February 2011 Buddies!!!

[suzanna]

suzanna,
I am going to be watching your updates on the midline problem as i have the exact same situation. I would appreciate any details you have. I am on day 17 and haven't seen ortho yet.

thanks and good luck on your return to work.

Thanks! My orthodontist gave the okay for the hygenist to take off all my surgical hooks but added two and now I have to wear super heavy elastics (2 of them) overnight to "nudge" my upper midline over. I'll take pics to show you!

[suzanna]

Here is how my elastics are set up:



The two in the back I'm supposed to wear all the time. The two elastics in the front (heavy duty) are for overnight only! And they definitely make my teeth/jaw sore but they work! This morning when I took off the elastics in the front, my upper midline was perfect, but after an hour or so it had shifted back a little.

By the way guys, I posted progress pictures here:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=38973

[Nathaniel]

I saw my ortho on Monday and got my two loose brackets glued back in place. What a difference that made! Later that evening my bite was already much more comfortable. Looks like these rubber bands are doing their job quite nicely.

Also, I'm very proud to report that today I have dominated some Taco Bell and a box of girl scout cookies. This is what recovery should taste like!

DRG

[...]You don't know how lucky you are to not have any lower jaw numbness[...]

Congratulations DRG! Glad to hear you enjoyed some of those cookies, they are my favourite!

Suzanna, for your bottom lip, do you know if the year means a year before it's 100% normal or a year before you even start to feel tingles? The compact mirror thing and the lady at the food court made me laugh a bit because it reminded me of all the stares I had yesterday at Mary Browns when I was eating a chicken sandwich! pieces of bread and taters would get stuck in the huge gap and sorta stick out and I would have to constantly take it out with my hand; and my chewing is all odd too with the palette expander in there so I eat like a dinosaur or something looking up to the ceiling while chewing/swallowing to get it go down my throat! LOL

I checked your thread with the progress pictures too, big congratulations!

[DRG]

I got myself an avatar finally. It's my OS unwiring me, if you look closely enough you can see pure joy on my face.

Just returned from an official ortho appointment. I didn't expect it, but I have been officially "handed over" from my OS. I still have to see my OS for follow-ups, but the ortho is making all the calls now. As I received an adjustment today, I received some time to floss properly, it was the highlight of my day I think. After my adjustment, I received an asymmetric assignment of some bands on my canines, which looks like it is resolving my misalignment already.

Then, I heard some downright terrible language from my ortho. He uttered the following phrase: "band his lingual cleats". Since I got my braces last April, I've had a set of four tongue-side cleats on my molars. Adjusting to them constantly shredding my tongue was likely the worst part of that experience. Eventually they were tucked away enough and/or I adjusted. They were not used until now...when I have to use bands from the upper cleats to my lower outside hooks on each side. From what I understand this should address the remainder of my cross-bite. I've still got a few molars that wouldn't move appropriately before the surgery -- my pre-surgical cross-bite was extreme and would constantly counteract any adjustments there. The weird part is that he told me to wear those bands 12 hours each day....but only during the day. Why couldn't it be at night? The best I can figure is that I need to use my bite while wearing them. I didn't think to ask that question before I left. (It might be time for me to visit the braces forum here to find some answers).

On the bright side, new arrangements of my bands means new teeth that feel like they are being pulled out by the root, so there's that.....

Hope my FEB gang has nothing but good news to report these days. Who else has taken on a legit sandwich or a cheeseburger? *Without* cutting it into small bites, I mean. I think "I Love My Teeth" has set the bar here, it's up to the rest of us to respond.

DRG

[I love my teeth]

oh thanks DRG!! I don't know what "lingual cleats" are--but I hope I don't ever have them to have to use them That does not sound pleasant!

I feel like I have turned a bit of a corner since week 10! I think I am opening almost to 40mm--definately 36mm easily. the "hard ball" that I could feel around my jaw had suddenly disappeared (was it swelling, inflammation, internal sutures--I don't know, but I think it's gone ) My numbness seems improved, still there, but the nerve sensations have subsided, and I can feel myself putting lipstick on my lower lip (bonus!!)

Overall, my energy level is higher, I actually want to work out for a change! I feel like my concentration has returned and my focus is better (maybe that's my age, but it seemed to go out the window for a few weeks after surgery!)

Eating is still interesting, but almost normal! just finished a veggie panini sandwich for lunch Although, I ate 1/2 the normal way, then I was a bit tired, and ate the other half in pieces. But it's a start and it was grilled, so a bit crunchy, and also a bit thick

We move in 2 weeks, so I am up to my eyeballs in "to do lists"--I have a final records appt at my ortho here on April 11, then a consult with an ortho at our new location on April 28th--fingers crossed that goes well!!

At least this surgery is keeping me from stress eating during the move! I will go for my last acupuncture session next week, I feel it's done a world of good, helping to speed my healing a bit, oh and I celebrate the big 4-0 next week too!

What a crazy month for me! Good luck to all!
Christine

[suzanna]

At least this surgery is keeping me from stress eating during the move! I will go for my last acupuncture session next week, I feel it's done a world of good, helping to speed my healing a bit, oh and I celebrate the big 4-0 next week too!

What a crazy month for me! Good luck to all!
Christine

Happy belated birthday Christine!! Hope everything is going smoothly with the move!

I just finished my 8th shift back at work. The first four were 6hrs, the next four were 8hrs. I've been feeling pretty good after working so I'm going to go back up to my regular 12hrs for my next block of shifts. At least I have a vacation to Mexico to look forward to! 7 shifts left to work (I leave May 3rd!!).

Nothing much new has been happening with me. I'm slowly but surely able to open my jaw more and more each week. Today I'm able to do up to 28mm. I'm really hoping I'll be able to bite into a burger (so far I've had a couple burgers since surgery but had to cut them into strips to fit into my mouth) while I'm on vacation!

All feeling from my upper jaw surgery is back to normal which is great. I'm getting more and more feeling in my chin. There's still a patch that's about 1inchx1.5inches that's still completely numb on the left side but it seems to get more feeling every few days when I check. The rest of my chin is very tingly but at least I can feel it. I think I'm starting to get feeling back in my lower lip as well.

I see my dentist, orthodontist, and oral surgeon next week. I definitely need to bug my ortho and see how much longer I need to wear these braces! Have any of you guys found out approximately how many more months of braces treatment you'll be needing?

Hope all is well with everyone else!!

[I love my teeth]

Thanks Suzanna!

So, I am definately not stress eating, but way too many social gatherings this week with my birthday and the move! I gained 3 pounds since monday (mostly alcohol weight I think ) But the parties are done, there are no more cakes, and the thought of beer/wine or a cosmo is not appealing right now! We had so much stuff to do this weekend to prepare for the move, but were a bit too socially distracted So, I'll be up late tonight packing, gathering documents, ect. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. arrive at 8am tomorrow!

Congrats on transitioning back to work! I am sure it helps with recovery! Overall, I think the feeling in my chin is improving, my lip is 90% normal I think. My TMJ's and muscles are improving, not as many spasms, ect. I still tire easily after eating a tough meal, and wouldn't dare go near a steak--but none the less, it's a diet I can handle. Salads are really easy now, which is great! They were tough for a really long time!

Thanks for the bday wishes, will check in when I can over the next few weeks---I see my "new" ortho for a consult on April 28th--scary! I hope it goes OK......no idea what to expect, I just called someone and made a consult appt. I pick up all my transfer records tomorrow as well.

Christine

[rtxtavi02]

I see my dentist, orthodontist, and oral surgeon next week. I definitely need to bug my ortho and see how much longer I need to wear these braces! Have any of you guys found out approximately how many more months of braces treatment you'll be needing?

I am only 2.5 weeks post op, but my ortho last week told me to expect about 5-6 months longer in braces for the final touch ups. Besides my midline moving a bit since surgery, I feel my teeth are pretty straight and just about there.

[Bullfighter]

... I feel like I have turned a bit of a corner since week 10! I think I am opening almost to 40mm--definately 36mm easily. the "hard ball" that I could feel around my jaw had suddenly disappeared (was it swelling, inflammation, internal sutures--I don't know, but I think it's gone ) My numbness seems improved, still there, but the nerve sensations have subsided, and I can feel myself putting lipstick on my lower lip (bonus!!) ...

I still have that "hard ball" feeling, or tightness, in my chin especially and around the lower jaw somewhat -- almost like I'm wearing an invisible chin strap.

The lower jaw numbness is better -- I can tell when I shave, it no longer feels like shaving a lump of plastic. I'm still frequently using lip balm and cortisone cream on my lower lip, which seems to be dry all the time.

Opening to ~ 35-36mm now (surgery was Feb 1). Not as wide as I'd like, but I can eat thin sandwiches. Chewing is still a little tentative and clumsy.

Overall still glad I had the surgery (BSSO + genio) but was so focused on the time for the bone to mend enough to allow eating that I hadn't realized how long it would take to feel normal again -- certainly not normal after 12 weeks.

[Bullfighter]

Any February people still here?

Seems like a long time ago (Feb 1), but I'd be interested to compare notes on the recovery process.

In terms of eating and chewing, all is well and I can gnaw through steel girders. But now I'm having a slight midline problem corrected by my orthodontist using elastics that run diagonally from top to bottom and back to top; still some numbness/tightness in my chin (either from BSSO or genio). Opening to 40 mm in the evening, still a bit less than that early in the day, maybe because the muscles aren't stretched yet.

[suzanna]

I'm still here! Sounds like we're on the same page! I'm eating just about everything now, some things (like burgers/tall sandwiches) I can't fit into my opening (stuck at about 30mm the last couple of weeks) so I have to cut them in strips. Otherwise I'm just avoiding anything really hard/crunchy.

Most of my chin/lower lip is still really tingly but I can feel it. There is a line from the left corner of my lower lip down to the middle of my chin (imagine if you put your index finger on the left corner of your chin, it's basically that wide and goes down and kind of curves inward towards my chin at the bottom) that is still completely numb. The numb part keeps getting a little bit more narrow as the weeks go by though.

I had some IPR done last week at the ortho to get rid of 3 black triangles I have in between my lower front teeth. I asked her if when she can file down the ridges (something I've always been really self conscious about) and she said we can do that during my next appointment (in 3 weeks).

She gave me a rough estimate of another 6 months in braces. In about 3 months, I should be having my implant post installed and then 3 months from that debraced and having the crown placed. Hopefully that timeline sticks. I'd love to have my braces off by the end of the year. That would make a total of 2 years in braces!

[LAJaw]

Suzanna, just curious but how is your upper midline coming along? Is it moving pretty well without the need for IPR? I'm curious because I have the same issue, my upper midline is off by about 2 mm and I've been a little worried about how easy it would be for my ortho to correct.

[DRG]

Glad to see the February buddies recovering so strongly.

I've been making significant progress as well. I am still wearing rubber bands to finish the alignment of my bite. I've got two bands in the front, making a slight correction to my canines and midline (my lower midline specifically), as well as just one band in the left-rear to correct my cross bite. That left-rear band is the one that connects on the lingual side upper to the outside lower, thankfully I've gotten comfortable with that arrangement (placement is still a challenge most mornings, however).
My right side was corrected quickly (within 5 weeks), but this other one is more trouble.

During the cross bite correction, my bite actually opened up again for a time. My teeth had to slide past one another in order to fix the cross-bite, which meant that for a while I couldn't close down appropriately. As my OS pointed out, just a 1mm problem in the rear leads to a 3mm problem in the front due to the angles involved. But I must say it was terribly disheartening to experience an open bite once again. Happily, the bite has closed nearly all the way as the rubber bands did their work.

All in all, I am expecting to remain in braces until October, meaning 18 months of treatment total. And, since I'm wearing these rubber bands all the time, I really have no idea how wide I can open at this point.

One other issue I have experienced was that upon my (triumphant) return to eating solid food, my upper jaw felt "soft" occasionaly. It would depend on the food, but pretzels or anything crunchy would remind me that the my upper was not yet solid. There's another poster on this board that had described something similar, so I overreacted to this a little and called my OS in a slight panic. My OS told me that it would take around 6-8 months for the "fibrous union" to fully calcify / solidify, and that I should not be alarmed. He said that historically it used to be much worse before the use of bone plates became widespread. Back then they would simpl "tie" the jaw into place (with wire?), and it would slip up and down for months after the surgery. I still experience this "softness" somewhat, on my left side more than the right, but it does seem to be decreasing. (Note: "fibrous union" has been used on this board describing a very bad situation where the jaw bone is not healing/bonding appropriately and further surgery is required, my OS obviously did not use that definition.)

I have yet to try gnawing on any steel girders, I think with this upper jaw softness I'll probably start with some wood structural beams first before moving on to anything tougher.

DRG

[Bullfighter]

... I have yet to try gnawing on any steel girders, I think with this upper jaw softness I'll probably start with some wood structural beams first before moving on to anything tougher.

DRG

Girders are excellent. Problem is with the construction industry so slow there's not much to chew on.

I still have elastics, pretty much as you describe, to adjust my midline. Still some numbness, especially in the left side of my chin and left lower lip -- some feeling there, but it's not normal yet.

[DRG]

My ortho must be following Suzanna's case via this forum and then applying everything he learns to me. As of today, I too am likely to get some IPR at my next visit to his office. *And* he set me up with a nighttime cross-jaw rubber band alignment that looks exactly like the one Suzanna posted above (minus the lip gloss, however).

DRG