June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[snapdresser]

I really hope I'm not jinxing myself by talking about it too much, but my ortho is planning to remove my braces by Christmas. I wonder if he read my post above?

We are finally finally finally done trying to close my left side. It took more than a year and I don't think it's perfect, but both sides make contact now.

No more elastic pulling my left molars together. I've got this strange combination now: class II triangle on the left and class III triangle on the right. Things are looking really good now and it's only been 6 days.

The palate behind my front teeth is still numb but I think my gums are normal in the front. I accidentally spit out a lot of food because of the numbness and I hope getting the braces removed will help. Does anyone else find it difficult sometimes to eat with your mouth closed?

Kayla or Nozzel...any news about debracing yet?

YAAAAYYYYY!!!!! That's awesome news about getting your braces off!!!! Is your next appointment to have them removed then, or you have a couple more appointments until that one? That's cool about your teeth making consistent contact too. Mine are kinda like that too, so maybe it's no big deal.

Your gums on the front are normal?! LUCKY!!! Mine are still completely numb in the front Yep, I spit out food a bit too. And find pieces of rice tucked in where my sutures were hours later

[jaime]

I poked my gums with my fingernail and it kind of hurt afterwards, so I take that to mean they're normal. It's definitely a new thing as I've tried poking them before. My chin is almost totally normal, too. I'm going to say it's about 95%. It feels just ever so slightly dull. What about yours?

I have another appointment November 15 and I am crossing my fingers that we'll set a debrace date then. November 20th will be my third anniversary of stepping foot in that office for the first time (excluding when I had a consultation there in 1998).

I'm glad I'm not the only one spitting out food.

[snapdresser]

I wish my gums hurt when I poke them My chin definitely isn't 95%. Maybe 20%. I have some sensation, but it's very dulled. You got a genio, right? How far did they pull you forward? I figure that's what's causing the continued chin numbness. Maybe mine was advanced more than yours?

Wow, you had a consultation at that same place almost 20 years ago? Huh. You must have been what, 12? What'd they say? Wait till you're all grown up and then we'll get to work?

Nah, I don't do it a ton, but definitely worse than pre-op.

EDIT: WOAH! Belay my last! I was super sure poking my gums would yield no response cuz when I rub them I feel nothing, but I was wrong! It hurts when I poke them with my nail! So effing cool... Not even being sarcastic right now. That's awesome. I figured the nerve was severed.

[jaime]

Yay for pain!!!!!!

That's great you can feel it!

I did get a sliding genio too. No idea on the measurements but I have a good chin now whereas I didn't really before. I didn't know your sensation was only at 20%. Hopefully it will come back a little bit more.

In 1998, my ortho (same guy) wanted to remove 4 teeth. No mention of jaw surgery back then, interestingly enough. I wanted braces then SO BAD but my parents wouldn't pay for it. I remember it was $3500 but my dad's insurance wouldn't cover it. Yet they ponied up the money to pay for my siblings' college and university tuitions (which are way less expensive in Canada, but still way more than the braces). I'm not bitter, though...

[snapdresser]

Haha yep, yay for pain! Maybe my chin is more than 20%? I dunno. All I know is it feels pretty dull. Tho I poked my chin before the surgery to see how sensitive it was and it wasn't very sensitive to start, so maybe I'm more like 60%? I have full feeling and movement in my lips and I'm happy with the aesthetics so I figure I came out pretty well.

your thing about your parents not shelling out for your braces but surprisingly paying for your siblings' college sounds familiar. You're not a middle child by any chance, are you?

[jaime]

You're not a middle child by any chance, are you?

Hahahaha...good guess; I am the middle child. Honestly, I can't be bitter about it. My dad let me live with him rent-free for nearly 6 years. I didn't have to pay for internet during that time either. He saved me probably $50,000 in rent and internet expenses, which is more than my siblings' school. Man I wish I had a sweet savings account to show for that.

Interesting your chin was only at 60% before?!!? Nothing happened to it, that's just how it was? I think probably our gums and palates were less sensitive than we remember so post-surgical numbness seems worse.

[snapdresser]

You're not a middle child by any chance, are you?

Hahahaha...good guess; I am the middle child. Honestly, I can't be bitter about it. My dad let me live with him rent-free for nearly 6 years. I didn't have to pay for internet during that time either. He saved me probably $50,000 in rent and internet expenses, which is more than my siblings' school. Man I wish I had a sweet savings account to show for that.

Interesting your chin was only at 60% before?!!? Nothing happened to it, that's just how it was? I think probably our gums and palates were less sensitive than we remember so post-surgical numbness seems worse.

Haha how did I know? Well, you're a govvie, right? Not sure how it works in Canada, but I suspect you have a defined benefit plan and a retirement account they match your contributions to, right? So that's something to show for it!

Nooo I'm just saying that my chin might be 60% now, not the 20% I said originally. It just wasn't very sensitive before, and now it's even less sensitive; it's difficult to gauge exactly how much less sensitive it is now. Yup, you're right, maybe our gums and palates weren't that sensitive to begin with. No way of knowing now

[jaime]

You're not a middle child by any chance, are you?

Hahahaha...good guess; I am the middle child. Honestly, I can't be bitter about it. My dad let me live with him rent-free for nearly 6 years. I didn't have to pay for internet during that time either. He saved me probably $50,000 in rent and internet expenses, which is more than my siblings' school. Man I wish I had a sweet savings account to show for that.

Interesting your chin was only at 60% before?!!? Nothing happened to it, that's just how it was? I think probably our gums and palates were less sensitive than we remember so post-surgical numbness seems worse.

Haha how did I know? Well, you're a govvie, right? Not sure how it works in Canada, but I suspect you have a defined benefit plan and a retirement account they match your contributions to, right? So that's something to show for it!

Nooo I'm just saying that my chin might be 60% now, not the 20% I said originally. It just wasn't very sensitive before, and now it's even less sensitive; it's difficult to gauge exactly how much less sensitive it is now. Yup, you're right, maybe our gums and palates weren't that sensitive to begin with. No way of knowing now

Yeah, my pension is saving me from my own poor money habits (I do have a separate savings account too, but it's nowhere near as high as it should be).

Haha, govvie. Haven't heard that before. I usually prefer to call myself a drone or desk jockey.

Sometimes I wish I could go back and feel my old bite just for a moment. I more or less know what it feels like, but it'd be neat to be able to "try on" my old bite. I know I couldn't fit my tongue flat against the roof of my mouth and/or lay it between my upper canines. And only about four teeth touched in the back. I had no idea how messed up all of that was.

[snapdresser]

Sometimes I wish I could go back and feel my old bite just for a moment. I more or less know what it feels like, but it'd be neat to be able to "try on" my old bite. I know I couldn't fit my tongue flat against the roof of my mouth and/or lay it between my upper canines. And only about four teeth touched in the back. I had no idea how messed up all of that was.

I still can't fit my tongue flat against the roof of my mouth. Which is a bit annoying, I supposed, now that I've started keeping my tongue in the roof of my mouth. So you going to hold off on doing any more videos until your braces are off?

[jaime]

I still can't fit my tongue flat against the roof of my mouth. Which is a bit annoying, I supposed, now that I've started keeping my tongue in the roof of my mouth. So you going to hold off on doing any more videos until your braces are off?

My tongue is still a little wider than my palate, if that's what you meant, too?

I was going to wait until I have a definite debrace date and then do a "last day with braces" video, then a video the day the braces come off. I'm so paranoid that I'm jinxing myself by talking about getting debraced!!!!!

[snapdresser]

My tongue is still a little wider than my palate, if that's what you meant, too?

I was going to wait until I have a definite debrace date and then do a "last day with braces" video, then a video the day the braces come off. I'm so paranoid that I'm jinxing myself by talking about getting debraced!!!!!

Yeah, that's what I meant. I guess that's normal then? Huh.

Aaaaahhhhhh!!!! It's so exciting! I remember what it felt like getting my braces off after a few years in high school, and also what it was like getting my archbars off last fall. To combine them into one?! I'm excited for you! That's gonna be awesommmmmmme!!!

[Nozzelnut]

I was away on vacation. No news of a debrace date. A heck of a lot closer than a year ago but I still have several things I'd like to be taken care of before they come off. A couple tooth angles, finish closing the gap between uppers and lowers on my left side (where the majority of damage from clenching was) and some symmetry issues.

My tongue is the same; it still feels too big for my mouth. I wish I had another 5mm of width... Maybe they can keep moving things outward...

Another appointment this Wednesday. #thiswillneverend

[jaime]

I was away on vacation. No news of a debrace date. A heck of a lot closer than a year ago but I still have several things I'd like to be taken care of before they come off. A couple tooth angles, finish closing the gap between uppers and lowers on my left side (where the majority of damage from clenching was) and some symmetry issues.

My tongue is the same; it still feels too big for my mouth. I wish I had another 5mm of width... Maybe they can keep moving things outward...

Another appointment this Wednesday. #thiswillneverend

Yo Noz! Good to see you back.

I know what you mean about wishing you had more space for your tongue. The sides of my tongue are sometimes scalloped from being against my teeth which is apparently not a good thing.

I'm amazed you still have the patience to fix everything. I'm at a point where I don't care if there some imperfections, I just want to get the damn braces off.

[Nozzelnut]

I have the same scallop impressions on my tongue in the morning too!!

It seems like I had more room after the expander; maybe another round of expander or archbar to keep pressing things out. I still mouth breathe at night; so something's not right. Who knows; maybe a removable expanders for my retainers top and bottom to get some extra width; SARPE; tongue reduction; whatever at this point...

I only want to do this once; so if it takes a couple extra months to get things right, I'll wait.

[jaime]

How did your appointment go, Nozzel?