Finished!!

Hello to all of my Jaw Bloggers!!

Just wanted to drop in and let you all know I have completed the orthognathic/orthodontic journey.  My braces came off in June and I do not miss them a bit.  I want to thank you all for the support we have shared throughout this journey and I wish the best for all of you who are still considering jaw surgery and those of you who are still in the process.  It is a long and sometimes difficult road but worth it in the end.  Please ask questions as needed by blog or email.  Blessings to you all!!  

Progress Report November 2011

Hello again!

I honestly thought I would get my braces off before now, however I had a relapse after surgery and have been in jaw therapy for two years with my orthodontist.  He has worked on my jaw and teeth and moved the roots around till I am tired.  I had to have a root canal yesterday due to surgery trauma that damaged a front tooth.  It was turning brown and my dentist agreed with the orthodontist that it needed the root canal.  Funny story-----my dentist did the root canal without any pain killers at all.  It took about 45 minutes and he was done.  NO PAIN!  My dentist is wonderful!!!  Believe it or not it is true!   : )

Anyway, my braces may come off by the end of the year or the first of next year and I know that is not terribly long.  I can wait.  He said he could work on moving the root of my front tooth some more but it would take another year of therapy and it sill may not change the position of the tooth.  I told him I was okay with where the tooth was and he could just leave it alone.

I am posting pictures for you all to see the difference in my teeth and how far they have come over the past three years.  I am happy with the results. In the near future, I will need to get a crown on my front tooth that has the root canal and I must have two implants after the braces come off.  After these things are complete, maybe I will be finished.  I sure hope so.  Here are my pictures.  Many blessings to you all!

Before Surgery April 2009

After Surgery August 2009

After tads were put in February 2010

Today November 2011

We are getting there!   : )

My Jaw....An Update

Hello Everyone,

I have been waiting and waiting for the "perfect" post for you! This is not it!!! I want to tell you all that my jaws are lined up and my braces are coming off..........but that is not the case. : /

My orthodontist is the greatest guy. He is working with bands, TADs and power chains to correct my relapse. I think I can see improvement but of course, I would. I am just ready to be done will all this. But anyway, everything is going good. My braces will be staying with me for a while longer. My right jaw still pops at times and both sides get very tired during the ortho visits. My surgeon is still willing to do a second surgery at no cost, so who knows?

I am still checking in on your blogs and keeping up with everyone. Some of you have your braces off now and you look "beautiful." I know my day for de-bracing is coming. I'll be patient. Blessings to you all. : )

One Year Update

Wow, time flies! This week marks ONE YEAR since jaw surgery. I went to the orthodontist and he is moving my teeth all kinds of ways. After surgery I had a relapse in my upper left jaw causing a cross-bite and an under-bite. My orthodontist is working on the under-bite now. He is moving my teeth in ways that make them look like the hillbilly teeth you find in a dollar store. It is not a pretty site, to say the least. I have a big space on the left top and a very short front tooth. They said it would be awhile before they could close the space, so "gappy" I am. I am posting a profile shot tonight. That is something I would have never done before surgery. LOL. I am happy with the results and I am glad I went through with the surgery. All is well. : )

Ortho Update!

I am updating today due to "I am so tired of looking at the last picture"! lol I did have a visit to the orthodontist and he was very happy about the results of the TADS. He said I could come in every four weeks to have the wires changed and to watch the progress. It is still going slow, but we are getting there! I just got back from the beach, so I put a couple of pictures that look better than my last one. Check out the jaw line! I have a chin! lol I can't even imagine what I am going to look like without braces! I will be glad when they are gone. : )

Gross TADs Photo!

Hello Everybody!

I got the TADS. : / They are not fun! They make my mouth sore, so I have to use extra wax. As far as seeing them, you can't unless I show you. See photo! When I first got them, the surgeon put one in my palate. It got infected and I got very sick. It was on a weekend so I called and got an antibiotic and went in on Monday to have it looked at. The orthodontist called the surgeon and he saw me the next day. He took it out! Thank goodness! I could have hugged him. (but he doesn't seem like the hugging type, so I didn't) LOL. The orthodontist did say he would need it put back in soon, so the surgeon ordered a new one. Yay....I guess.

I am seeing improvements in my front teeth, so maybe this is a good thing! I sure hope so. : )

TADS

The surgeon called and scheduled a date to put the TADs in. It is scheduled for December 31st. The good thing.... I can go to NCY without pain and I can still eat at Christmas!!! I will post pictures of them. May be gross, but may be interesting!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Here we go!!!!

I went to the orthodontist today so he could explain everything to me. This is the plan..... I start on Friday by getting a heavy gauge wire on top. He is going to put the power chain on bottom.

They have ordered some TAD's for the surgeon to place in my bones. This is the strange part... he will place these TAD's (temporary anchorage devices) in my bone above and between my teeth. These screws will go directly in the bone so the orthodontist can put wire from the TAD to the brackets to torque the top front teeth forward. This is a 6 to 8 month process that may prevent surgery. He said not to bet on that because the purpose of this procedure is to get me "surgery ready" by spring or summer. (I can dream, right?)

I am glad surgery is a few months away, but I am concerned about the pain level involved with screws in my bone... but come to think about it, we surgery patients have many screws and metal in our bones. I guess it will be okay.

Has anyone else out there had TADs? How did you do with them?

Well I feel as if I am starting over. Maybe next time we will get it right. : )

Thanks for all the comments. I appreciate the support!!!

Blessings to you all....

More Surgery to Come

I saw my orthodontist two weeks ago. He released me back to the surgeon saying he couldn’t do any more for me due to my cross bite. He said my left side has relapsed and he cannot fix it. I saw the surgeon yesterday. He said the muscles had pulled back into position and moved my bite from the place he had put it during surgery. He said my option was to have a second surgery. He took molds and x-rays. I will be talking to him sometime this week after he reviews everthing.

I have had a popping in my lower right jaw ever since surgery that normally doesn’t hurt, but after all the molds and movement from the doctor on my jaws, I have a knot and some swelling there and it hurts badly this morning. I am taking ibuprofen for it.

Due to being in college (at age 42), homeschooling my children, working a full time job, and keeping foster children daily, I am trying to figure out when to have this surgery. Classes at my community college stop December 14th and my classes at Arizona of Phoenix start January 11th. I am going to be in NY December 10th-14th with my daughter for a Christmas get away. My husband and I will be going away in November for our 19th anniversary. Maybe I will have the surgery right before Christmas and be all swollen for the holidays. Hey, at least I won’t gain all those holiday pounds while sipping through syringe. Hmmmm, I wonder if you can blend turkey???

(Complain time) This is ridiculous!!! I am supposed to be past this point! Surgery for me was on April 7th 2009. I thought by now I would be getting the braces off instead of starting over.

(Get over it time) Well anyway, it will work out and maybe by this time next year it will all be over. As fast as time flies, I will probably not even notice it.

You guys be blessed!

Good Surgeon Visit

I had my four month visit with the surgeon. He had very positive things to say. One was, "Wow, this looks much better than I expected". Hey, I'll take it!!! He said things are coming together very well and he is going to call my orthodontist on Monday about some things. I personally think things are looking better. My teeth are sitting well although there is still a cross-bite. The orthodontist is working on it.

How do I feel? Hummmmm....

Face: My face tingles a lot. Sometimes it feels like it is melting off.

Opening: I am not opening three fingers yet. The surgeon said I need to exercise my mouth more, at least three times a day. With the bands being worn constantly, it is hard to remember to exercise.

Biting: I still bite my jaw some, but not as often as before. It really hurts, brings tears to my eyes.

Looks: It's funny, just when I get comfortable with my looks, it changes!

All in all, I am happy with everything.... just still getting use to it all. Blessings! : )

Dentist Visit

My dentist appointment went very well. I was surprised that I did not have any cavities after having the palate splint for six weeks. It was so hard to clean my teeth during that time. I was sure a cavity probably got in there. lol. He said that I had very little plaque and everything looked great.

He said I was still in cross-bite but he thinks the orthodontics should be able to correct that. I sure hope so!!!

All in all, everything is going well. I will see the surgeon at the end of the month.

Blessings to you all.

Second Surgery

Hello All,

This picture is of me and my beautiful daughter in Charlotte NC going to see the Phantom of the Opera. It was great!

I had a visit to the orthodontist last Friday. He first said I still had some swelling in my cheeks and lower jaw, which I was happy to hear because I am hoping to see more cheekbone in the future. While I was happy with that comment he breaks the other news. He said it was too soon to tell, but I may be better off with the second surgery. : (

While they were changing my bands, my mouth had to stay open longer than normal and my lower jaw started hurting. With my bad news and the pain in my lower jaw, the tears started to stream down the side of my face.

My doctor came over and wiped my eyes and the lady started saying she didn't mean to hurt me and he said to her that I was just worried. He was absolutely right!

Well, everything else is going well. I am eating much better now and the swelling is going away. It is definitely a day-by day-process. I am happy with the results thus far. I still have an underbite, but the space in the back of my teeth is looking better. I will see the surgeon at the end of the month. I will let you know how it turns out.

Hope you all are doing well. Blessings!!! : )

Back in Bands

My visit to the orthodontist was quiet eventful. I told him what the surgeon said about a second surgery. He said he would do everything possible to keep me from another surgery, but he could make no promises. He put a thick wire on top and said it should fix my underbite. He then added a mouth of bands to pull the teeth together in the back. My bite still doesn't sit right.

I am so hoping this works. Actually, while wearing the bands, I haven't had any popping or sliding in my jaw, so maybe it is working.

My face is still swollen and hurts and I have a funny looking smile, but otherwise I am doing pretty well.

Blessings to you all!!! : )

Followers

To my friends and family... thanks to a computer literate friend of mine, the follower 18+ is gone. Yayyyyyy. Blessings to you all. : )

9 Weeks Post Op Dentist and Surgeon Appointments and UPDATE

For an update I am happy to report.... I do not have to have a root canal. Yayyyyyy. : ) The dentist took another x-ray and said the tooth looks good. It was just stressed from the surgery.

On to my jaw. I have had a bone grinding sound in my right jaw for about two weeks. It is more than the clicking sound before surgery, this is a pain that brings tears to my eyes. I called the surgeon when it first happened and he said my teeth are still not lined up properly so that may be the problem. It started getting worse as in happening every time I ate, so today is my regular visit with the surgeon.

Another thing of concern is that my mouth doesn't open but 2 fingers and at 9 weeks is that okay? So on to the surgeon's office.

UPDATE to the update.....

I went to the surgeon and he said the pain and grinding in my right jaw was some relapse. He said he had to move my bottom jaw forward so much that it now has settled some. He is hopeful that the orthodontist can adjust to fix the problem. If not, then I will have to go back into surgery. I am to see the orthodontist two times before going back to the surgeon. He said that would give my teeth some time to adjust and then he could make a decision regarding surgery.

He said I could start stretching my mouth some each day to widen it. He was not concerned about the 2 finger opening thus far. He said to just exercise it daily.

Hope you are all doing well. Blessings!!!!

Vanity -- Week 7 Post op

Updated pictures...

Okay, so I am a little upset tonight. My face hurts a lot. Kinda like blunt objects being pushed into my skin. I am not liking it at all. I am still taking ibuprofen daily and honestly, I am tired of it. Not just the ibuprofen, but just the fact of having to take it daily. I want this all to be over. The swelling and the strange pain!

On to vanity... when I was first told I needed jaw surgery to correct my narrow palate and my bite problems, I had no idea of the facial changes one would undergo. As I did my research, I found it did change the look of the person. Sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. Well in my case, I really don't see a major difference, but those around me do.

Honestly, I have had major support through all of this but there are always the few people who want to say things that they shouldn't. As my 16 year old daughter puts it, "closed minded people should have closed mouths". Well I am agreeing with her right now.

So what happened?? A lady came up to me while around lots of other people whom we know, and asked, "so is people asking you if you had and face lift and a nose job?" Well in my opinion, that was rude and uncalled for. I may look different, but I am still the same person. Maybe I shouldn't be so sensitive, but with all that we (jaw surgery patients) go through, I think a little more thought should be put into what one says.

I don't know anything about cosmetic surgery, but if it is as bad as jaw surgery, then I don't want to ever go there. Yes, the structure of my face and my nose did change, but I am hoping for the better. Right now, I think I still look like a... a... maybe a turtle. lol But whatever, I can breath better now than ever, never waking up at night to catch a breath... and when the orthodontist gets finished, I will be able to eat with a normal bite.

I know this will be worth it at the end no matter what other people think or SAY. Okay, maybe I am being overboard with this, but at least I have let it out. Thanks. : ) Blessings to you all.

Root Canal

A quick update.... I went to the dentist today. He took an x-ray of my tooth. He said that both front teeth showed trauma from the palate split so he didn't want to do a root canal just yet because it may not need one.

So, I am staying on the antibiotic for six more days, then I will start a different antibiotic if the swelling comes back. If the swelling does come back, he said we would probably do a root canal then. He said we would just watch the tooth and not move too fast. That is fine with me. I wasn't looking forward to a root canal. Blessings!!! : )

Today starts the 6 week mark

I went to the surgeons office today. He took out the splint and took off the bands... yayyyyy!!! I am so glad they are gone. He said everything looks good and I can start chewing now. (I tried a cheeseburger but the meat was too tough, so I ate the bread. It was good.) After leaving the surgeons office, I went to the orthodontist and had the top wire replaced. I go to the dentist tomorrow to have the front tooth checked. I sure hope it doesn't need a root canal. I posted pictures with my first smile for you guys. I am getting there. Again, to you who are contiplating surgery, it seems to be worth it. : ) To you, Aimee... I promise it does get better. Blessings to you all.

Day 31

So I am just posting today because I finally like my picture. My son took these today. I am still not showing any teeth ... maybe next week. : ) Just wanted to give those of you who haven't embarked on this adventure a quick thumbs up. Time really does fly by and although I am still having some pain, and still some swelling, it does get better. : )

Day 29...The Healing Continues (includes todays photo)

Today was a pretty good day with the surgeon. I am not sure if I mentioned the knots in my face, but they are in the places where "what else" more bone grafting. I have no idea what I am going to look like after the swelling goes down.??.

He did say everything looks good and my splint is coming off next week. : ) After the splint comes off I must rush to the orthodontist office and have my wire replaced.

(The surgeon cut it when he split my palate)

He said my infection looks better but I am to stay on the antibiotics for at least 10 more days. I guess I am okay with that except I am still swollen and it is very hard to swallow the pills.

I am still not allowed to chew, so blended diet it is. Maybe next week I can start soft foods when the splint comes off.

Here is a picture taken today outside my surgeons office. I will post another one when I am more comfortable smiling with my teeth showing. My smile is still pretty funny looking. LOL