Audra's story

[Audra]

Today is Day 5 and the soreness much better. It just feels like pressure and tightness mostly. I'm starting to get used to the brackets. They still feel huge, but not so "foreign" now.

I had chinese food last night!!! It was still a bit tender to chew, but I could do it. After days of it hurting to eat a banana, that was great.

I'll never truly get used to the molar buildups, but I'm dealing with them much better. I have discovered which teeth need wax - the four molars on the top and the four bottom incisors. So the mouth sores that were developing have healed and no longer hurt.

I can see a tiny sliver of space between my top two front teeth so I know there is movement. It's very exciting.

People around me are very supportive, especially my husband. Co-workers keep asking me how I'm feeling so that makes me feel good. I don't feel as self-conscious about talking funny or smiling as I thought I would - and believe me, with the molar buildups, I DO talk funny. But ultimately, who cares. It'll all be worth it in the end.

Here's to hoping 18 months will fly by quickly.

[jenny101101]

Hi Audra,

Your braces look terrific! Glad to hear it's getting easier. Trust me, it gets easier everyday. I ran into an ex-coworker yesterday and I'd completely forgotten about my braces. The first thing she said is "Oh, look at you with braces!". It kinda caught me off guard because I forgot they were there!

Gotta love movement...it is so exciting!

[RainAndTangerines]

Hello Audra!

Your braces look fantastic! Don't worry, I talk funny with having my braces at times too.

You're so lucky to have your braces for 18 months, the time will fly!

[Audra]

Things are progressing nicely. I have a small gap opening up between my top two central incisors. I'll take some pics on Monday. My teeth are a bit sore again and feel loose. I can eat a lot better now, but can't bite into anything. Everything is cut into pieces and eaten on my back molars on the right side. I can't eat on the left because of the molar extraction gap.

So, I get home from work yesterday to a voicemail on my home phone from the oral surgeon's office calling to make an appointment for a consult. All of a sudden everything felt SO REAL. My heart was racing and I didn't know what to do with myself. I called their office this morning and set up my consult appointment for Tuesday, August 19.

I know it's WAY ahead of time, but I placed an order yesterday for some Zip n Squeeze bags. With all the trouble people have been having, I'd like to know ahead of time if I'm not going to get them - or if I am, then I'll be prepared.

Other changes in my life - I hired a personal trainer and had my fitness assessment last night. It was extremely dire and humiliating. But things can only get better from here. I'm making a lot of changes in this next year and a half. By next Christmas I'll have a new smile and a new fit and healthy body.

[Audra]

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated my story. A few things have happened in that time. I had hubby take some progress pics on July 21. My orthodontist does not do pics when he does adjustments unfortunately so I'll have to do them myself.

On August 2nd I ended up in the hospital with a bowel obstruction. The pain had been going on for 3 years, but the docs could not figure out what was wrong. They tested for gallbladder, H.Pylori (ulcer) and basically chalked it up to IBS. This last time, the pain was unbearable and not going away. I was also throwing up everything I tried to eat/drink. X-rays were inconclusive so they did a CT and discovered a complete obstruction. At midnight on August 3rd they did surgery to remove the obstruction. It was caused by scar tissue in the abdomen from surgery 12 years ago. My intestine kinked up like a garden hose and stuck to itself. Not fun at all. I was in hospital for 10 days and was pretty darn sick. I didn't eat for 9 of those days and lost 12 pounds in 1 week. Just a preview of what jaw surgery will be like in a way. I'm glad I had the ball rolling on the braces/surgery because I forgot how hard surgery can be. Of course, now that I'm feeling better and stronger, I no longer have doubts that I'm doing the right thing, but when you are down and out and feel awful, you sure don't look forward to having to go through something similar.

I had my consult with the oral surgeon on August 19th. He was nice and I think he'll be really good. He is very adamant that his patients are aware that this surgery is elective and not to be taken lightly. He stresses that his patients be a "good fit" in that they have to have good reasons for wanting it and they actually do have to want it. He showed me on a model skull what he had in mind (probably a Lefort 1 only unless my underbite gets a lot worse before surgery). He said he felt I would be a good patient.

I had my first adjustment on September 8th and got a new wire. The first wire was a 0.14 round wire and this one is a 0.18. I will be getting a rectangular wire on my next adjustment November 3rd, but I can't remember what size the assistant said it would be. The surgeon mentioned waits for surgery can be long once it's determined you are ready for surgery. I asked the ortho's assistant about this and she said what usually happens is that the Ortho will determine how things are progressing and let the surgeon know ahead of time to schedule surgery. Then when I'm ready, it will be a shorter waiting period.

So, here are some new pics. I will try to post side by side pics of the consultation, July 21 and Sep 21 so you can see the difference. I'm quite impressed with how quickly they have moved. It's amazing.

First, I'll start with the occlusal view of the top arch. I figured out this time how to use a mirror so there are only two pics - consult and Sep 21. I know one faces up and the other faces down, but they are both top arch.

Consult Sep 21


Next is the bottom occlusal view. Again I just figured out how to do it with a mirror so there are a few different shots. The last one is with the mirror so note the missing tooth looks like it's on the wrong side!

Consult July 21 Sep 21 Sep 21 again

And now for a front view. Not the big gap between my top front teeth.

Consult July 7 brace day Jul 21
Sep 21

I don't know how much the ortho wants my arches to expand. I feel my teeth are really moving well and are moving into alignment nicely.

Anyone on here abel to enlighten me as to how they think I'm progressing with regards to being ready for surgery???

Thanks to those who read this.

[jenny101101]

Hi Audra,

Great pics! Your teeth have moved quite a bit for a month...they're looking great! I'm in the same "boat" as you...I had a .014 round wire, moved to a .018 at my last adj. and I'm getting a square wire at my next adj. .

Sorry to hear you were sick and in the hospital but I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. I have similar problems(although not to your extent)so I can somewhat understand your situation.

Thanks for visiting my journal...chat soon!

[Audra]

Excuse the thread title. I last posted when we still had an "edit" function.

So, it's been a year since I've updated my story. Time really flies. I am finding that I barely notice wearing braces anymore. I got class II elastics in March and have been wearing them 24/7 to change my bite - and has it ever! I have a more pronounced underbite now, but that was goal - to make the underbite worse before surgery.

I have been in braces for almost 15 months and my arches look beautiful. I'm very happy with the progress. Will try to post some pics if I can get my hubby to take some for me. The molar buildups were drilled off a few months ago, so that's nice.

Have been having a few headaches due to the fact that I really have no bite, so the orthodontist is going to give me a splint for nighttime wear.

I started off the process with the Insignia system, which custom creates the wire and the bracket placement. Dr. Dhol also uses the Suresmile system and I will be going for a scan on October 8th. They have said that they have been having great success with finishing using Suresmile wires, so I'm excited about that. Dr. Dhol has a new state of the art facility in the city where I live so will be having a tour there when I get the scan done.

The only frustration now is that I'm basically ready to surgery, but without a surgery date. Have been on the waitlist since last October and will get 3 month's notice of my surgery date. So far no phone call with that 3 month's notice. Dr. Dhol has done everything they can to let me know where I stand as far as the list (I was #10 on the list in August), but the surgeon's office scheduler is less than accommodating. She does not want phone calls from patients or from the orthodontist's office, so it makes it a bit difficult.

I'm pretty happy with my treatment so far and really happy with my orthodontist.

[Audra]

I have new pics to post. They are from my Suresmile scan on October 8th. Ortho is trying to get all of the detailing done before surgery (I still don't have a surgery date, even after 14 MONTHS) on the waiting list. I hoping for a date soon, but sometimes it feels like it's never going to happen.

I had the Suresmile wires put in today and was told I no longer need powerchains or class II elastics - yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teeth are sore already. It's been so long since I've had a wire that was actually moving my teeth, I forgot what it felt like.









Hope the pictures show up. It's been a while since I've posted any.

[Audra]

So, I got the call yesterday........ I have a surgery date! I'm booked in for February 22.

Will be seeing the surgeon next Tuesday (Jan 21) for a pre-op appointment and my family doctor is filling out my medical history. I'm told that I'll probably either have a phone interview or will have to go to the hospital for a pre-surgery visit also a few days beforehand.

I'm very happy as I've been waiting for this for a long time.


Consult May14/08; BRACE DAY Jul 7- .014 archwire; Sep 8- .018 archwire; Nov 3- .014x.025 archwire; Jan 9- .018x.025 archwire; Mar 6- 0.19x.025 archwire, powerchains & class II elastics; May 15 - 3D xray; May 21 - 10 brackets re-positioned; Oct 8/09 - Suresmile scan. Dec 17/09 - Suresmile wire. Surgery scheduled for Feb 22/10

[Younes]

HI Audra,

I have the same problem and was always scared of going to the Drs for treatment or taking any action but I lost some of my teeth and now I need to do that. I have Alberta Health care as well as insurance from my employer and my wife employer as well. I need the upper jaw surgery to align my jaw first then I need to have some implants and crowns. I was scared of the cost as well and still I am not sure it is a cosmetic surgery or treatment, But it is a while (over a year ) that I have pain and sometimes it ends up with a headache. I have decided to do surgery but it takes time and I am not that patience person.
I read some of your posts and I think I am desperately in need of your advises, experience and suggestion. Please let me know what I should do, which specialist and who is better to go?

Thanks a lot