SARPE Surgery

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#811 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:57 am

I can't floss most of my uppers with the expander in, but I can floss the front 4 and that's it. Pretty crappy, but you can't floss through an expander

Maybe a syringe would work. My ortho cleaned me out and it felt so good! She gave me a syringe to take home so I could rinse round the expander (with mouthwash or jusr water, depending). It dislodges some of the food bits. Also interdental brushes work to clean about above expander (as it sits slightly beloew the palate). I can't fit those through my teeth, but I use them to dislodge food and get into the crannies of my expander. Try it out anyway

#812 Post by **badbite** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:12 am

crazybeautiful, thanks, I do both of those (syringe and brushes)very carefully. Last week I was able to floss around the expander after only a day or two of wearing it.

I hope my ortho cleans me out too (I mean besides taking all my money).

#813 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:08 pm

badbite wrote:I hope my ortho cleans me out too (I mean besides taking all my money).

I'm glad for the NHS!

#814 Post by **chipmunkcheeks** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:59 pm

hey all,

i wonder if you have a different RPE than i do, because i can floss all of my top teeth with it in. though, im getting top braces in 2 days and i anticpate that this will make it just a bit more difficult and time consuming.

i am trying to remember how soon after SARPE i started to floss again. i was really nervous to do it because my front teeth were loose and spongy and it was just plain too freaky to do.

i think i started to floss about 4 weeks after surgery when i was allowed to eat soft foods and stuff started to have the chance to get into my teeth. it was probably a month later. it is just weird because you cant feel what you are doing. i didnt know if i was pushing too hard or anything, but i was grossed out enough to go ahead and floss. you really cant do any damage, its just an odd experience that you are touching yourself and dont feel it.

if you are really concerned, you can ask the OS at your next follow up appt.

#815 Post by **badbite** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:01 am

Okay I am healing from SARPE, but now I have many other teeth that ache. Is this normal? They are all on my lower jaw (besides the four feeling they are being ripped out by this stupid expander). One tooth ached so bad that it woke me up in the middle of the night. It is really scaring me. What is wrong with my mouth?

I have only had 11 turns so far bacuase the OS siad only turn 1 time a day until my ortho appt which is tomorrow.

Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:30 am

chipmunkcheeks- My expander covers the backs of all my upper molars (it's like a piece of plastic that goes all round) so I cannot floss the molard, just my front teeth. It's crap because when I do come to be able to floss them again, my gums will be out of whack

. Well, I personally can't get the floss round the plastic, so I'm just assuming I'm not supposed to try

badbite- I can't say as I had any discomfort in my lower jaw apart from that caused by my wisdom extractions so I dunno, sorry. I wouldn't be too worried though because you're still recovering and are bound to have a few aches, even if they aren't the upper teeth.

#817 Post by **sauerkraut** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:24 pm

Badbite, sorry to hear you're still in such pain. I can't really remember pain in the lower teeth either, but it probably isn't that unusual considering how your jaws have been mauled about. You were worried about possible decay and needing fillings, though, weren't you, so I imagine it could be a good idea to let the dentist have a look when you're able, if only to put your mind at rest.

I also can't remember how soon I started flossing the upper teeth. (I really must get a diary going on here or I'll forget everything!) But I think it wasn't until a good 2 or 3 weeks after the op. I was just too nervous not being able to feel anything and the gums did bleed a bit as well. I can manage OK now, and I am also able to get at all the teeth, although round the molar bands is a bit tricky.

Chipmunk, have you got your braces now? Did it go OK, and is there room in your mouth for all that metal??!

#818 Post by **badbite** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:16 pm

sauerkraut, Unfortunately the teeth that are hurting are my "good teeth." The ortho told me it could be from clenching at night. He didn't see anyhting wrong.

If they still hurt next week, I'll call my dentist. I did havine xrays in October and everything looked good.

I have been using those picks. They are great for places you may be scared to floss.

#819 Post by **MGood** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:05 am

Well hello Sauerkraut and Chipmunkcheeks, long time no hear. It's good to hear you're doing well.
Sauerkraut, you still have the expander in, huh? I still have my TPA, it's okay, I don't love it but, I guess it's doing it's job.

Chipmunkcheeks,
How is everything? How did getting the braces on go?

I remember after my SARPE in June, I couldn't get on this board enough. I used to be so disapponted when nobody had written and now look at me, it's been a while. Everything seemed to happen so fast for a while and now things are at a standstill. I'm just waiting for my next surgery date. I saw the OS last week and he said we could probably shoot for some time in March. I say, the sooner the better.

Has anyone heard from Ward? If you're out there, let us know how you are doing.

Good luck to everyone in their recoveries.
Talk soon
Michelle

http://www.myorthojourney.blogspot.com/

#820 Post by **chipmunkcheeks** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:24 pm

hey all,

I got my braces on monday...and by far it hurt more than the bottom! i think it has something to do with the expander still being in and the fact that if one tooth that is attached moves, the other three HAVE to move since they are rigged together...super...well not really. they feel fine now. however, no NONE of my teeth fit in each other properly at the moment and tops and bottoms sort of just hit each other throughout the day and night when i sleep. that is the most annoying part. hopefully i will be gapless for the wedding im in on 2/29...ill keep my fingers crossed. anyways, i should be ready for surgery by july, no so far away considering i teach up until june 26th. that will keep me busy until the big day. i go to the OS next week to to some prelimary stuff done to figure out about how long until ill be surgery ready and he is going to put in the paperwork to the insurance (again- even though it was approved in a package this past summer) to show that the surgery is necessary. we need to get the ball rolling because i need to have the summer to recover so that i will be able to function in sept for the little kiddies.

i hope everyone is doing well and i will talk to you all later!

nice hearing from you michelle.

#821 Post by **sauerkraut** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:46 am

Good to hear from you again, Michelle & glad things are going ok. Yes, I still have the expander. I like DotCat's theory that the ortho has to repeat some of his training before he's qualified to remove it

Chipmunkcheeks, hope you're getting a bit more used to the mouth full of hardware now. That surgery date will upon you before you know it! (Which I assume is a good thing!)

Badbite, thank you, I'd forgotten about those pick things! I've been poking around the molar bands with toothbrushes, floss and interdental brushes but completely forgot I've got a whole pack of dental pick things that would make life easier!

#822 Post by **badbite** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:58 pm

Well people are definately staring at me! I feel like a big freak. I have had 19 turns and have a 5 mm gap. I am about half way done turning. I went to the store today and the clerk looked at me like I was an alien or something. I just smiled back. We went to get my duaghter new shoes (at the place we always go) and the guy thought something was majorly wrong with me.

I have a question for everyone who didn't have the braces on before SARPE. How long did all of your ortho's make you wait for top braces?

I am still having major pains and aches in my lower jaw. I am oing to a new dentist tomorrow and I am scared to death. The last dentist I went to was the one I went to with a toothache and he told me to pull it. I listened (I didn't know any better) and now my "healthy" molar is gone! After it was pulled the OS (not the one who did my surgery of course) was ranting (over and over to everyone in the office-I could hear him going from person to person showing them the toooth) on how he just pulled this beautiful, healthy tooth out of this girl's mouth. Then he tells me, "why didn't you just get the root canal?" I didn't know that would actulaly make that tooth feel better. THat was the day I stopped trusting dentists.

So sorry about my little tangent, but I am really scared to go knowing that I probably need a root canal/crown. I have major fears about loosing more teeth.

My lifelong wish right now is to be able to sleep without my mouth aching and having stabbing pains all night.

#823 Post by **bohy1b** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:47 pm

hi guys i got a few questions, any input would be appreciated.

1) i think i have got asymetrical expansion, right has expanded way more than the left (unfortunately it was already wider on that side). Does any one know whether this can be fixed? My ortho told me that this is unavoidable as there are so many factors that control rate of expansion.

2) I have expanded for 6mm, is it true that you should expect a regression of around 2mm after the expander has been removed, this would mean that my expansion has not been enough. Is this true, i would hate to have gone through all the expense and trouble of surgery for a not enough 4mm expansion (considering that one of the aims of the surgery was the broaden my smile). <-- trouble is that i have expanded more at the back than the front i think, and there is a danger that my teeth may not align property if i continue.

3) I have stopped turning for 2 weeks now, would it be too late to start turning again if my surgeon and ortho decide that i need to.

#824 Post by **badbite** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:12 pm

Meryaten, Your teeth are so nice. Do you have metal crowns? Are they more stable? I what to get what will be best in the long run for my molars in need of repair.

I went to the dentist and it looks like that pain in my jaw isn't just in my head (funny?). The same dentist wo had me pull a healthy tooth messed up my mouth real bad. He overfilled one tooth (which was supposedly corrected when brought to his attention by the ortho). Well when he supposedly "fixed" it, he broke the margin of the crown next to it, which now has decay in it. He also didn't fix the overfill(I believe the new dentist said, "WoW, that tooth has a big overhang"), which has caused an infection in that tooth along with some loss of bone. So now I need a root canal in the infected tooth (which I have to wait until the infection is healed), a crown on that tooth, and a new crown on the adjacent tooth. I really want to keep my teeth, but feel so defeated right now. I am extremely mad at that dentist!

#825 Post by **sauerkraut** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:50 pm

Wow, badbite, you've had a rough time of it. Bet you're glad you sought out a new dentist and I hope he manages to fix everything OK for you.