meryaten,
this is awesome. thanks so much for sending along those threads. i think i will just ask for someone to be here the first couple of days. they will keep me overnight for the first night and surgery is at 6am in the morning so the first full day and the second day or at least part of it will be in the hospital. i know dec. is so far off, but i am a compulsive planner about these things. it helps me cope. i think i will plan for 2 weeks away from work as well. i guess i am just confused about why the lower jaw surgery would be so much more intense in terms of recovery and such than the palate expansion, both seem to require fracturing bones. do you think it is because of the banding shut part? it seems that you would swell as much.
in any case, hope everyone is doing well. i am shocked that it has been almost 3 weeks since i have had surgery already. can that be right? wow, time does fly. no change on my gap. just more silliness with talking about it. i do hope that the braces help it along! everything else seems to be moving along just fine. preparing for braces next week. i also find that i still just don't even care for harder foods, still sticking to my yogurt and cottage chees, etc.
have a great night. will check in again tomorrow.
SARPE Surgery
Moderator: bbsadmin
Meryaten - the more I think about it, the more I think my sister was trying (in her way) to be a realist. She just can't understand why I would put myself through this when SHE can't see a problem. In her mind she hears that my teeth are fracturing and she thinks - just keep getting crowns. Where I see a solution to potential problems she just sees that there aren't problems yet. In a way it has helped me to realize what I need to to and why. Of course I'm still not going to tell her my plans becasue I need positive support.
Lina - I would still get another opinion. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that you can relapse with either surgery or a not surgical RPE. As I understand it, if the palate is not supported (the expander is taken out too early for example, or you don't wear a retainer) you can have relapse.
Lina - I would still get another opinion. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that you can relapse with either surgery or a not surgical RPE. As I understand it, if the palate is not supported (the expander is taken out too early for example, or you don't wear a retainer) you can have relapse.
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Brandyleigh35
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Actually you will most likely get about a mm or less regression with a SARPE and the overal result is considered to be much more stable and permananet than a non surgical expansion.
Can regression happen absolutely, but it is far less likely to happen with a SARPE procedure as the space is actually filled in with new EVEN bone growth. That is usually why the appliance has to be worn anywhere from 4-6 months or longer. To make sure the bones are completely healed and fused again and the results stay stable. Results are usually much more balanced and even also with SARPE You don't get one side expanding more than the other. Overall appearance is symmetrical and equal, and there is less chance of teeth tipping due to the pressure. Hope this helps.
Brandy
Can regression happen absolutely, but it is far less likely to happen with a SARPE procedure as the space is actually filled in with new EVEN bone growth. That is usually why the appliance has to be worn anywhere from 4-6 months or longer. To make sure the bones are completely healed and fused again and the results stay stable. Results are usually much more balanced and even also with SARPE You don't get one side expanding more than the other. Overall appearance is symmetrical and equal, and there is less chance of teeth tipping due to the pressure. Hope this helps.
Brandy
Lina,
Since your 17, your jaw has fused almost completely together. Without the surgery your expansion will take a LOT longer because you cannot expand as quickly, plus you might get a lot of your teeth tipping outward instead of spreading. I would go with the surgery. Once you jaw gets split... it has to heal itself. The bone grows in that space.
Honestly, I give you so much credit for exploring this at 17. I wish I was mature enough to have done it then!! I'm still really young... 22... and sometimes i hate being in college and doing this. The sooner you start the sooner you will be done. Plus college is way more fun than high school.
To everyone else,
My teeth are closing slowly still but i can see the diffference. Only 2 more weeks until I can go back to the ortho!! I feel like time is passing slowly, but its ok.
I hope everyone is doing good!!
Since your 17, your jaw has fused almost completely together. Without the surgery your expansion will take a LOT longer because you cannot expand as quickly, plus you might get a lot of your teeth tipping outward instead of spreading. I would go with the surgery. Once you jaw gets split... it has to heal itself. The bone grows in that space.
Honestly, I give you so much credit for exploring this at 17. I wish I was mature enough to have done it then!! I'm still really young... 22... and sometimes i hate being in college and doing this. The sooner you start the sooner you will be done. Plus college is way more fun than high school.
To everyone else,
My teeth are closing slowly still but i can see the diffference. Only 2 more weeks until I can go back to the ortho!! I feel like time is passing slowly, but its ok.
I hope everyone is doing good!!
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Brandyleigh35
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Hey Mia,
Trust me when I say I feel your pain regarding how slow time is moving! My gap is slowly closing also, the last few days I have been having this burning sensation between my front teeth, and I noticed this morning that they are closer together.
I, however, hate this appliance! My next adjustment is May 22, at which point the OD will replace my RPE with a TPA. So I have another 7 weeks to endure. It feels like time is at a stand still! Like not moving at all!
I'm so glad your gap is starting to close though. That has got to be a good feeling huh? I'm hoping mine will be completely closed by my next appointment in May also.
Lina, I agree with Mia. Personally I thing SARPE is the way to go. Its quick, relatively painless, and more stable. I think you would be very happy if you decided to do it. Plus you are young so you will heal quickly and recover fast. It will speed up your total treatment time also as you won't have to spend twice as much time expanding. I too think its great that you are pursuing this at such a young age. Trust me....you will not regret it. Younger is better!
Brandy
Trust me when I say I feel your pain regarding how slow time is moving! My gap is slowly closing also, the last few days I have been having this burning sensation between my front teeth, and I noticed this morning that they are closer together.
I, however, hate this appliance! My next adjustment is May 22, at which point the OD will replace my RPE with a TPA. So I have another 7 weeks to endure. It feels like time is at a stand still! Like not moving at all!
I'm so glad your gap is starting to close though. That has got to be a good feeling huh? I'm hoping mine will be completely closed by my next appointment in May also.
Lina, I agree with Mia. Personally I thing SARPE is the way to go. Its quick, relatively painless, and more stable. I think you would be very happy if you decided to do it. Plus you are young so you will heal quickly and recover fast. It will speed up your total treatment time also as you won't have to spend twice as much time expanding. I too think its great that you are pursuing this at such a young age. Trust me....you will not regret it. Younger is better!
Brandy
WOW.
Thank you for being so so so helpful. Im definitely going with the surgery my OS said I have to get it without a doubt. OS gives better results and permnant results. At first I didnt really care about how my teeth looked til one day when I was 16 I thought about how more beautiful I would be with a wide gorgeous smile. Alot of boys tell me that Im pretty and that I dont need my teeth fixed and that "my smile is unique" but I always thought to my self yea yea yea. lol My ortho and oral surgeon said I will bne done with treatment at the age of 21. I was like YES!!! lol
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Brandyleigh35
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Meraten,
Actually when they do the SARPE they don't go through the roof of your mouth. That is old school for this surgery, as that is where your blood supply is and if they do it that way it is more invasive, and requires a lot more time to heal. Now they go in right above your back molars (underneath your lip) and right above your front teeth. My blog has very clear detailed pics of my incisions on both sides. They were not very big, and healing was pretty painless for the most part.
I don't know why the extra swelling with the BSSO. Next time I see my OS I will ask him, or I will have my friend ask who is going in for surgery in June with the same doctor as I.
Brandy
Actually when they do the SARPE they don't go through the roof of your mouth. That is old school for this surgery, as that is where your blood supply is and if they do it that way it is more invasive, and requires a lot more time to heal. Now they go in right above your back molars (underneath your lip) and right above your front teeth. My blog has very clear detailed pics of my incisions on both sides. They were not very big, and healing was pretty painless for the most part.
I don't know why the extra swelling with the BSSO. Next time I see my OS I will ask him, or I will have my friend ask who is going in for surgery in June with the same doctor as I.
Brandy
brandy,
thanks so much for your message. yes, it would be great to know why the swelling is so bad with the lower jaw surgery. i am starting to realluy think about all of this and wonder all of the specifics.
my gap remains equally as glaring no shift and no one around here can believe that there is any way that it will shift on its own at all. i am feeling the same way. ughhhh. trying not to get disheartened.
hope everyone is well.
have a great night.
thanks so much for your message. yes, it would be great to know why the swelling is so bad with the lower jaw surgery. i am starting to realluy think about all of this and wonder all of the specifics.
my gap remains equally as glaring no shift and no one around here can believe that there is any way that it will shift on its own at all. i am feeling the same way. ughhhh. trying not to get disheartened.
hope everyone is well.
have a great night.
One baby step closer today! I got my root canal yesterday and it was pretty nasty. It seems I am "very special" and have curvy roots. The Dr. cancled two of his appointments to work on me and when it was done he told me I should go uy a lottery ticket because of my 'very special' status. 
I have to say it was really nice to have a Dr. with a great sense of humor. He also told me - after the fact of course - that he had been sweating bullets.
All of this has to be done pre SARPE and braces because the tooth involved is needed to hold on to the expander.
Next is the crown lengthening surgery on the 24th. Of course all of this wouldn't be necessary if it wern't for my old incompent dentist who filled a cavity without removing all of the decay. Oh well, all I can do is deal with it. My OS is going to do the crown lenghening so I will have a preview of how they do thing there before the SARPE. I am STILL waiting for them to get back to me on surgery costs though.
So that is my update for the week. I hope everyone is having a great day!
I have to say it was really nice to have a Dr. with a great sense of humor. He also told me - after the fact of course - that he had been sweating bullets. All of this has to be done pre SARPE and braces because the tooth involved is needed to hold on to the expander.
Next is the crown lengthening surgery on the 24th. Of course all of this wouldn't be necessary if it wern't for my old incompent dentist who filled a cavity without removing all of the decay. Oh well, all I can do is deal with it. My OS is going to do the crown lenghening so I will have a preview of how they do thing there before the SARPE. I am STILL waiting for them to get back to me on surgery costs though.
So that is my update for the week. I hope everyone is having a great day!
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Brandyleigh35
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Hey Delag,
Congrats on getting one more step out of the way. I too had a tooth that another dentist screwed up. I had to have an endologist (root canal specialist) redo it from the bottom of the tooth. It was no big deal....my roots don't like to curve about like yours LOL. That is nice that you have a good connection with your OD though, makes things so much more pleasant. Not to mention less stressful! Hopefully your crown work will go well also.
Brandy
Congrats on getting one more step out of the way. I too had a tooth that another dentist screwed up. I had to have an endologist (root canal specialist) redo it from the bottom of the tooth. It was no big deal....my roots don't like to curve about like yours LOL. That is nice that you have a good connection with your OD though, makes things so much more pleasant. Not to mention less stressful! Hopefully your crown work will go well also.
Brandy
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Brandyleigh35
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Lina: and it'll be over before you know it!
I went to my ortho yesterday. He said my teeth are where they need to be, however since the jaw relapses, we have to expand 30% over. So I turn twice today and tomorrow, then only once a day until Thursday. I'm so glad that it's wrapping up! My gap is about 5mm. It's not really getting any bigger even though my jaw is still expanding. It's good to know that my teeth are holding their own. So perhaps I won't be an 8mm hillbilly like I feared after all!
I went to my ortho yesterday. He said my teeth are where they need to be, however since the jaw relapses, we have to expand 30% over. So I turn twice today and tomorrow, then only once a day until Thursday. I'm so glad that it's wrapping up! My gap is about 5mm. It's not really getting any bigger even though my jaw is still expanding. It's good to know that my teeth are holding their own. So perhaps I won't be an 8mm hillbilly like I feared after all!
WOO HOO.
I could've had it earlier BUT my mom chose to have it June which is still good cause april 12 I get fitted for my expander. May 5 I get my expander put on. May 25 I go for my surgery physical were they do blood work and make sure my heart is pumping right and tell me what I cant eat and blah blah blah lol. THEN JUNE 5 SURGERY!!! so I think thats a great plan. 
I just hope Im not puffy and swollen the whole entire summer.
Do you guys think my summer is ruined?????
I just hope Im not puffy and swollen the whole entire summer.
Do you guys think my summer is ruined?????