NHS patients... I've lots of questions...!

[Tingrinteacher]

Dear all,

Firstly thank you for reading...! I'm currently 10 months into wearing braces for a dreadful underbite. (It's currently about 10mm between my bottom and top teeth; well and truly grim!) I have permanent jaw pain now, and an ulcer in my mouth the size of my thumb nail. (Hands up those who just looked at their thumb and said "ouch!!") due to the medieval torture devices also known as 'elastics'. I'm awaiting double jaw surgery and I'm becoming increasingly disheartened by the whole process. I'm based in Devon, England.

So, here are my questions:

1. Do they wait until all your gaps are closed? I have one about 4mm from where they removed a molar, top right, and another one bottom front between my sharp ones and middles one (not exactly down with the lingo!)

2. How long was it between giving you a date for surgery and you actually having your surgery?

3. How long did you have the splint on/in for? (I'm a teacher... Being able to talk clearly is a must)

4. How long were you wearing braces for, before surgery? They told me 12-18. I need hope now... My chin enters the room before my feet now.

Thanks in anticipation,
Tingrinteacher xxx

[scraggy]

From my experience my ortho waited till my teeth were straight and all gaps closed,

My surgery from being put on the list was six months but thats different from hospital to hospital depends on how busy hospital is. I'm from a big city that why wait was six months.

I didn't have a splint I had upper jaw surgery.

I was very eager to have my surgery I was told 3 year in braces before the sergery instead of thinking 3 years I said 15 visits I counted it that way it was easier for me.

Hope this is of some help.

[Tingrinteacher]

Thank you Scraggy! I've been reading your posts, you seem to have had a pretty dire time so far. Hoe it gets better.

What were your teeth like beforehand? Did they move quickly? (Mine seem to be very straight now, they just look very wrong!) xx

[scraggy]

I don't know the measurements but I had a huge overbite and rotated teeth upper and lover with a cross bite and jaw pain.

My teeth move very easily but have trouble staying in there new position. It takes them a good month to settle..

I have had s hard time with the surgery but don't regret it at all.

My teeth look a 1000 times better and I'm really happy with them.

As for looking wrong it will take a little time to get use to them. But you will.

[yellowhat]

I was in braces for 18 months before my upper jaw surgery. I had my pre-op and then waited about a month for my appointment, which was another 6/8 weeks after that. Unfortunately, I had my surgery on the last day of term, so spent my treasured holiday recovering...but hey ho, it's done now.
My teeth weren't actually too bad prior to braces, they weren't really part of the problem. Mine was totally jaw, so I'm not too sure how the Ortho decided when to go ahead.
YH

[purpleandteal]

ill try and answer a couple of your questions, i know this thread is a little old now, but hey ho. i saw my surgeon last week and finally got a date for double jaw surgery

1. Do they wait until all your gaps are closed? I have one about 4mm from where they removed a molar, top right, and another one bottom front between my sharp ones and middles one (not exactly down with the lingo!)
*most of my gaps are closed, but i still have 2 small gaps on both uppers where a molar each side was removed. they waited until everything else was straight and all other gaps closed, but these gaps are still there, about 3mm each.

2. How long was it between giving you a date for surgery and you actually having your surgery?
*i was given my date on wednesday and its in 7 weeks time. so super quick! my ortho has kept me up to date throughout my braces on estimated time for surgery, but from seeing surgeon to the date, i have 7 weeks. this obviously differs for different hospitals and waiting times etc

3. How long did you have the splint on/in for? (I'm a teacher... Being able to talk clearly is a must)
*this one i cannot answer as i have no idea

4. How long were you wearing braces for, before surgery? They told me 12-18. I need hope now... My chin enters the room before my feet now.
*i was told the same, 12-18 months. iv had my braces on for 18 months now and surgery is booked. they have to wait long enough for braces to allign everything properly so the surgeon can fix the bone structure. 2 months ago my ortho said we are nearly ready and took moulds of my teeth to verify whether i was. after taking the moulds, i was sent an appointment to meet the surgeon, the appointment was for 8 weeks time, and then, as i said, after meeting the surgeon its all systems go.