I AM HAVING RPE SURGERY

[crazybeautiful]

Well I have 2 months, 1 week and 2 days until my expander is removed- which still seems too long. I went through a faze where the expander annoyed me all the time; I kept biting my cheeks and the lumps from my wisdom teeth removal (btw, anyone know if these lumps will gradually go?), then my teeth would hurt, and just everything would annoy me. But it fluctuates, and it will gradually lessen and you'll cheer up, trust me! Just think the end result will be so good, the journey will be worth it.

Try not to think too much about it anyway, and before you know it you'll be having it removed. I will be so glad to be able to pronounce everything again. I've asked others- but can you say the letter 'q' or 'k' properly? It's amazing how often I want to use words with these phonetics, only to be asked 'what did you just say?!?' Now that's annoying!

[badbite]

I think my lisp is baout 85-90% gone. I can say q and k now. The only words that are hard for me are ones where you put your toung against the back of your front teeth (like thee jur sound -so when someone asks what happened to me and I tell them surgery -they don't know what I am saying). I have a 7mm+ gap right now which means bascially no front teeth.

I should have my RPE out wihin 14 weeks if all goes well! I can't wait to get this stupid thing out. I HATE IT. My traget is May 15th. At the same time I will finally get my upper braces.

crazybeautiful, Do you have your braces? I don't remember if you do or not. How long did you have to wait? My ortho is making me wiat until RPE is out so the bone will be pretty solid.

[NAJ78]

My ortho is putting on my braces while I still have the expander in, talk about not being able to pronounce anything or eat . I don't how many mm my front teeth have expanded and I am scared to hear 7 mm that sounds like alot dammm. Oh well I guess I will find out on my next ortho visit. My stitches have not all dissolved yet and it still hurts after I eat. It's hard to keep my mouth closed also. How do you guys keep your mouth closed or you just don't? I don't know when I am getting this out I am estimating June or July. I will count the days until then.

[crazybeautiful]

badbite- No braces for me either until the RPE is out. I do however, have molar bands on my bottom molars, simply so I wouldn't have to have spacers again- they are just sitting there waiting for my braces
But I guess the safe approach is sensible

I have an appointment in April, then one a week later. I know I'm having a TPA fitted on the first app. so perhaps the next week I'll have my braces. Anyone know how long you wear a TPA for? I'm sure I was told, but I've slept since then

NAJ78, I expanded 10mm

My stitches came out fairly quickly, though afterwards, I had very sharp, throbbing pains in one side of the gum line for a few days. Really hurt! If some are lose, give them a little pull- be gentle of course, but if you feel them coming out they will easily- if they are still tight, leave them. As for closing my mouth...hmm...I think I could with no problems. Is this because of swelling, or can you just not close it? I have a nice open bite now (none of my teeth at the right side, right round to canine at the left!- touch) though

[NAJ78]

Ok I am really felling like this whole thing was a mistake. I have a temporary crown in my mouth that the expander is resting on one side of my mouth. I have noticed that since I have been turning the expander that the cap has been lowering and it is moving the expander. Like if I bite I can put the tooth up and down . So I figure my expander is not supposed to be sliding downward so I call my ortho. I find out that tomorrow I have to go to my regular dentist to try correct the cap before the expander falls out with the cap. My orhto said he would meet me at the dentist office which is great but I am sure they are going to have to uncement the expander take out the temp cap replace it with a new one and then put the expander back in and I still have my stitches in and my mouth is still really sensative. I am really pissed and wished I had never gone through the whole thing. I am sorry if this upsets anyone that is going to having the surgery or getting an expander put in but I am pissed. The only thing that is on the bright side of all of this is that my dentist works on a Sunday and that my ortho lives near by and said he would go to his office so they could both fix this. Will update everyone tomorrow but I am royally pissed off.

[badbite]

NAJ78, I was thinking 7mm dosen't seem like much. I am worried that the ortho is not expanding enough. I am having a hard time too. I can still not close my mouth well. Expanding a crossbite will shift your teeth in a way that makes this hard to bite down on anything, let alone close your mouth. Also I have toung thrust really bad right now (due to having nowhere to go) and my front teeth stick almost straight out (well it feels like it anyway). So along with an 8mm gap now (I have no idea why it is bigger -since I stopped turning last week), I feel like a major freak. I also have staining between alot of my front teeth so they look disgusting.

I have a loose band on my expander and the ortho will not take it out and recement it! He said it can do more damage to take it out now than to leave the loose band and hope for the best. I hope he is right. That tooth will probably be totally rotten by May. You have a different situation though because you tooth as actually coming off.

I have a major tooth ache due to an incompetent detist who has ruined my entire bottom jawull of teeth (plus had me extrect a healthy tooth). I need thousands upon thousands of $$$ worth of dental work done because he messed up three fillings and had me pull that one tooth that should have never been pulled. Minimal a root canal, two new crowns and a new filling. I may end up loosing more teeth because of the "work" he did to my teeth. I am missing a molar and dealing with an infection on the entire left side of my jaw from his screw-ups.

So I can feel your pain. I try to tell myself that I can't change what has already happened. I can only deal whith things as they come along. One by one. In the long run, teeth problems only get worse. If your jaw was bad enough to warrent SARPE, you should with out a doubt be glad you are doing this now. My OS actually told me he is surprised my bad bite has not smashed all the teeth out of my lower jaw. That is what I try to think about now. This will be better for me in the long run.

[NAJ78]

Badbite,
Ok I thought I had it bad, you just made me see the light. I went to the dentist today and both Dentist fixed everything. I had two men working on me at the same time I was like WOW.LOL My orhto had to actually take out my expander while my other dentist fixed my cap. They had to unturn my expander and my ortho had to actually put in a partial of my braces on that side of the cap to secure it so it won't come undone again. I am actually lucky to have a great Ortho who took time on his day off to come and help me not to mention he just had a baby and has his own family obligations. He took me back to his office to put in the partial braces so I would not have to come back next week which of really nice. Good bedside manner is a plus in a dentist I have 4 of them, my ortho, my surgeon, my regular dentist and my periodontist talk about alot of men in my life.LOL I feel alot better now that it is fixed so I can continue my journey of expansion. The only downside is that I guess my front teeth are so fragile that when the fixed the cap and turned back the expander my gap also went away, so I have to start almost from the beginning again. Thank God it was only a weeks worth of turning so not all is lost. If I were you I would switch dentist if you are having so much trouble or doubts. Second opinions never hurt I learned that the hard way. Hope your journey becomes less stressful.

[badbite]

Oh, I am going to a new dentist now. He is very good and very expensive. Of course I have no detal insuarnce whatsoever. I knew that other dentist was not quite right. When he starting messing up, I didn't know what to do. No new dentist wanted to see me. They would all say go back to the "bad" dentist and have it fixed there for free. All the new dentists wanted to "start from scratch" with new xrays, cleanings, and everything. I didn't want to do that. I just wanted them to look at what hurt. Well I finally had enough. Too bad for me I lost that tooth and have at least three other teeth in bad shape now. I finally found someone would would take me as an emergency and that is how I found out about the big infection I have now in my jaw.

Well now I'll really be paying for that cheap dentist. I have been in pain since March of last year. Not always the same spot, different teeth-different infections. Everyday I wake up knowing that something in my mouth is going to hurt. So to me the whole SARPE has not been a big deal. I do HATE this stupid expander though.

Sorry you lost your expansion. That is probably why my ortho doesn't want to remove my expander. It really isn't that loose, but it does jam into my gum line and it still scares me what kind of bacteria is underneath that band. I can't imagine having it like this for three more months.

I am glad you got everything fixed. You should start feeling better now.

[NAJ78]

BADBITE

Glad you have got yourself a new dentist that can help you. I have learned that sometimes a little bit more money goes a long way. I love my ortho now, at first I was a little skeptical as anyone would be with a new dentist that they don't know and I had no recommendations I just found him online, but he is truly great. I spoke to soon thinking everything was ok. Right after I posted I heard a pop sound in my mouth. The new braket he put in to reinforce my cap came out and I had a metal wire hanging from the back of my mouth. Talk about having heart palpitations I was going crazy. Thankfully yesturday he told me about his paging system that I didn't know about and he called me back at 12 midnight thankfully and told me how to pull out the wire with a cuticle cutter or a nail clipper. The cuticle cutter worked best FYI if anyone comes across a problem like this.LOL I know gross but I got the wire out so now I have no extra reinforcement. I turned the expander this morning and so far so good we will see what happens tonight and tomorrow. I will be so happy just like you when this thing is out but that wont be until July I have a long way to go.

[PastorHeather]

NAJ78 - Thanks so much for the detail re: your expander and surgery. I am getting upper and lower braces and my expander put in on Valentines day which is fast approaching. Then on Tuesday the 19th its surgery time. I can't believe they would turn the expander before you have surgery - it seems like there would be no way for the teeth to move. Guess I'll find out. Needless to say, at this point I am a bit nervous. Trying to remain positive, I have a good support system and lots of time off from work, but I can't stand the fear of the unknown. I have been having dreams about people chasing me trying to kill me - I think it is about knowing that people are going to hurt me in the next week. Anyway - thanks for the info everyone. I will avoid the cheese!

[badbite]

Just to show anyone interested, I will try to upload a pic of my space!



Pretty goofy huh?

[NAJ78]

PASTORHEATHER

You are soo welcome. After being two weeks now post surgery I look back and think wow that was easy I could def do it again. The day of the surgery I was not soo nervous I just kept the Rocky song in my head and it actually helped. LOL If anything my parents made me more nervous than I was which in turn started to make me nervous. I don't know how old you are but I am 29 and I know parents love their children more than anything but right before surgery with all the I love you's I was like ok you are making me sick, the last time I think they said I love you I was in kindergarden.LOL I was like I am not dying.LOL

The reason why they turn the expander when they place it is so that they know if is functioning properly. The last thing you want is the surgeon to find out that your expander is not working while you are in surgery. Just take two or three motrin before you go in for the expander and you should be fine. Let me know how it goes on 14th that is a hard day to have an expander put in.

I went back to work in a week I felt ok and I didn't want to get into that lazy feeling. I just took it easy but I have a sit down job so it makes healing a little easier. Keep me posted and good luck with the expander.

[badbite]

PastorHeather, I did before surgery and still have dreams that me, my family, and all my friends go to the city. They keep disapeering one by one until I am standing in the middle of a big city all alone, with no money, no ride, nothing! Then it is dark and I have nowhere to go.

BTW, I have a demanding job working with small children all day. I had my surgery on a Friday and went back on Tuesday. I would suggest a week off though. It was hard. Oh and I am 32 and my Mother was not happy I am doing this to myself.

My expander was not turned until during surgery. I have had no headaches or problems haivning it turned. It is actually exciting knowing you are a bit closer to that big smile.

I think the hardest thing to eat is noodles!

[NAJ78]

BADBITE
WOW That is some gap I can't wait to have mine in full blown action we should start a secret society I guess this is as close as we are going to get.LOL

I also have grown accustomed to turning the expander its like clock work in the morning, hair, makeup, turn expander.LOL

I thought it was just my mother who was crazy and tried to talk me out of it I guess all mothers are the same. I think it was more of the fact she didnt want to be at my beck and call.

I guess every case is different I find comfort in noodles with the expander but only like chef boy ardee spaghetti or spaghetti oohs they are soo soft its almost like soup for me I can just slurp it up.LOL

[badbite]

Okay I am obsessed with checking my gap now everyday. It was almost 8 mm, and is now 6 mm. Everywhere I go people say the same thing, "What happened to you?" Whe I expalain it, NO ONE understands. They act like "why would you do that to yorself?" Of course most of these people have had ortho work done when they were young and have great teeth now.

I really am glad to have you all or I may go crazy.