARPE people....what diet were you given post op? I was just told I would be no chew for a full 6 weeks. That seems a bit much but perhaps I am wrong.

#834 Post by **badbite** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:03 pm

Hi Delag, I am so happy that you are finally getting your surgery. I was told to eat anything I want. If my jaw/teeth felt tired to stop. It took a week to get past liquids and Mashed potatoes. It took a few weeks for me to be able to chew (I still have problems eating some things), but I have other "teeth" problems and am missing tooth #30. I am not supposed to chew on # 18 which is why it is hard to eat.

I remember Brandy saying she ate Pizza with in three weeks of SARPE.

Again, congrats on finally getting a date!!!

#835 Post by **Delag** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:35 pm

Thanks for the quick reply badbite. Yes, I am quite happy that it is my turn - I just want to be done, or at least closer to done. I am keeping my fingers crossed that nothing will mess this up. Right now I have two sick kids (am popping Airborne like crazy), and DH is having some medical problems that might also muck this up. Keep your fingers crossed for me too

Thanks for the info on your diet. I thought my OS was being a bit over the top on this one. Sorry to hear you are sill having problems with your #18 - I will be sending good chewing vibes your way as well

#836 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:20 am

I was eating most things I did pre-op on week 2, to be honest. Sure, I can't manage a pizza crust or anything really hard, but I wasn't particularly restricted for more than the first week (I got bored or soup after 2 days, went to stuff like beans on toast, or tuna and jacket potatoes...)- and that was due to the RPE being a pain in the arse, rather than pain or numbness.

You really don't need a liquid diet after SARPE, unless you are in too much pain to chew....but is it that bad? Maybe I just didn't experience much pain *shrugs*

Good luck anyway, Delag

MTA: Yay, just seen only 11 days left in this RPE for me

#837 Post by **wardenclyffe** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:44 am

You can probably eat whatever you want. I predict that you won't want to eat a lot of solid food. It's a pain. Not a physical pain, just a pain in the *#%. The food gets stuck in the expander and it's hard to get out. Your entire mouth feels loose like you can't really trust it. It just ends up being more psychologically comfortable to stick to soft foods for a while. I ate a lot of soup. Anything bread-like turns into cement in the expander. I found that small pieces of banana and applesauce helped to clean out the expander. Also, an oreo held in milk for a while slides down easily. I would say, eat like a pig in the days before your surgery and then enjoy the weightloss you will experience post-op.

Ward

#838 Post by **Delag** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:14 pm

Thanks CrazyB and Ward! Great news about the RPE CB! I suspect Ward has the right of it - I may be able to eat more than my courage allows. I am eating a pretty soft diet most of the time now anyway because my bite is so off. As it turns out I will have to tkae a trip one week post op, so I may have to be more creative than I had thought.

Dh and I have been seeing a nutricionist for the last couple of months and we have both lost some weight already (I am only 2 kilos from my goal - yea me). I told DH that I NEED to go out the night before I get the RPE and eat a lot of bad for me food and maybe even have a couple of margaritas. If DH wont eat with me then he will just have to watch

I am also planning lots of other goodies in the next couple of days.

#839 Post by **Delag** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:59 pm

So, I took my DD to the orthodontist today and I walked out with my RPE! Turns out the old one still fit so I got to get it in early - yipee. I have to say I am a little claustrophobic . I have a narrow airway and the way the expander sits (seem to be a little more in front) my tongue shmooshes up in to the soft palate and I feel like I can't breath well. I am a bit worried about how to swallow pills with this gizmo as well.

I feel like the little engine who could....I think I can, I think I can I think I can....

#840 Post by **badbite** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:01 pm

Delag, You'll get used to it. It took me a while to be able to swallow at all. I can swallow pills now -even without water. My expander is very low also. I can actually stick my tounge up through it, but it is not comfortable, and it doesn't help me eat.

CONGRATS!! You are on your way!

Metal Mouth Message Board

SARPE Surgery

Braces and Expander before SARPE