Hospital 6 Month Appointment

I had a 6 month follow up appointment a couple of weeks ago. I’m pleased to say all is looking well 🙂

 I do feel my jaw has relapsed very slightly to the left and my left teeth touch just before the right do, however with a little pressure both sides touch. I asked Mr Power about this and he said over time the teeth on my left side will wear and the bite will feel more comfortable. Its only minimal and when I look back to my pre op photos it really does show me how slight it is.

I was worried that I had broken my lower fixed retainer, I am pleased to say this was also intact and it may have been that I got a bit of food caught in it which scratched my tongue, which then made me think my tongue was rubbing on the retainer (silly me!).

I am due to go back in October for the next 6 monthly check, but for now that’s all I really have to report.

When in the appointment Mr Power (my orthodontist) asked if anything what do I wish I had been warned about/aware of going in to surgery/recover that I didn’t know… I replied:

1. Lack of sleep, you will be exhausted but far too uncomfortable to sleep, this will go on for about 10-14 days
2. Those first two weeks – everything you do will wear you out and you will feel like you’ve run a marathon.
3. when the “blood slugs” come out of your nose at around the 2 week mark you will feel so much better and be able to breath so much more easily, it will be amazing!
4. your nose will swell, and this will take weeks and weeks to finally return to normal size, its only slight after the first few weeks, but it seems to hold the swelling.
5. Jaw spasms, they are pure evil and feel like someone has stabbed you in the ear – they do pass and occur around the 3-8 week point.

He asked if my numb patch was still the same and I agreed that it was, although I did add that even knowing what I know now, if I could go back I would do it all again, in fact even if all of my lower face would have been numb after recovery I still would have done it.

I cannot thank my orthodontist Mr Power, or my Surgeon Mr Shorafa enough, they have given me so much more then straight teeth and aligned jaws x

 

18 Months Post Op

It’s now just over 18 months post op. I’m still wearing my retainers at night time and they still feel tight when I pop them in. When my braces were removed I was fitted with a permanent retainer on the front 4 teeth of my upper and the 6 front teeth of my lower jaw. I’m pleased to say these are still very much in place.

I think my teeth have moved very slightly overall but believe this is just them settling in to the bite post braces, one thing I have notice is that my lower jaw is very slightly over to the left- I am hoping that this is the extent of any relapse and that no more occurs as I think I can feel it on my teeth on the left – but I’m so paranoid I don’t know if I’m imagining it a little worse then it is…

I see my orthodontist on 28th April for a check up so I will mention it to him then.

I don’t have much more to report on the tooth front at the moment, I am still around 35% numb on my lower left lip and chin but all other feeling has returned. I am at the point now where I am starting to forget what my old face looked like and it is becoming more normal not to hide when a camera comes out. I still sit there sometimes and close my jaws together and am consciously aware that both sides meet – It still makes me smile… I sometimes bite food and look at the bite mark- again, such a novelty still.

I shall update again after my visit with the orthodontist in April, if anyone has any questions regarding my experience please do get in touch. I hope everyone’s jaw journeys are going well 🙂 xxx

18 months post op:

18 Months post op/11 months after braces were removed x

 

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

It’s 10th July 2015, 10.15am… This time a year ago I was in  theatre. I cannot believe it has been a year since the surgery! I still have residual numbness on my lower left lip which I think will be permanent, I have about 60-65% feeling there, apart from that I have feeling everywhere else, so I think I have been quite lucky. I am so pleased that I went through with the whole process and couldn’t be happier with the difference that it has made to my bite and face shape. I have no regrets at all.

Happy first birthday new bite 🙂

 

5 weeks since de-bracing…

So i’ve been brace free for 5 weeks now, it’s still a novelty 🙂  Sometimes I still forget the braces aren’t there and I go to do the same things that I did when they were on!

you may remember a while back i moaned about how my lower teeth were over filed when being narrowed for my attempt of invisalign? long story and i hated the shape of my bottom teeth. Today I finally got the finishing done to build them back up to the shape they should have been – I was itching to do this right away, but my orthodontist had said not to do any finishing for at least a month after the braces come off to give the teeth time to settle. The appointment was booked in for today weeks ago 🙂

The retainer journey is far easier then the braces and i forget they’re in a lot of the time – I just need to always make sure if I am having anything other than water, that they come out. I wear my retainers most of the time and am much more used to having them in, I’m very please to say I rarely heave with the top one in now (phew!)

I go back to the orthodontist in May for a check up, and will probably be full of “thank you’s” as usual 🙂

So, here are the pictures of my teeth, the correct shape, in the correct place and on correctly aligned jaws – what a journey xxx

Aaaaand, they’re off!!!

OK, so, when I started this journey this day was a tiny speck in the distance, but drumrole…… here I am post braces:

The process of getting the braces removed was relatively painless and took around an hour. I have fixed retainers on the upper and lower front 6 teeth as well as removable retainers. Here is my video of the de bracing journey, I hope you enjoy it…x

T – 18 hours

So it’s almost 3pm, Tomorrow at 9am these bad boys finally come off!!! I cant wait!

I’m very excited to see what my teeth look like, straight, on aligned jaws and not behind lots of metal.

I don’t think that the actual de-bracing will hurt, although I think the dental clean will be uncomfortable at the very least.

Looking forward to posting pictures tomorrow 🙂 x x x

It’s the Month of de-bracing!!!!!!!!

It’s February 1st! this time in 19 days I will no longer have the braces that I have lived with for almost 3 years – and i’ll probably smiling like a Cheshire cat!

I still find the electric toothbrush feels strange on my upper palate but by now I’m thinking that it may be nerve damage that is making it feel strange as it must all be healed and fused back together by now. I sometimes stop and think wow, I have 8 plates and 36 screws in my face- how random is that! but even with this cold weather we’ve been having i’m pleased to say my face doesn’t ache or feel strange with the cold.

I do wonder how I will feel without the braces – I imagine my teeth will feel very thin without all this extra metal in my mouth! and I do keep thinking what my orthodontist said about me feeling my teeth look big initially as I haven’t seen them properly, in full for such a long time. I am very excited though – its 2 weeks and 4 days until d-day! – I can’t wait until I am in the days, rather then weeks countdown. Time is going quickly though, I have lots going on in my life to keep my occupied – and this wait for de bracing is by no means as hard as the wait for surgery was. I still stop and think how amazing the difference is, to feel both sides of my bite meet and also have my lower jaw sit under the upper is still a novelty. I cannot express my gratitude to my orthodontist and surgeon enough. My orthodontist has requested I speak with a couple of pre op patients about my experience – its so nice to be able to give something back and talk to patients, completely understanding their fears and worries. I do feel the anticipation made me think the op was worse then it really was, although saying that it was one of the physically hardest things i’ve been through. I think the anticipation heightened my fear, but as I’ve always maintained, a few weeks of pain and discomfort for a lifetime of results was always a no-brainer for me.

I cannot wait to update again soon, knowing me I will probably be quiet until the week of de-bracing, then i’ll be posting lots and lots!

As always, please do get in touch if I can help in any way, I hope everyone’s jaw journeys are going well 🙂 x x x

6 Month Recovery Milestone x x x

Saturday (10th January 2015) was my 6 month post op milestone. I have read that at the 6 month point, what you have is probably 85-90% what your results will be. So here is me, at around 90% of my result…. I compiled a video showing my journey, from the positioning of my teeth (pre op) in the correct orthodontic position for surgery, through to the 6 month recovery point. What an adventure my jaws and I have been through…. I’m still so amazed at the body’s ability to heal. It’s true to say it’s been a testing time, with its highs and it’s lows, I’ve gone through something I never thought I would be brave enough to do, dealt with pain I could never have imagined I could take, and I’ve been happier with my bite then I could have ever hoped for. Now, 5 weeks and 4 days left of my (almost) 3 year journey, and the braces finally come off…

I hope this helps anyone out there considering this type of surgery…. as always please get in touch if I can help in any way x

Extra Orthodontic Appointment – 31st Dec 2014

I had my extra orthodontic appointment on the morning of 31st Dec 2014, before I went in I felt that one of the lower teeth was still out of line ( I could feel it with my tongue and I could see it if i looked closely in the mirror). I arrived at 8.45am so didn’t have time to film before but did do a quick video update afterwards ( I prefer to do the videos as soon after things happen so the thoughts and emotions are fresh). It turned out that my concerns were valid and I did the right things to double check – My orthodontist ended up replacing all bands on the bottom. the lower teeth are all now back in line. I’m a firm believer of “everything happens for a reason” and had I not had the issues in order to go back on 31st Dec the lower teeth wouldn’t have been finished at the de brace appt in February. My advice to anyone is check, check and double check if you have any concerns, even though I had the band put back on at my private dentist it still didn’t rectify the movement. I’m so glad I managed to get back to see the orthodontist, and that he made time to see me at such an awkward time of year. So, fingers crossed no more hiccups. its now 2015 – I get my braces off this year!!!! 7 weeks to go….Oh…My…Goodness!!!! this is so exciting!!!

Video after the final orthodontic appointment below :

6th Jan – My teeth have settled down now and i’m pleased to say the lower front teeth are back in line (phew). After they settled I carried on wearing my night time bands to help eliminate any relapse

Final orthodontic appointment…and dramas :-(

2 months to go until the braces come off, final ortho adjustment yesterday….

My orthodontist said he was making final tweaks to the lower teeth and that we were all on schedule for de bracing in February…

… last night I realised one of the bands around one of the lower brackets is missing…..and the tooth it’s missing on is moving out of line……Nooooooooooooooo!!!   Its 5 days before Christmas and I cant get an appointment or even talk to an orthodontist at the hospital until Monday. I am worried, if this tooth goes on a wander it may push the de-brace date back…. Its now Sunday and I cant do a thing until tomorrow, I don’t think my orthodontist is back until January…

I’ve marked the final appointment milestone with a video, although most of it is worry about the lower tooth. However it is all part of my journey and I committed to writing about the highs and the lows, I’ll keep you updated as to how I get on calling the hospital again on Monday…

Monday 22nd Dec update – I called the hospital and Mr Power will be in on Wednesday, however my lovely work have allowed me to come in late tomorrow as my private dentist, who also does orthodontics and referred me initially have said they will replace the 1 band for me at 9.45am tomorrow. I took a picture of the movement already and I can clearly see one tooth on the lower is out of line at the front – its amazing how quickly they move…

Below are some pictures of where things are right now;                                                                                                                 

Wednesday 24th Dec – It’s Christmas Eve!!!!  Today I received and email from my Orthodontist, he could see me today but I was working so couldn’t make it. I explained I’d had the band put back on, but if he wouldn’t mind could I pop in and have him check he was happy with what the other orthodontist had done. I see him next Wednesday at 8.45am – I am so lucky to have such a quick and caring response from my Orthodontist. I am so so grateful for his understanding and help x