Hello fellow surgery goers and beeners,
after having upper surgery and lower surgery two and a bit weeks ago, and getting a splint on my upper teeth during the surgery, I still have it in. It is driving me a little bit mad.
The post surgery ho hum has hit me today, when the orthodontist said, great, all good, let's get that splint out... next week, next Friday. Today is MONDAY. So that's two more weeks, eek. I know it's only days, but it's a long wait when every word involves a lot more spit than is humanly required and means I'll have to take another week off work (that makes it four, so I know how you feel about having to take more time off work Shani!) Roll on December 14. I just need to get on with it, I know, but this is a bit harder than I thought. And I'm STILL puffy. It's now been 16 days and anyone who knows me would walk past me in the street at this stage! I guess I'm on the puffy side!! On the positive, I am eating lots of things, and managing to puree anything that's just too tricky. tick tick tick, tomorrow will be better?
mmh
Splint still in - two weeks and counting
Moderator: bbsadmin
mmh, i am 4 weeks today and am totally sympathising with you. i have decided to try a day at work on thursday, as it is a study day so i can leave if i want to.
the splint staying in totally sucks! i got mine out at just over 3 weeks, and it was great to get it out, but just be warned, it was horrible to get it out! i cried the whole time the ortho was taking it out, and she had to take a break half way through, so it ended up taking over and hour! but it was worth it! i got really sick of the splint at 2 weeks and it felt like a week would take an eternity, but suprisingly it didnt take to long.
a bit peaved as today i went back to my GP, and she said she basically didnt know what else to do. ARGGG, doctors suck.
well, hopefully your week will fly by, just think of that time to do xmas preparations!
shani
the splint staying in totally sucks! i got mine out at just over 3 weeks, and it was great to get it out, but just be warned, it was horrible to get it out! i cried the whole time the ortho was taking it out, and she had to take a break half way through, so it ended up taking over and hour! but it was worth it! i got really sick of the splint at 2 weeks and it felt like a week would take an eternity, but suprisingly it didnt take to long.
a bit peaved as today i went back to my GP, and she said she basically didnt know what else to do. ARGGG, doctors suck.
well, hopefully your week will fly by, just think of that time to do xmas preparations!
shani
Well yes now it's Tuesday and it's nearly Wednesday I guess, so that's another day with the splint in over!! Thanks for the empathy OMJ!
Shani, oh my god over an hour to get it out! Holy moses - what went wrong?!?! You poor thing! I asked at the ortho this week, how DO you get it out? As I can't tell how it's attached, apart from the little hooks on my insides of back teeth (which scares the **** out of me as it's 'hooked' into those), but the assistant said, it's attached with three small wires, they just clip them and take it out. hmmmm, we'll see. Looks like me and Panadol have a date at 8am next Friday, prior to the 830am appt!
My work is not so thrilled with me needing another week off - I suggested that I work extra hours if I come in a week later (I work part time), or work from home next week, my boss is thinking about out! oh dear. But I really don't think I can go into work with this splint in, it's almost impossible to understand what I'm saying, so this is not negotiable from my point of view.
Oh well, time marches on!
Shani, oh my god over an hour to get it out! Holy moses - what went wrong?!?! You poor thing! I asked at the ortho this week, how DO you get it out? As I can't tell how it's attached, apart from the little hooks on my insides of back teeth (which scares the **** out of me as it's 'hooked' into those), but the assistant said, it's attached with three small wires, they just clip them and take it out. hmmmm, we'll see. Looks like me and Panadol have a date at 8am next Friday, prior to the 830am appt!
My work is not so thrilled with me needing another week off - I suggested that I work extra hours if I come in a week later (I work part time), or work from home next week, my boss is thinking about out! oh dear. But I really don't think I can go into work with this splint in, it's almost impossible to understand what I'm saying, so this is not negotiable from my point of view.
Oh well, time marches on!
all of these fun things that you didn't even imagine were going to be an issue pre op!
my splint was wired almost all the way round the top, and then she had to replace the archwire as it had been cut in OT. i think that the worst part was that my mouth is so small, so she literally had to use all her force to move my gums to get to the back, which meant that it was pulling my stitches like crazy!
but think, maybe, the longer it is, the more healed the stitches so maybe the less pain? or i hope so for you.my archwire isn't even going through my back molars because she couln't reach them, and also because she couldn't reach, i have the extra wire digging into my stitches, oh so fun! and in a week and a half she gets to do the lower wire, which im hoping will not be as bad.
good luck, and take it day by day!
my splint was wired almost all the way round the top, and then she had to replace the archwire as it had been cut in OT. i think that the worst part was that my mouth is so small, so she literally had to use all her force to move my gums to get to the back, which meant that it was pulling my stitches like crazy!
but think, maybe, the longer it is, the more healed the stitches so maybe the less pain? or i hope so for you.my archwire isn't even going through my back molars because she couln't reach them, and also because she couldn't reach, i have the extra wire digging into my stitches, oh so fun! and in a week and a half she gets to do the lower wire, which im hoping will not be as bad.
good luck, and take it day by day!
I only had mine for a week, but it was a week that sucked! It it made swallowing even harder than it was already. I also drooled a lot (and couldn't feel it because of the numbness, so had a dribbly chin unless I held a tissue to my mouth the whole time).
Taking it out was was easy for me, though - they had attached mine with wires. They were snipped and the whole thing was removed in about 2 minutes. Didn't hurt either (thanks, post-op numbness!)
Not sure what you do for a living, but speech may not necessarily be much better after the splint comes out. I struggled. If your job involves lots of talking, it would be difficult, but I returned to work 1½ weeks post-op on the understanding that I wouldn't be speaking much.
Taking it out was was easy for me, though - they had attached mine with wires. They were snipped and the whole thing was removed in about 2 minutes. Didn't hurt either (thanks, post-op numbness!)
Not sure what you do for a living, but speech may not necessarily be much better after the splint comes out. I struggled. If your job involves lots of talking, it would be difficult, but I returned to work 1½ weeks post-op on the understanding that I wouldn't be speaking much.
Braced May 2005
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008
I agree with what dubnobass has already said, as my splint was also removed after just 1 week. I can therefore sympathise with you, but there must be a good reason why it's been left in place!
I found that the week of splint wearing was probably worse than the operation itself as it stopped me eating even liquid foods properly, I couldn't take tablets properly, and because mine was fastened to my lower jaw, something as simple as taking a drink was a near impossibility.
Removal of the splint was equally simple. Mine was held in place with stiff wires which were wrapped around the little crimp-hooks on my archwire, and also the little hooks on the bands at the back. After a few little snips with the wire cutters, the splint was out - good riddance!!
Just for reference though, I can support the comments about speech. Although there was a marked improvement in the quality of my speech post-splint, it was still very difficult for people to understand what I was saying. A combination of the elastics, the severe numbness, and also the pain in some places, meant that I was still talking as though I had my mouth full!
Best of luck anyway and let us know how you get on.
I found that the week of splint wearing was probably worse than the operation itself as it stopped me eating even liquid foods properly, I couldn't take tablets properly, and because mine was fastened to my lower jaw, something as simple as taking a drink was a near impossibility.
Removal of the splint was equally simple. Mine was held in place with stiff wires which were wrapped around the little crimp-hooks on my archwire, and also the little hooks on the bands at the back. After a few little snips with the wire cutters, the splint was out - good riddance!!
Just for reference though, I can support the comments about speech. Although there was a marked improvement in the quality of my speech post-splint, it was still very difficult for people to understand what I was saying. A combination of the elastics, the severe numbness, and also the pain in some places, meant that I was still talking as though I had my mouth full!
Best of luck anyway and let us know how you get on.
wow okay more information. thanks for your support and feedback, shani, dubnobass and KriegeR - I had thought that speech would improve rapidly though! So this could be a challenge for me. (shani, I thought of you yesterday when I had a migraine nearly all day and retired back to bed with super doses of panadeine and codeine to try to numb the pain and dim the lights, I don't know how you're coping with lots of these, wish I could help there).
I have the splint out on 14 Dec (Friday) and will be back at work on Tues 18 Dec. I told work I would have to return a week later than anticipated because of the splint, and I'd be full steam ahead on Tuesday, so I guess I'll be practising talking all weekend!! Unfortunately (or fortunately?!) I have no numbness that I can pinpoint, so this may help with the speech and not help with the removal of the splint. I have elastics too (one on each side, like a triangle, not too bad at all). So it's Thursday night now, only a week to go really. I'll give you all the update when this pesky splint is OUT! Thanks again,
mmh x
I have the splint out on 14 Dec (Friday) and will be back at work on Tues 18 Dec. I told work I would have to return a week later than anticipated because of the splint, and I'd be full steam ahead on Tuesday, so I guess I'll be practising talking all weekend!! Unfortunately (or fortunately?!) I have no numbness that I can pinpoint, so this may help with the speech and not help with the removal of the splint. I have elastics too (one on each side, like a triangle, not too bad at all). So it's Thursday night now, only a week to go really. I'll give you all the update when this pesky splint is OUT! Thanks again,
mmh x
Well, everyone's experience is different. If you have no numbness, that must help. I was numb on the lower lip and chin, both sets of teeth were sitting 5mm higher up in my mouth than before, my tongue seemed really 'stiff' and hard to move (licking my lips was impossible at that stage), plus I could only open my mouth by 8mm. With all that, speech was difficult! I was also in fairly heavy elastics.
For me it was a combination of 'gottle of geer', and as though I had a boiled sweet in my mouth. I could be understaood, but it was hard work. I've only really regained normal speech in the last month, since my lower lip came back to life - again, this suggests to me that with no numbness, you may be OK.
For me it was a combination of 'gottle of geer', and as though I had a boiled sweet in my mouth. I could be understaood, but it was hard work. I've only really regained normal speech in the last month, since my lower lip came back to life - again, this suggests to me that with no numbness, you may be OK.
Braced May 2005
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008
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MikeCordell
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:48 pm
I'm definitely not trying to downplay your misfortune so please don't get me wrong. I've had my splint in for three and a half weeks and I'm looking at about three more weeks with in. Believe me I understand how miserable it can be! I went back to work three days ago and I'm at work today, they made me work my first weekend back! Go figure!!
Oh dear, you poor thing Mike! I can't imagine working with this in, but I guess if I had to have it in for six and a half weeks, I too would be back at work. I managed to scrape an extra week off, but there's no way I cuold get another three weeks off. I feel for you. I guess there's a reason why they keep it in - stability? I trust my orthodontist and oral surgeon (the surgeon said it was up to the ortho when it came out, I asked the surgeon when it was coming out the day after surgery and he said, "it's not up to me!") Good luck with the next three weeks. mmh
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MikeCordell
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:48 pm
Splint OUT - four weeks
Yippee - the splint (upper) was removed today, after 3 weeks, 6 days (okay I rounded up!). What a relief. I was praying nothing more complicated would be added, and it wasn't - only a new elastics configuration ('a box') for 6 -8 more weeks. I go back to the ortho mid Jan - maybe to change the surgical wire back to a 'lighter wire' for fine tuning. The countdown begins, I think it will be six months, I'm hoping anyway. Thanks for your support in the last few weeks while I whinged about this, and I am so thankful it's out, I smiled nearly all day, even though it still hurts a bit to smile (still swollen!). mmh x
Getting the splint off actually is a sneak preview of getting the braces off - this is the first glimpse I have gotten of the new bite, with my teeth actually showing. The top teeth look big all of a sudden! It is soooo good. Mike, I know exactly what you mean re the slurring, it just gets worse the longer you talk, sure it's something to do with saliva production (gross as that is). hang in there, three weeks to go. You will feel better when it's out!
Delag, it makes me happy too!!! And my kids, who now can have me read them a story without slurring and spitting all over the place. It is wonderful. Any progress with your decision?
mmhx
Delag, it makes me happy too!!! And my kids, who now can have me read them a story without slurring and spitting all over the place. It is wonderful. Any progress with your decision?
mmhx