Zizi's Braces & Double Jaw Surgery

[ZiziOConnor]

Who wants their skull chopped apart and bolted back together?



Me too! In ~spring 2017, I get double-jaw surgery to correct an open bite and regressed lower jaw. Probably a chin advancement too.

The journey begins with braces!


Day 1

They're on! I feel ridiculous, so I smile, and realize that my adult braces are showing, and then I feel silly and smile some more.

First, Dr Z (my dentist) detached one side of my Maryland bridge so that the two teeth on either side could move freely. She did a fantastic job -- everything looks the same from the front, totally natural, but the back is an open space. She even bevelled the edges so it's comfortable. I love Dr Z.

Then I went upstairs to Dr F (orthodontist) who did the attachment. The brackets were already laid out in a tray, and he put glue on my teeth and stuck the tray on all at once, then wait for it to set, and popped the tray off. Tada! Perfectly aligned brackets.

Well it wasn't that easy. The glue tasted like poison and it's smell filled my nose and saliva which I had to swallow for 30 minutes. I couldn't breathe and the heat gun burned me once so I "went to my happy place" which my shrink tells me is dissociation and not a good coping mechanism but whatever because YOU'RE NOT MY REAL MOM.

At first I wasn't sure where to put my upper lip, on top of the braces or in front? Answer: in front. On top looks ridiculous. Better to pout than sneer.

BRACES RULE: I'm not allowed to take NSAIDs. Whaaaaaat? Ibuprofin is like my third favourite drug! (1 allergy medication, 2 caffeine.) I stocked up on Advil because I was planning on popping them like candy. But nooooooo, NSAIDs make braces not work good. I googled it because everything's a conspiracy and everyone's a liar, but this one's totally true. No ibuprofin during braces.

My top left second premolar is insanely sensitive, I jumped out of my skin when I brushed it. I'll keep an eye on that, make sure that puppy doesn't rot away. (Update: I brushed it again and decided f** you sensitive tooth, you can rot in HELL.)

It's been 2 hours and my teeth are tired and sore like they've been lifting weights. My body is telling me, "OK that's enough time for a break". Only ~18 months to go.


Day 2

I dreamed that the brackets came off my molars. Geez, already with the nightmares. Or, wishful thinkings?

Then I woke up. Owwwwwwwww. The inside of my mouth is cut up and swollen from the ceramic braces. I think maybe I should have gotten metal. The metal braces don't seem to bother my lower lip, but the ceramic ones are scratching up my upper cheeks. Darn, ceramic was so expensive too!! Doesn't money fix everything?

I am eating acetaminophen but it might as well be toenail clippings for all the pain relief it provides. Advil, I miss you. I'm sorry you can't be my medicine any more.

[EWUgal15]

Welcome to the club!

I have to say, I wasn't ever told not to take Advil. I've taken it as needed for the last year in braces (today is my banding anniversary) and my teeth have moved exactly how they were supposed to. It was estimated that I would have surgery in early 2016 (January-February range), but I was cleared for surgery in September, with the actual procedure taking place in a little over two weeks. I think as long as you take Advil sparingly, you should be fine. The first month or so is the hardest because you're still adjusting to having the braces in your mouth. After the first month, you'll likely have discomfort after an adjustment that will last 2-3 days, but after a while, it becomes pretty routine and you don't notice it.

[ItsFreyja]

Welcome and hang in there! It gets a lot better after the first week. Use dental wax liberally on the brackets that are cutting up your cheeks; it happens to everyone but the tissue heals quickly and toughens up after that.

[metalliKa]

Welcome! In my opinion, the first two weeks are the toughest as your mouth is adjusting to something foreign. You will develop ulcers pretty early on so use wax if you must! With that said, the journey is pretty exciting. And the folks here are awesome for support. Keep us up to date on your progress with pictures...we like pictures here at AW.

[ZiziOConnor]

You people are nice like Mr Rogers! I love you guys.

You were so right about the wax. Once the top brackets were covered everything immediately felt better. I'll do those salt-water rinses too, great idea.

My ortho gave me enough wax for 5 coverings. I will need to secure more wax soon. Do they sell it at well-stocked drug stores? I found somewhere online that sells a 18-month supply of wax for $100. I'm thinking, maybe.

I timed myself flossing, it took 20 minutes. Twenty! I set up a flossing station in front of the TV. My husband watched me and said, "I don't think you're going to want to do this for much longer." I was like, "it doesn't matter what I want. Flossing is my life now. This is just what I do."

[ItsFreyja]

My ortho gave me enough wax for 5 coverings. I will need to secure more wax soon. Do they sell it at well-stocked drug stores? I found somewhere online that sells a 18-month supply of wax for $100. I'm thinking, maybe.

I timed myself flossing, it took 20 minutes. Twenty! I set up a flossing station in front of the TV. My husband watched me and said, "I don't think you're going to want to do this for much longer." I was like, "it doesn't matter what I want. Flossing is my life now. This is just what I do."

The little packs of wax are definitely available at the drug/grocery stores in my area for like $1-2 a pack. I usually ask my ortho for a new pack when I go in for adjustments too. I have only gone through it super quickly at the beginning and this one time when I fell and tore up the inside of my lip/cheek, but every once in a while I still need some after sleeping on my face weird.

Flossing gets better too. One Archwired Braces Hack(TM) is to tie the end of the floss to the eye of the threader. I also had to try a few different brands/types of floss because my steel ties tend to shred cheap woven floss and make a huge mess.

[lilyflower]

Welcome and I love your sense of humor and writing style - please post more!

Regarding the taste - I have invisalign attachments which apparently are put on the with same type of glue and I likened it to nail polish remover in terms of taste which my ortho found hilarious because she couldn't imagine someone knowing with nail polish remover tastes like. I explained that I sometimes would remove nail polish and have the residue on my fingers and put them in my mouth after (I was a bad nail biter for 20 years and until recently would still bite on hangnails).

Best of luck on your jaw surgery!

[nitro]

Flossing is my life now. This is just what I do

This is so accurate. I, fortunately only have brackets on my bottom teeth. The blessing and curse is I can still quickly floss the top and remind myself of what I'm missing out on with my bottom teeth. Welcome to the team!

[ZiziOConnor]

That trick about tying the floss to the threader -- genius! I save valuable seconds on each floss.

After a month of braces, my teeth moved enough and my bite is different. My top and bottom teeth touch on the left side, which never used to happen, and now I have a whole new type of hurt going on on that side. The lower jaw bone is sore from the new pressure.

My braces tried to kill me last night. A piece of wax fell off a bracket and went straight for my windpipe. I woke up coughing and choking. I think I'm going to skip the wax for a while, see if the scratches and ulcers come back. Maybe I'm tough enough now?

[buffon85]

i loved your post! keep us updated!!
yes its like they are lifting weights for hours!! but it will go away!!

(i also love my signature today )

[ortho1234]

I can relate. I am wearing upper and lower metal braces with 12 metal bands on my molars. I just got my surgical hooks put on every single tooth, so major metal mouth. Wearing cervical headgear too. Went Christmas shopping with all the tinsel, that is on my teeth.

[ZiziOConnor]

I broke a bracket!

I was brushing my teeth the day after Christmas and a bracket suddenly detached. I was like OH NO EMERGENCY so I called Dr F's office (orthodontist) and left a message (like, DOCTOR F! OH NO!) for an appointment.

Apparently this is no big deal. I was scheduled to come in mid-Jan anyway, they said I could get it re-tatched then.

Until then I used wax to anchor the loose bracket to its neighbour so it would stop annoying me. I am so clever.

Dr F can be sarcastic (in a good way). When I said I broke it brushing my teeth he replied, "oh right, sure. I love when patients tell me that," while applying 100 x toothbrush pressure to a bracket to unlock the wire. He explained what probably happened was I broke it on something else but didn't notice until I brushed. "Oh, that's might be right," I said.

This is my first "tightening" (which is a whole new, stiffer wire) and my teeth hurt all over again.

OH! My surgery date is set. Dr F said he thinks I'll be ready in a year, and I can ask the surgeon to book me for Jan - Feb 2017. Woo!!

[ZiziOConnor]

Oh man my teeth are moving. The formerly tipped lower molars tucked in nicely and the front bottom teeth now make a lovely curve.

My very back top right molar is tipped way the hell out (courtesy of my childhood orthodontist). It's supposed to be moving in, but it's actually pulling its neighbour out with it. Imma point that out to Dr F next appointment.

My face aches. Like only a 1.5 on the pain scale, but all. the. time. I understand why teething babies cry. It's relentless. I feel like crying.

New thing! Dr F said I am getting a TAD next appointment. My top molars are over-erupted. I youtube'd the procedure and died laughing. He's going to give my teeth a wedgie! I'm looking forward to this. It'll help a bit with my open bite. Whee!

[ZiziOConnor]

Got my ceph & pan today. What do you think?

Oct 7 2015 CEPH BEFORE-small.jpg

Oct 7 2015 PAN BEFORE-small.jpg