SARPE Surgery

[Cassandra2012]

Ok thanks. The recovery is going Ok. I just wish that I had full feeling in all parts of my lower chin again that was caused by the wisdom tooth being pulled. It is kinda hard to play the flute with just some feeling but hey I only had surgery about 3 weeks ago and I am doing great. We have started to expand my mouth and the pressure from the turning is a weird feeling and when I smile it feels like I am pulling on my stiches oh well it will get better. Is there any way to help circulat the blood flow in my mouth to help regian feeling again a little quicker.

[acb1100]

Making my introduction...
I think I read this massive thread three times before and right after my SARPE. It was a tremendous help, so thanks all who have posted their stories, questions, and answers.

Backstory: Did the entire ortho thing as a kid/teen, but apparently my palette was just too narrow and I had a total relapse. I'm now 30 and finally got the courage to agree to surgery. My treatment plan also includes a bimax surgery, but for now SARPE and ortho will have to do. I had my expander in Nov. 2, 2011 and my SARPE Nov. 10. It honestly was a much easier experience than I had worked it out in my mind to be -- and I also had my four wisdom teeth extracted at the same time (simple extractions). I was back to work AND eating pizza in a week! I expanded to 10 mm (once a day), and now they've gone back in to 5 mm. I get my lower braces on tomorrow morning!

The gap has been the hardest part of this whole thing. I work in PR, so interacting at work has been quite a blow to my ego, and I feel the need to constantly explain that I wasn't in some bar fight or freak shark accident. But I'm so happy I finally went through with it. I admire each of you have made that same decision. It's not easy, and it's not like other surgeries where you have some after effects and you're better. This lasts in various forms for MONTHS.

I plan on sticking around the forums, so if anyone has any questions I hope to help the same way this forum helped me while I was a lurker.

[Cassandra2012]

So it has been 4 weeks since my surgery and about a week after it i started to turn every day 2 times a day and then last week I went down to one turn a day and I will know if i have to turn it all the way to the end on monday when I get my braces wire taken out for tighter wires in. I still have almost all of my feeling in my chin except in on spot on my left side. It is kinda hard to play the flute with no feeling but whatever. But does anyone know how long it takes to get full feeling again.

I am not going to call the oral surgen about it yet bc it has not been that long and I am going to wait one more week and if it does not improve then I am calling. And right know I am putting ice on it and warmth also.

But the healing up process was easy for me. One week out of school. Most of my puffy checks are going down and my puffy lips hahah. And I don't mind the gap. I think its fun to drink through a straw with hahaha.

[acb1100]

Cassandra, I think the feeling returning is a bit different for everyone, but I can tell you I had this one little patch of numbness on the inside of my lip that took about a month to go back to normal.

[Cassandra2012]

[quote="acb1100"]Cassandra, I think the feeling returning is a bit different for everyone, but I can tell you I had this one little patch of numbness on the inside of my lip that took about a month to go back to normal.[/quote]


Well thank you I will see if that happens. I have tingling when I lie down and it feels warm and swollen.

[narrowpallet56]

[quote="lillyp57"]I am new to this message board, but so glad to have found all of you. I am 54 and have had crowded teeth all my life, but was not really bothered by them. My parents never had the money to have them fixed, and after I got married and had children I just put myself last. Then in my early 40's I saw an orthodontist for a consult and he told me that my jaw was too narrow and painted a very painful and expensive picture of what I would have to go through with surgery to have my teeth straightened. I just figured that I would never be able to have anything done and forgot about it. But many years before that my then family dentist had pulled a tooth in the side of my mouth and never closed the gap with anything. About 4-5 years ago I started to have jaw popping because all of my teeth were shifting to the side to fill in the empty space, which continued to get worse until it started to be very painful. My new dentist sent me to an oral surgeon and he explained SARPE surgery to me and suggested I think about it. He said my problems would continue to get worse without the surgery, followed by orthodontia. Well, I made the decision to go forward, and I'm getting a little nervous. My orthodontist had to put braces on the front 6 teeth on top for several months in order to try to move the front teeth back to the center of my mouth in order to do the surgery. My teeth have pushed out a bit because there's really no room for them in my small mouth right now, so the braces are constantly rubbing against my lips, even with wax. I have about a 1/4 inch gap already between my front teeth. My next appointment with the OD is on August 16th, and he thinks I will have enough space by then to schedule the surgery. Then I need to be fitted with the expander. I am getting nervous after reading the many stories on here, as I am concerned about my TMJ getting worse after the surgery until things are moved. I am getting worried about the pain, or something going wrong, etc... I want the surgery, yet I don't. I wish there was another way. Any reassurance from others out there would be very much appreciated![/quote]

I'm wondering how you made out with you surgery and expansion - Because of a narrow pallet I have difficulty breathing through my nose so I'm wondering if you noticed any differences in breathing

[KovonMolebock]

So i've recently developed a bit of TMJ, I have a pretty bad molar bite, 2 molars dont even touch currently but my front teeth are all fine. I was reccomended a surgically assisted rapid pallet expansion surgery. I understand that this involves cutting some bones in the jaw then using a spacer to move the teeth out? I was actually hoping someone here on these forums could fill me in on what the actual procedure is for posterior crossbite on the upper teeth?

[Tracey55]

Kevonmolebock: if your TMJ is fairly recent... I would hold off just yet on the SARPE surgery.... I am having it done in 10 days, however, I have been suffering from TMJ for years, i have an extremely narrow palate and a pretty substancial overjet and I am 55!! It's now or never for me! Braces and lower jaw surgery to follow!
The only reason I suggest waiting for awhile is because my son had a sudden TMJ problem while in his final year of Universiy. Turns out it was caused by stress and after exams, graduation, career planning and job hunting was behind him the pain virtually disappeared! He was almost talked into surgery he may not have needed. He is thankful he waited and has now had a second opinion and was told he doesn't need surgery to correct his cross bite.
There's my 2cents worth sorry I can't comment on what the actual procedure is for your issues!

[sokipdx]

Hi guys, first post here. I had SARPE more than half a year ago and my face still looks fatter than before. Is this typical/permanent? Here's my timeline:

~July 15, 2011: RPE on
August 5, 2011: SARPE, expanded using RPE for about 4 weeks, then stopped before getting braces on
~September 15 2011: braces on top row only
March 30 2012: RPE off, TPA on

Not authorized to post links yet, but I will when I can...

[sokipdx]

(sigh, can't edit my post above either). I should also point out that my current weight is the same as it was pre-SARPE.

[acb1100]

[quote="sokipdx"]Hi guys, first post here. I had SARPE more than half a year ago and my face still looks fatter than before. Is this typical/permanent? Here's my timeline:
[/quote]

I'm only 5 months post SARPE, but my face has widenened at the middle, sometimes looking like a fuller face. What you think could be fat could just be different dimensions you never had. It's tough to get used to.

[sokipdx]

[quote="acb1100"][quote="sokipdx"]Hi guys, first post here. I had SARPE more than half a year ago and my face still looks fatter than before. Is this typical/permanent? Here's my timeline:
[/quote]

I'm only 5 months post SARPE, but my face has widenened at the middle, sometimes looking like a fuller face. What you think could be fat could just be different dimensions you never had. It's tough to get used to.[/quote]
Yeah, that's exactly what happened to me, the cheek area between above my lip and below the nose is "fuller." Guess we'll have to get used to it

[Cassandra2012]

I am almost 4 months into after my surgery and everything is going well. I have stopped turning and I am now on my power chains for my braces. There are a few things still going weird with my mouth though. My mouth just started to click when I eat certain foods, and I still have a numb feeling in the left side of my chin goes all the way to the middle of the left side of my jaw. I am not complaining. I have some feeling but it feels like its a sleep and my ortho dude says its fine and blah blah blah. I was thinking that if I rubed it it would help it wake up better. Oh well .

[philly]

Hey everyone. I had my sarpe a week ago and had a few questions.

1: The gum line above my front right tooth appears to have receded about 1mm. Is this normal? Will it grow back?

2: Will I have a scar on my gums from the incision or will the gums heal completely?

3: Lastly and this is the most important. About how long until I can eat a burger?:)

Thanks for the help and good luck to anyone getting the surgery. It was not that bad at all.

[Anastasia8]

(sigh, can't edit my post above either). I should also point out that my current weight is the same as it was pre-SARPE.

A fuller face is a great thing, more youthful and healthy looking, I would be thrilled if that happens to me!
How many mms did you expand?