Sorry, Should have said February 2014 surgery buddies

[samoorelaw]

This is the space that doesn't want to close. Aah! I'm wondering if it ever will? I don't get why my ortho is not putting me on a triangle or box configuration elastic to help close this side on the right. He put me in double elastics on the back molar (triangle) but the molars are now touching. I'm so tempted to start wearing the triangles or box NOW based on the research I've read online. My next appointment isn't until Monday, April 28th. Trying to be patient but it's so hard...

Are your spaces more closed than mine? Just curious to see how another fellow surgery patient is doing after more than 9 weeks. I am kind of disappointed in my results: I thought the purpose of the jaw surgery was to correct my underbite and my open bite but it obviously hasn't corrected the open bite. Also, it's so frustrating that my midline is perfect with the elastic on, but as soon as I take it off, it shifts immediately. I'm wondering if retainers will even help me retain my results when this is all said and done? I read that open bites are really hard to retain post braces removal.

[redwine]

Hi all. My right side is taking it's time to close up, but all in all things are looking good. I even have a de-bracing date: August 13th! They're going to give me two retainers - a clear one (think invisalign) for during the day and a standard metal one for night. I'm adjusting to the numbness, but I think it is a bit less than was predicted. Right now, I'm glad the worst is behind me and I'm keeping my eyes looking forward!

[SoCalUniveristyLed]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the update. So my tentative debracing date went from June to July to back to June sometime : )

My bite did start to open up on one side ever so slightly, and my ortho put me in box elastics day and night for a month, and for one week starting mid last week I wear elastics from my canines to back molars during the day and box elastics (light) at night. My bite closed up within 3-4 days of having box elastics on, so I pray it holds even after getting my braces removed. My ortho said I'm now weaning myself off elastics...

My jaw got really cranky from wearing elastics again...every time they came off I'd have to stretch out my jaw again. I'm not numb anymore (that I can tell), but I still have some persistent stiffness in my lower left chin and left lower lip. After I started regaining feeling, my lower left lip and chin actually became hypersensitive..it was terrible. It still kind of is, but not as bad as before. I think it's going away, s.l.o.w.l.y.

I have my 3 month check up with my surgeon tomorrow. I hope they don't say they recommend a redo : )

Glad to hear how you guys are doing and that you're progressing...sometimes it feels like one step forward, then one back!

[samoorelaw]

Congrats on your deband dates! How exciting! I still have no deband date. My next adjustment is on June 9th so I'm hoping I'll get a deband date then, although I seriously doubt it. I'm so frustrated: while my posterior open bite has closed a bit since the last pic I shared on here, it's still open slightly, as you can see. I'm still on the v configuration elastics on my back molars, still no box elastic, which I don't get at all. My midline is still a bit off, too. I also need a gum retouring touch up in a month after my crown lengthening. I feel like this journey is never ending.

[SoCalUniveristyLed]

Thanks! I'm at an ortho school clinic, so every visit I've had for the past month people are getting debanded left and right before residents finish their programs lol.

Your gap does look like it's closed quite a bit. You know, I did hear my ortho discuss with the faculty resident about doing the box rubber bands, and they were discussing that if I don't wear the box bands, that it would let either jaw come up or down...so like letting them do their thing and trying to let the occlusion fix itself..so maybe that's the way your ortho is going?? For me, my ortho decided to try to 'train' my bite, since they weren't comfortable it was stable enough. But it was several weeks before I had to wear rubber bands again. After 6 week mark, I didn't wear rubber bands till like 3 weeks ago.

So I'm actually scared my bite will be off again after my braces come off lol.

I think I need extra work too but no one is bringing it up just yet lol. Like one of my front teeth is longer than the rest so I either get is shaved down or do tooth repair thingy - whatever it is. I think I'll need gum contouring too since my gums like grew down to my braces up top lol.

But I don't want anyone to touch me on the bottom - the nerve hypersensitivity is too much...

Hang in there...one day you'll just go in and viola - it'll be all over!!

BTW - you've kept your ceramics in great condition! Me too, but I've seen some young'uns with terribly stained ceramics. ewwe!!!

[samoorelaw]

You know, it's possible he is waiting to see if my occlusion will resolve itself. He put bends in my archwire to try to move my teeth on the right side: to make them move outward a bit (they appear to be slanted a bit inward, which would explain why they aren't touching just yet, but they are super close). He also mentioned that he may want to keep the bite a bit open because the crowns I will need will cause the teeth to touch, but he said that before I had the crown lengthening procedure and I really don't want my bite to be open at the end of treatment in the hopes the crowns will close the space. When I see him on June 9th, I will ask him if the results from the crown lengthening are good enough to allow a crown to fit without making more room for it by keeping the bite open. We'll see.

Thanks about my ceramics appearing clean! My ligs are a bit on the yellow side because I eat mustard way too much but as soon as the ligs are changed, they are all white again! I brush my teeth 3-4 times per day and floss constantly and yet my teeth/ligs are still on the yellow-ish side! I can only imagine how they would look if I *didn't* brush/floss as often as I do.

About the gum contouring, if you do need it, don't sweat it: the easiest procedure I ever had. If it's offered to you, go with conscious IV "twilight" sedation: awesome stuff!

[redwine]

Everyone seems to be making progress, no matter how much we worry about it. I don't expect a "Hollywood smile" when I am finally finished. I just want a smile that I don't need to cover with my hand! I know I'll have to have at least one crown when the braces come off and I should probably have another replaced as the color doesn't come close to matching the rest of my teeth. Oh well, I'll get it done as finances permit. In the meantime I have my whitestrips handy, a post-braces cleaning scheduled and I can't do much more than that. I agree with SoCal - one step forward, one step back.
Here's a question for you: Do you find yourself re-training your mouth to chew? My bite was so far off when I started and with each surgery and each adjustment I find myself learning to chew all over again. Of course, going so long without chewing at all didn't help matters either. Chewing has gone from second nature to constantly questioning - is that how it's supposed to be? Should these teeth touch? And more questions. I am second-guessing every motion. I assume that will go away in time. Even when I remove the bands during the day I have to retrain my tongue to talk. All part of the process, I suppose.
I'm so glad I've had you guys to compare experiences with - even if our treatment plans were different, we seem to share the same frustrations. It sure is nice to have a place to vent!
Last question: numbness all gone yet? Mine is mostly gone around the lips and cheeks, but chin is still pretty numb.

[samoorelaw]

Yes, I too find myself questioning how to properly bite and chew. Things are getting easier, and a little over a week ago I had my first post-op steak (and it was great!), but I am still having some difficulty in chewing, particularly on the right side (I always chewed on the left side and still prefer that side, but then, I also have a bit of an open bite left on the right side so that's to be expected).

All of my facial numbness is gone but I still have numbness/reduced sensation in my upper gums, but I think most of the feeling will be coming back (surgeon said it can take up to 6 months to get feeling back in the gums and that feeling is what takes the longest to come back).

I too am grateful for this board to vent because no one in my so-called "real life" has any inkling of what orthognathic surgery entails. Yes, I know people who have experienced braces who throw their two cents in, but when you add a serious surgery like this to the mix, it's a completely different experience that they don't quite get, but you all do.

[SoCalUniveristyLed]

I am grateful to have found this too : ) You are so right that people don't know what it's really like - I was actually pressured to come back to work before the two week mark!! And when I came in all emaciated and clearly not yet able to perform my job, they didn't bat an eye! I had to run a large meeting and try to speak through my banded mouth...it was awful. All people kept saying was that it was a great diet plan -um hello people, you lose your muscle, not fat...and a little bit of your mind! I don't know how super models do it, honestly. I was so irritated because of the lack of nutrients. I couldn't function at all!

And you guys helped me be brave - I was so scared about this surgery. a twisted ankle was the worst health issue I had encountered before this! Oh, and I never mentioned that my entire ortho treatment I was told I'd only have upper, then two weeks before surgery date my OS said there was a chance it would be upper and lower, and it wasn't until I woke up in recovery that I learned I had gotten the works! *tada!*

I went for my 3 month post op yesterday, and I am relieved - My OS was going to decide then if I needed a redo on my chin..which I dont!! I don't know if it's technically genio, but my chin was slightly off center after the lower jaw movement so my OS tilted my chin eeeever so slightly. I was praying I wouldn't need a redo. Phew. But, I can feel one of the screws in my lower back jaw enough to warrant its removal *yay*. So I'll have to get the screw (maybe both? I'm already going in for one, may as well!) removed in the fall before it breaks through. But thank goodness it's not the chin or jaw...

I can't yet chew hard meats, and I do notice one side is stronger than the other - but that may be because of my hypersensitivity on my left side - it sends a shock down my lower teeth and jaw so I try to chew carefully on that side or avoid it (probably not good).

I mentioned before I'm not really numb per se, but still a little stiff on my lower left side where I'm hypersensitive. My OS said yesterday that it does happen, and that it takes about 6 months for numbness/sensitivities to settle...so I hope it gets better. Oh, and I have little divots where the incisions were made on my lower jaw - so my jaw is all lumpy lol.

All I kept thinking was how crazy this recovery process is and how people that have cosmetic surgery do it. This is intense. I don't know if I'd do elective surgery lol.

Thank you my surgery buddies! I hope we do check ins..I'd really like to know how you guys are even past one year if you can remember the rest of us : )

[samoorelaw]

Glad you don't need the redo and that your post-op appointment went without a hitch.

Yikes about the screws! Sorry you have to get one removed but hey, as long as you're under, why not get both removed? I would even want the plates removed because if they are no longer needed, why keep them, as they are forego objects after all?

I'm definitely in favor of keeping in touch on here: it's great to have support from one's surgery buddies!

[samoorelaw]

Hello surgery buddies,

Just had to share that my open bite has finally closed! It closed within two days of my ortho finally giving me the triangle configuration. Don't know why he didn't do this earlier. Now we are trying to fix my midline but it's being stubborn. I think that is the last thing to fix before getting these things off for good!

Hope you are all continuing to recover well.

[redwine]

Hello my buddies,
It's been a while - many crazy things going on at once. Luckily, none of them had anything to do with my mouth! Had what I had hoped would be my last appt with surgeon today. All is well, but there is some pain on the left side (the side that shattered) that he wants to monitor. But, unless something happens, I don't have to go back for six months! Funny that my surgeon has hugged me after my last few appts. I do feel pretty close to him and it's obvious that he cares about his patients.
Last ortho adjustment was on Tuesday. I get molds taken for retainers on Aug 6th, and braces off date is still the 13th. Hooray! Oddly, after all this I finally have the end in sight and all I want to do is find pliers and wirecutters and rip the things out myself! I won't, of course, but it seems strange that I'm just now getting the "urges".
Numbness is doing better than the surgeon expected. He was pleasantly surprised when I showed him where I had feeling. I've been using TENS to stimulate the nerves and I think it is helping.
So, if I ever again hear someone say they're going to wire themselves shut to lose weight I won't be responsible for what happens. You're right, unless you've been through it, you'll never come close to understanding. But we're through it now, right? Good on us! Thank goodness I have you guys to vent to/with.
Best to us all!
Wendy

[samoorelaw]

Hello my buddies,
It's been a while - many crazy things going on at once. Luckily, none of them had anything to do with my mouth! Had what I had hoped would be my last appt with surgeon today. All is well, but there is some pain on the left side (the side that shattered) that he wants to monitor. But, unless something happens, I don't have to go back for six months! Funny that my surgeon has hugged me after my last few appts. I do feel pretty close to him and it's obvious that he cares about his patients.
Last ortho adjustment was on Tuesday. I get molds taken for retainers on Aug 6th, and braces off date is still the 13th. Hooray! Oddly, after all this I finally have the end in sight and all I want to do is find pliers and wirecutters and rip the things out myself! I won't, of course, but it seems strange that I'm just now getting the "urges".
Numbness is doing better than the surgeon expected. He was pleasantly surprised when I showed him where I had feeling. I've been using TENS to stimulate the nerves and I think it is helping.
So, if I ever again hear someone say they're going to wire themselves shut to lose weight I won't be responsible for what happens. You're right, unless you've been through it, you'll never come close to understanding. But we're through it now, right? Good on us! Thank goodness I have you guys to vent to/with.
Best to us all!
Wendy

Nice to hear from you, Wendy. You must be SO flippin' excited to get these things off in just a little over a month! Glad that the TENS treatment is helping with the numbness. I have been using TENS but for a different reason: I tore a tendon in my ankle a couple weeks ago (boy, if it isn't one thing, it's another) and I think this type of therapy really does help. I'm just desperate to heal in 3 weeks time so I can go on my scuba diving trip! But I digress.

I had my final post-op appointment on June 30th: he said "you're ready," meaning the braces should be coming off anytime now, but it's up to my "perfectionist" orthodontist: my ortho treated my surgeon's wife and children and he said he is a perfectionist who won't think twice about adding 2-3 additional months to your treatment even after the surgeon thinks the teeth are ready. That's both a good AND bad thing because I am DONE. I have been reading up on retainers and watching retainer videos on YouTube (I'm such a dork, but I can't help it, I need something to look forward to!).

It IS great to vent to each other. And yes, we are ALMOST THERE. I expect to see lots of pics on your deband date!

[redwine]

What kind of retainers are you getting? I'm getting two sets - Hawley's for everyday, and clears for occasions (like dating, gulp). I think they felt sorry for me so no extra charge for the clear ones. I, too, have been researching (obsessing?) about retainers. They can't possibly be as bad as braces, right?

[samoorelaw]

What kind of retainers are you getting? I'm getting two sets - Hawley's for everyday, and clears for occasions (like dating, gulp). I think they felt sorry for me so no extra charge for the clear ones. I, too, have been researching (obsessing?) about retainers. They can't possibly be as bad as braces, right?

I have to get Hawleys because I need 8 crowns on my upper arch. It would cost me $350 to get the essix in order to whiten my teeth, but considering the upper essix would be rendered useless after the crowns, not sure I'll go this route: it would cost another $175 to get another upper essix after the crowns. Wish they would throw in the essix retainers for free like some ortho's but nope: only my Hawleys are included in my contract. Doesn't $350 seem a bit expensive for teeth whitening?

Oh and good news: ortho said at my next appointment on August 11th, he should be able to tell me when the braces come off, so it can be either in late August or September! In the meantime, he installed two lingual buttons on my upper molar to try to pull my molar outward with an elastic connected from the buttons to the outside of my lower left molars: I have a bit of a crossbite on my left side. I haven't heard of anyone getting these buttons but man are they annoying rubbing up against my tongue!