MARCH 2011 BUDDIES

[kelhuntley]

Okay – so I’ve been having a REALLY weird sensation inside my mouth whenever I brush my teeth. When I brush my left hand side teeth it feels like there is a VERY taught rubber band inside my cheek going into my chin and it feels like the toothbrush is stretching that rubber band EVEN MORE, when it is down that side of my mouth. Does that makes sense? I’m freaking out that I’m stretching a nerve or something that I’m not meant to be every time I brush my teeth!! Anyone else have this??

[I love my teeth]

Kel-

I've had it and continue to have it...I think it's the incision--when it heals and the sutures fall out, its leave skin that is taught together......and very, very tight. can you get in there yet to look? once you do, you will see it feels way worse than it is.....if you can't get in there, can someone else do it with a flashlight? Your mind will ease when you can actually look in you mouth! 3months postop I still have that tight skin feeling in my mouth
christine

[suzanna]

Okay – so I’ve been having a REALLY weird sensation inside my mouth whenever I brush my teeth. When I brush my left hand side teeth it feels like there is a VERY taught rubber band inside my cheek going into my chin and it feels like the toothbrush is stretching that rubber band EVEN MORE, when it is down that side of my mouth. Does that makes sense? I’m freaking out that I’m stretching a nerve or something that I’m not meant to be every time I brush my teeth!! Anyone else have this??

I have weird sensations in 3 spots in my mouth when I brush too. I think it's just the nerves coming back. I just feels really uncomfortable, like I can feel the brushing really deep into my gums but I've checked and my gums look perfectly fine. I think all these weird sensations we all have in our mouths and on our faces are a completely normal phase of the nerves waking up. My lower lip went from being completely numb, to feeling really warm the last couple of days and now I'm starting to get back feeling on it (just light tingling when I touch).

[kelhuntley]

Thanks guys I've purchased a dentist type mirror, so when that arrives I'll have a good looksie inside! Good to know it is all part of the normal process!

[rtxtavi02]

So I had my surgical hooks removed by my orthodontist on Thursday and he just put rubber bands on my braces (no adjustments yet), but I noticed Saturday morning that my midline, which was perfect post surgery, has moved about a mm or 2. Since I am only about 2.5 weeks post op, it isn't possible that my upper jaw actually moved, right? I have slept on my side a few times not knowing and have woke up sore, but other than that I have felt fine in the last week. I am hoping it is just my teeth and that the ortho can fix it.

Anyone else notice this?

Rick

[Laundraholic]

So I had my surgical hooks removed by my orthodontist on Thursday and he just put rubber bands on my braces (no adjustments yet), but I noticed Saturday morning that my midline, which was perfect post surgery, has moved about a mm or 2. Since I am only about 2.5 weeks post op, it isn't possible that my upper jaw actually moved, right? I have slept on my side a few times not knowing and have woke up sore, but other than that I have felt fine in the last week. I am hoping it is just my teeth and that the ortho can fix it.

Anyone else notice this?

Rick

My midline was PERFECT right after the surgery, but I had noticed around Day 5 or 6 that it shifted a little. I don't know if it was the jaw moving, or what happened.
I saw the orthodontist on Day 7 and he put elastics on that I could only take off for eating and brushing my teeth for two weeks. My next appointment with him is this Thursday, so I'm hoping it'll be reduced to nights only in elastics (if they're still needed). But I noticed that after a day or so in elastics the midline matches up again.

[rtxtavi02]

So I had my surgical hooks removed by my orthodontist on Thursday and he just put rubber bands on my braces (no adjustments yet), but I noticed Saturday morning that my midline, which was perfect post surgery, has moved about a mm or 2. Since I am only about 2.5 weeks post op, it isn't possible that my upper jaw actually moved, right? I have slept on my side a few times not knowing and have woke up sore, but other than that I have felt fine in the last week. I am hoping it is just my teeth and that the ortho can fix it.

Anyone else notice this?

Rick

My midline was PERFECT right after the surgery, but I had noticed around Day 5 or 6 that it shifted a little. I don't know if it was the jaw moving, or what happened.
I saw the orthodontist on Day 7 and he put elastics on that I could only take off for eating and brushing my teeth for two weeks. My next appointment with him is this Thursday, so I'm hoping it'll be reduced to nights only in elastics (if they're still needed). But I noticed that after a day or so in elastics the midline matches up again.

Thanks for the reponse, I called the orthodontist and he got me in to the office today. He explained to me that most people he has in bands the week or two after and that my case (slight movement of the midline) is pretty normal. He also noted that mine was pretty minimal compared to most. He slapped a band on me that I am supposed to wear all the time (except when eating) until corrected; he just told me to keep watching it. I paid good money for the braces and surgery, I want this near perfect! Can anyone blame me?!

[kelhuntley]

Hi all

4 weeks, and 2 days today post op - YAY! Had my first official adjustment with my orthodontist this afternoon. All went really well - she said my bite is looking great and she is really pleased. She removed some of my surgical hooks and was going to leave it at that, but then decided she would change my lower wire (which I knew was coming and had been dreading). Thankfully all went okay - I have a much lighter wire on now, and instead of wearing my rubber bands in a straight up and down vertical position I now have to wear them in a triangular shape vertically. These rubber bands seem much stretchier so I have a bit more movement in my jaw. My new appointment with her isn't until June now.

I was talking to the receptionist when I was leaving and she asked me when my surgery was, I laughed and said it was 4 weeks ago and she was shocked. So I'm stoked that my swelling is looking okay!

My chin is still pretty numb, although I've noticed in the last few days when I drink or eat something cold my chin feels cold, and vice versa when I have something hot. Very odd!

Food-wise I'm slowly getting there. Managed to eat 5 skittles yesterday! Woohoo! My little mirror is definitely a big help.

Anyway, here are some 4 weeks + 1 day photos for those interested!

[arieswithbraces]

Thanks for the reply "I love my teeth" I need the encouragement especially during this time while I have this splint and my face feels like I'm wearing a mask. I'm getting tired of explaining to people why I am talking as if I'm deaf. Just need to hear from you guys that are a little further along and hve gone through all this.

Kel I'm going to look for that stuff..hopefully I'll have good luck with it as well

I totally understand what you're going through. I tried not to eat certaing things to and I have some syringes that I would try to squirt water in it to rinse some of the particles out. I did notice that if I swished then it would get most of the stuff that I couldn't force out. I had my splint for 4 weeks 3 days and I got it removed yesterday. But the thick bar over the braces, auxillary archwire ( I think that's what he called it) I still have it wired and that's what was getting on my nerves! The ties are poking and I constantly had to wear wax! I was SO HAPPY to brush!!! My teeth are super sensitive touching each other now ( had open bite closed). My midline has always been off to me. And now it stills look off but not that bad. I don't know how to feel about how my teeth look now. I thought they were so pretty before surgery and now I'm not sure. Seems like my top teeth are tipping under? I got to the orthodontist in an hour so I will see and I will make sure I come back and post.

[Laundraholic]

Kel,

Wow the swelling is down ALOT!
You look great!

[juneyer]

yea aries I hate this splint. Sometimes I have to fight the urge to pull it out myself. I was told I'd have a total of 6 weeks, this is week 4, so just two more weeks! I've become a swishing professional in the meantime. I do the back of the mouth lower swish, than upper swish, front of mouth swish, even figured out how to swish water through the front of the splint out the back to kinda clear it out a bit. Also, I don't know if you guys have the same kind of splint but I found if I inject water in down in the front of the splint it shoots out the back to clear it out (a little gets on the bathroom mirror too)

Kel- You look great, I started using that Bio-oil myself and I think its working. I have no idea how your biting into a skittle, I don't think I'd even be able to fit one between my teeth, but I know you're like two days ahead of me, so maybe Friday it will be different. I too still don't have any feeling in my chin for the most part and 3/4 of my bottom lip is still numb. I'm not doing the acupuncture thing yet, but am starting to seriously consider it. I am taking multi vitamins everyday including b complex, which is supposed to help.

I must say that after reading the April Buddies thread I'm so grateful to be past that first week. Every couple of days brings more confidence in my eating (moved up to noodles) and closer to getting this splint out.

I have an ortho apt tomorrow. I have no idea what he's going to do.

I have to see how to create a signature, but for now-
18 months in braces
3 weeks and 6 days post op (lower Jaw BSSO 6mm genio 6mm)
No idea when the braces come off.

[Laundraholic]

No idea when the braces come off.

Had appointments with both my surgeon and the ortho today -- both agree that the bite is looking really good and everything is progressing well.
Was told by the surgeon that I'm still supposed to be on VERY soft chew until about 6 weeks after surgery (I'm now 3 weeks), and then he'll be giving me mouth exercises to do.

I asked the ortho how much longer I'll have to be in braces for, and he said at least another 4 months -- he likes to make sure the bone has healed properly and everything is in place. I actually don't mind as I have a proper bite now and it doesn't look so horrible (as it did for the 6 months prior to the surgery). After 3 years in braces... what is another few months?
Hopefully they'll definitely be off before Christmas

[arieswithbraces]

I had my first ortho appt! I was so nervous and I took an Ibuprofen beforehand just in case they tug too hard! It wasn't bad at all. She was really gentle. I'm back in ligs and have elastics now. They took off the thick wire that was on with my splint...that thing looked like a bracelet!! It was so thick! Little spaces have closed up already and it's only been a day! I'm so glad to be slowly getting back to normal even though I still can't chew for another 4-6 weeks. It seems like now I don't care how much longer I'm in these braces...they're straight now!

Kel~you do look great!!! I'm still looking like a puffy chipmunk!

[jonathon003]

just a little update. today marks 5 weeks post-op for me, crazy how the time flies (ok it really hasn't lol but still)..

-noticable swelling still present unfortunately. kind of a drag considering my face still looks a little odd from different angles b/c of my puffy cheeks. oh well, not hideous or anything.

-still fairly numb all over, although i have noticed slight improvements in certain areas (eg. mustache area)

-still pretty stiff throughout mouth and it does still hurt to smile wide. i assume this will remain until the swelling is gone. this is also probably the reason my speech is still a ways from returning to normal too.

-food wise i have started eating soft foods very carefully which has been awesome. haven't really tried too many things since i just started this recently (eggs/omelletes, soft breads, noodles, fish <--small tender pieces)

all in all, still a long ways to go, but i guess after much more reading and finding out that swelling could take up to a year to dissipate completely, it's not something i should be stressing over. i just can't wait for the day i can smile properly, and talk properly, b/c at the moment, other than chilling with close friends, i'm not really in the mood to go out to any social events or anything yet. hopefully in a few weeks i'll feel a little more normal lol.


wouldn't mind hearing any updates from the rest of you, in terms of those types of things (swelling/puffiness? stiffness? speech? etc).

[freakyteeth]

Hi Everyone,

Just posted my 4 week pics.

www.dentaltransformation.blogspot.com

I look bad in them, but oh well. I'm in recovery.
Saw the Oral Surgeon (after a 90 min wait) very briefly today. Splint stays in for another two weeks. The right side of my bite is off, now a class II malocclusion. He wasn't that concerned. Told me take Folic acid, I'm already on massive amounts of iron.

Kind of a blah appointment. Go back in two weeks and then directly after to the Orthodontist.