April 2010 Buddies

Message

#181 Post by **Hyrule** » Mon May 31, 2010 7:07 am

24braceface wrote:How long after surgery do you have to wear braces?

I will have to wear braces almost 2 years in total. I didnt wear brace before SARPE. I will also have to have 4 teeth extracted because even with SARPE my mouth is overcrowded.

#182 Post by **nineeyes** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 10:58 am

Thought I'd add an update. I just had another visit with the ortho and he doesn't want me in the bands any more. He mentioned he wants to allow a little bit of movement on the bottom so I'll be rubber band free for at least a month. The box bands I put on my back molars seemed to work quick as the ortho seemed pretty satisfied with how they meet now.

Thought I'd share some before and after shots as well. I was able to get a copy of some record pictures taken prior to my surgery. The "after" pic was done by me, so there are a lot of weird shadows in there.

#183 Post by **Audra** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:45 am

Wow! Your teeth look great.

#184 Post by **nineeyes** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:05 pm

Thanks Audra.

How are you doing? You are about a month and a half out of surgery now right?

#185 Post by **LAJaw** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:30 pm

Nineeyes,
I noticed that you have a segmented upper arch wire in your "before" picture. Was your upper jaw surgery a 3-piece Lefort? I ask because my upper arch wire has the same config (cut between canines and pre-molars). I was only braced a little more than a month ago. Ever since I've been staring at my teeth everyday trying to figure out how my front teeth are going to move properly if they're not tied to the rest of the upper arch

#186 Post by **Audra** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:01 pm

Hi nineeyes,

Yep - I was 7 weeks post-op yesterday, and I'm doing pretty good. My bite has closed with the elastics so I'm curious to see what the orthodontist will do at my next appointment on June 14th.

Swelling has gone down considerably now, though I still have a little bit left. My chin is still numb, but I'm getting more feeling back in my lower lip. The most annoying thing right now is the soft tissue swelling at the back of my mouth on both sides. I end up biting into my cheek when I eat, so that gets pretty sore.

#187 Post by **nineeyes** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:03 pm

Hi LAJaw,

Yes the upper was a 3 piece. The ortho mentioned to me that he did that because he wanted the front four teeth to be brought down surgically. The teeth did straighten out and were pulled closer together a bit, but no vertical movement. I've had braces twice before so they were pretty straight when I started.

#188 Post by **cvn** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:13 am

Looks great nineeyes!

My face is still pretty fat because of the bone grafts. It's pretty lame, but it's getting better. Worst was yesterday was my 30th birthday and I couldn't eat (Cant for another 3 weeks probably), and I'm not allowed any booze because of some of the meds I'm on. Lamest 30th birthday ever. Otherwise things are ok. I'm working full time and only just stopped feeling like a tired lameboat about 10 days ago, once I started taking iron pills. My teeth are still going all british on me where the surgeons cut the brackets, but they arent worried about it. Overall they seem happy with it still, so I'm still hoping it shall all go well!

#189 Post by **descantus** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:41 am

Nineeyes - thats not the same mouth! Only kidding your results are stunning

Audra - ooh your ortho might give you an indication of your end date! Fingers crossed for you!

As for me I still have a little swelling around my nose and mouth, though it's getting hard to tell what's swelling and what's just my face. The surgeon has given me my own face back but with improved so i'm happy. I've also cut about 9 inches off my long hair - it's gone from waist length to shoulder length. I used to hide behind it due to underbite insecurity but not anymore. New chin = new beginning = new hair!

#190 Post by **Audra** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:03 am

Descantus - I hope you are right. They said it's typically 4-6 months of braces after surgery, but I might be shorter time because they did all the detailing with a Suresmile wire before the surgery. The ortho ordered the exact same Suresmile wire (with all the same bends in it) to put in at my appointment on June 14th, so I'll have the exact same wire I've had since DECEMBER, but without all the surgical hooks on it. So looking forward to no hooks catching on my lips all the time.

#191 Post by **revolutionary** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:48 pm

Audra - the hook catching on my lips were the worst! I got a sore at one point

Descantus - you look absolutely amazing. I also had surgery for an underbite, and cut my hair - I discovered I can pull off a pixie cut and feel confident!

Best of luck for your debanding and debracing, April crew.

...March, out. ^_^

#192 Post by **Audra** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:48 pm

I've been having some pain in my lower right jaw for the last week (I also had this immediately after surgery for a few weeks). It has made it difficult for me to eat as I get stabbing pains in my face when I do anything - eat, drink, smile, talk, etc. He took a look and told me the plate will need to come out. He took a CT and we looked at it. He said it didn't look infected, but he gave me some antibiotics anyway to see if it would help (he said it probably wouldn't). He noted that the plate is up a bit high and said that I probably have tissue that is rubbing against it, which makes sense because that's what it feels like.

So, the plate is coming out. He doesn't want to do it at only 8 weeks post-op as the bone is not healed enough. So I have some T3's to take when the pain is bad. He'll take it out on July 15 in his office under IV sedation and I should be OK within "a few days". We'll see.....

#193 Post by **descantus** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:33 am

Hi Audra, really sorry to hear that! It must be so frustrating to have another jaw thing to deal with before moving on

So did you surgeon give you any idea when he might perform the procedure?

#194 Post by **descantus** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:50 am

Sorry, ignore me! I just spotted the date in your post. How annoying that it's over a month away, i'm sure you just want it done and over with.

Hope the pain doesn't cause you too many issues in the meantime. Just try and stay focused and remember that another few weeks is no time in the grand scheme of things...

#195 Post by **trish222** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:25 am

Hi Audra,
I will be 1 year post-op, upper, lower and genio on July 22nd. I, too had to have one plate removed with hardware on one occasion, in office, and then hardware in the back that had to be removed in the hospital, out-patient. It surely is a pain but one that unfortunately has to be done. I try to keep it light and say_"hey my body rejects anything foriegn in it-I'm just glad I didn't go for the boob job too! I am still undergoing physical therapy for jaw mobility but on the upside-I have no more jaw or ear pain or clicking! I'll keep you in my prayers!