Catfish's Journey - updated with pics 11-7-08 (page 5)

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#61 Post by **catfish** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:17 pm

Thanks everybody for your support when I was having a low moment. I've been back to my ortho and I'm feeling much better about things now.

Ken, I'm relieved to hear that the IPR isn't an issue for perio patients. I was afraid the procedure would rock my teeth right out of my head! It's good to know that the forces applied are really not that aggressive.

Thanks for the compliment, Denise! Overall I really am very happy with my progress. As for why my perio didn't want to pull the tooth, he just said that it doesn't seem necessary. The goal was to improve the alignment and spacing around my roots, in hopes of improving blood flow and slowing bone loss. He said my teeth look straight and there is plenty of room around my roots, so I don't need to make more space.

So here's the update from my ortho visit yesterday. He said IPR is a definite possibility to help upright my teeth. He wants to wait a bit before trying it though, because he thinks there's room to upright them some without it. So he put special bends in my wires to start moving my four lower incisors back. The bends are between my canines and my incisors.

Let me tell you, those little bends made a big, big difference! It's been a long time since a new wire has made my teeth hurt like this. So I guess the little bends are doing their jobs.

Now for some really, really good news! My ortho says that eliminating the extraction may cut about 6 months off my treatment time! YAY!!!! He says we're down to the fine-tuning now. Once my teeth are where we want them, he'll keep me in braces for a while longer so my teeth can stabilize. So this is all very good news indeed!

#62 Post by **Grutty** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:57 am

Wow Catfish,

No extractions, plus 6 months off your brace time??? That is awesome news!!!

Let the party begin!!!

#63 Post by **catfish** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:31 pm

My, how things can change. My journey has taken a detour, that's for sure!

I discovered that one of my lower incisors has a dying nerve, so I would need a root canal to save it. To make a long story short, I decided it wasn't worth saving since it's loose anyway, so I'm going to have it pulled. This definitely changes my ortho plan.

The good news is that I wanted one of the lower incisors pulled anyway, so my teeth could be uprighted and not jut out like they do now. My perio says that uprighting them should make them more stable too, so that's good. (But why didn't he say that when we discussed pulling a tooth a long time ago?! Grr!)

The bad news is that I am no longer anywhere near the end of my treatment time. My ortho said it will probably take about a year after the tooth is pulled. So my goal of being brace-free before I turn 50 is looking iffy! The other bad news is that he said moving my lower incisors to fill the gap is risky with my periodontal disease, and the stress could cause me to lose some or all of them. He plans to move them very slowly to minimize that risk. But this isn't really new news. I've known that the lifespan of these incisors is limited anyway because of the bone loss.

I also learned that my periondontist is recommending a gruesome-sounding bone graft procedure. I posted about that here
viewtopic.php?t=25939&start=15
if anyone wants to check it out. Basically the gross part is taking bone marrow from my pelvic bone to use in the graft. I'd sure like to hear feedback about this procedure if anyone knows anything about it.

#64 Post by **catfish** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:43 pm

I updated my ticker today. I am no longer hopeful of being out of my braces by August '09 as my previous ticker stated. My new brace-freedom date is very squishy, so I'm going with how long I've been in my braces instead.

Sigh...

#65 Post by **iBorg** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:25 pm

Catfish.....

I know what it feels like to have your date pushed back. My 24 month journey has been almost thirty and then there's surgery and then .......

I'm glad this is turning out not to be a race to a date (before fifty) to focusing on the end result. I found that change of focus helped me be more content with my journey instead of harping my ortho into "how much longer?" Remember this is the last time we're doing this, let's get it right.

Mike

#66 Post by **catfish** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:22 pm

Thanks for your support, Mike. You're right, this journey is a one time thing, so it's important to get it right. You may recall that a while ago I was unhappy with the way my teeth jutted out as a result of my braces. My ortho didn't want to change it because he said my overall alignment was where he wanted it to be. Losing this tooth means that he will now be moving the remaining incisors to be more upright. I am VERY happy that the "jutting" problem will be addressed now. It will be well worth the wait!

#67 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:03 am

good luck Catfish. I haven't been on the board in a while, and I just read about your decision to remove that lower tooth.
I just updated my story (can't change the title for some reason?!) and my lower incisor gap is closing fine. It was a hard choice to remove the tooth, but it all seems to be working out.
take care!

#68 Post by **catfish** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:57 pm

Thanks BracedVeryLate. I just caught up on your story and am encouraged by the progress you're making with your missing incisor. That makes me feel better about my decision to let this tooth go.

Tomorrow morning is the big event. I go to the ortho at 7:30 to have the bracket removed from that incisor. At 8:10, I go to the periodontist for the extraction, bone graft, and bone marrow harvesting. I am sooooo looking forward to having all of this stuff BEHIND me! It hasn't been fun to ponder as the big day approaches.

#69 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:20 am

looking good catfish! Congrats on the amazing looking teeth! cant wait to see your next update!

#70 Post by **opera^gal** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:29 am

catfish~ I just finished reading your whole story and all I can say is: ~wow~! You've been through the ringer with your teeth in general and have endured sooo much. Your progress is amazing and I am wishing you all good things for your procedures today.

#71 Post by **brika** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:58 pm

I hope it went well today, catfish! I have my fingers crossed!

#72 Post by **catfish** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:18 pm

Thanks for your encouragement and well wishes everybody! It really is appreciated!

My surgery went fine. I was sore enough the first day to use the pain meds he gave me, but I haven't needed them today. I just feel bruised, and as long as I don't touch the sore areas nothing really hurts. I'm swollen like a chipmunk on my left side, though! The bone marrow extraction is turning out to be no big deal, so I'm happy about that. I thought that was going to hurt!

So here's how I looked before my surgery. It doesn't show up real well, but I didn't have much bone in the gap area, so the "gummy ridge" (I'm sure it has a proper name) was really narrow and sunken in that area.

Here's how I look now. That "gummy ridge" is all plumped up and full of stitches. Note that I also have stitches in the new extraction site. Normally I don't think they would do that, but I ended up getting a bone graft there, too. I've lost a lot of bone in the lower incisor area, so he grafted that space, too.

Here's another view of my new gap. The plan is to tilt the remaining incisors more upright and close that gap. These teeth are flared forward quite a bit, so this will be a huge improvement.

So I go in on March 17th to get my first post-surgery braces adjustment. I'm curious to see what he does now that this tooth is gone.

#73 Post by **Jenn S** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:06 pm

Hi Catfish, your friend from the south!
Happy to learn your extractions went well. I was thinking about you.
It is going to be exciting to watch your progress now that you have created some more room!
I will be getting two teeth extracted next month.
I can't wait. They have not braced (brackets on, no wores) my four front lower teeth because they are so crowded there is no where for them to go.

#74 Post by **brika** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:52 am

I'm glad everything went well! It looks like there's plenty of space now for your ortho to do what needs to be done. :)
You're one step closer to your dream smile!!

#75 Post by **kittenmaisey** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 3:31 pm

Hi Catfish,

well done on your braces journey. I was recently told at an Ortho consultation that I had lower gum and bone loss. Quite shocking really, as my general Dentist has never mentioned it!!
This Ortho was also looking at an x-ray from 2005!
Like you, i was told it was not through bad hygeine. I also have similar looking lower toothy pegs to you! I also have a triangle gap, although mine was caused by overzealous Orthos in my teens, yanking lots of teeth out.. im sure..
last Ortho said he would not put braces on my teeth, in case they fell out. So I really admire you for going through with the treatment. Im kind of in limbo again at the moment. Seeing general Dentist this week. May loan him my glasses, as he is obviously missed somthing going on with my teeth since 2005 and before!
Regards.

Metal Mouth Message Board

Catfish's Journey - updated with pics 11-7-08 (page 5)

Catfish's Journey - surgery update with pics 3-6-09 (page 6)