Really really quick, because I think an update is neccessary but I am tired and busy!
Implants: no go. I don't have enough space between the adjacent teeth, and the bone is too thin. It looks like I'll have resin-bonded bridges put in when the braces come off
Braces: bottom braces to come off in October, top braces in December. Teeth are no longer being moved. Hallelujah!
School: off to college next Saturday! Not thrilled that I will be starting with braces, but it could be worse. I'd rather have them for the extra three months or so and have it look just right.
This is a new record for me! Shortest post ever!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Helllllllllllllllo Blogosphere!!
Wow. It's kind of nice to say it's been a really long time and not a whole lot has changed. I'm in rubberbands again, gained back all the weight I lost post-op, and things are being fine-tuned in my mouth, but that's about it.
It looks like the braces might come off at the end of August, but probably not until Christmas (the next time I'll be home from school!) The only thing that's really delaying their removal, it seems, is making sure there's enough room for two implants to be placed in. I'm a little confused to the order that everything has to happen in, but my dentist, orthodontist, and periodontist should be chatting and getting back to me on Monday, so. I should have a better idea then. After seeing the periodontist, he sent me for a CT Scan to make sure there's enough bone to do the implants. Because I have been missing the teeth that will be replaced with implants for some time, the bone structure has somewhat degraded. The CT Scan showed that I will need a bone graft in order for implants to be possible. Apparently, that's not a huge deal, though. (Aside story: right before I had the scan, I told the technician that there's a great deal of metal in my face. She just kind of nodded and went on what she was doing. After the scan was done, she came back into the room and said, "Wow, there really is a lot of metal in there. What happened?!")
Oh! By the way. I found a great use for rubberbands. I was sitting on the bus knitting, and I needed an extra stitch marker. Aha!
Now for pictures, eh?
This is from June. The first spontaneous picture of my profile that I really like. Hurray! My mom says that my nose isn't really as big as in the picture, so there you go, Internet. My nose isn't that big.
My friend and I being silly. Oh, and proof that I'm really really tall.
It looks like the braces might come off at the end of August, but probably not until Christmas (the next time I'll be home from school!) The only thing that's really delaying their removal, it seems, is making sure there's enough room for two implants to be placed in. I'm a little confused to the order that everything has to happen in, but my dentist, orthodontist, and periodontist should be chatting and getting back to me on Monday, so. I should have a better idea then. After seeing the periodontist, he sent me for a CT Scan to make sure there's enough bone to do the implants. Because I have been missing the teeth that will be replaced with implants for some time, the bone structure has somewhat degraded. The CT Scan showed that I will need a bone graft in order for implants to be possible. Apparently, that's not a huge deal, though. (Aside story: right before I had the scan, I told the technician that there's a great deal of metal in my face. She just kind of nodded and went on what she was doing. After the scan was done, she came back into the room and said, "Wow, there really is a lot of metal in there. What happened?!")
Oh! By the way. I found a great use for rubberbands. I was sitting on the bus knitting, and I needed an extra stitch marker. Aha!
Now for pictures, eh?
This is from June. The first spontaneous picture of my profile that I really like. Hurray! My mom says that my nose isn't really as big as in the picture, so there you go, Internet. My nose isn't that big.
My friend and I being silly. Oh, and proof that I'm really really tall.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I'm my own slightly-more-attractive-but-otherwise-identical sister
Today I dropped by the history office at my high school to ask a question. I began talking to my teacher from last year. I never had a particularly great relationship with her, but she was closest and could answer my question. After we had talked for a few minutes, she said, "So, you must be Allison's sister!"
*confusion*
"No, I'm Allison..."
"Oh! You look... different! But the same! Your face looks different!"
This is actually the second time in a week that a former history teacher and I have discussed my face. The other time, my sophomore year teacher said my name, and I turned around. "Wow!" she said, "You look great!" At the time, I thought it might be because I've learned how to do my hair and wear mascara since I had her. Maybe not?
*confusion*
"No, I'm Allison..."
"Oh! You look... different! But the same! Your face looks different!"
This is actually the second time in a week that a former history teacher and I have discussed my face. The other time, my sophomore year teacher said my name, and I turned around. "Wow!" she said, "You look great!" At the time, I thought it might be because I've learned how to do my hair and wear mascara since I had her. Maybe not?
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Clicking No More?
Sorry to leave you guys in the dark -- the clicking ended pretty much as soon as my orthodontist took me off rubberbands. Now I am blissful again :)
I realized that I can't touch my nose with my tongue anymore! Boo, I want that back!
I realized that I can't touch my nose with my tongue anymore! Boo, I want that back!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Clicking
All of a sudden, my jaw has started clicking. It's only on one side and only when I'm chewing. Still, it's really disconcerting. I never had that before surgery! I'm going to ask my orthodontist about it tomorrow, and then call my surgeon. Anyone else have this happen after surgery?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Two months + !
Geez, it really has been a long time. Sorry about that, friends.
I'm doing well. Very very very very well. I feel great -- I occasionally have pain in my chin (anyone else ever had that? it's a little weird) or my jaw muscles when I yawn, but nothing too bad, and I have almost all feeling back. I'm eating almost completely normally, or at least as normally as I've ever eaten in braces. That pretty much means I can't handle a whole apple or corn on the cob, but nuts, sandwiches, steak, etc are a GO! I'm very happy with my appearance, as well.
On the orthodontia front: I saw my orthodontist at 7 weeks post-op. He was pleased, but didn't ogle, which was a little disappointing. He freed me from the heavy-duty elastics, gave me new, lighter elastics, and replaced the bottom wire. He hasn't replaced the top wire yet, which is still in three pieces. He couldn't do that until my dentist cut some bridges I have so that the teeth could be moved independently and room can be made for implants. I see him again in two weeks. It seems like my bottom teeth are done, and at this point, he's just stabilizing them. He estimated 6-7 more months of braces (from my last appointment) which brings us to August or September. I would realllllllllly like them off before I go to college at the end of August!
It was a tough recovery, but I think I can finally say it was worth it!
(Pictures are a couple of weeks old, but I don't think there's been any significant change since then)
I'm doing well. Very very very very well. I feel great -- I occasionally have pain in my chin (anyone else ever had that? it's a little weird) or my jaw muscles when I yawn, but nothing too bad, and I have almost all feeling back. I'm eating almost completely normally, or at least as normally as I've ever eaten in braces. That pretty much means I can't handle a whole apple or corn on the cob, but nuts, sandwiches, steak, etc are a GO! I'm very happy with my appearance, as well.
On the orthodontia front: I saw my orthodontist at 7 weeks post-op. He was pleased, but didn't ogle, which was a little disappointing. He freed me from the heavy-duty elastics, gave me new, lighter elastics, and replaced the bottom wire. He hasn't replaced the top wire yet, which is still in three pieces. He couldn't do that until my dentist cut some bridges I have so that the teeth could be moved independently and room can be made for implants. I see him again in two weeks. It seems like my bottom teeth are done, and at this point, he's just stabilizing them. He estimated 6-7 more months of braces (from my last appointment) which brings us to August or September. I would realllllllllly like them off before I go to college at the end of August!
It was a tough recovery, but I think I can finally say it was worth it!
(Pictures are a couple of weeks old, but I don't think there's been any significant change since then)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Like a Real Person
It's amazing how obvious it has become that those wires were standing between me and happiness. I've been feeling so good this week.
Pain: I have very little pain in my jaws, except for some that I attribute to them constantly being clenched with rubber bands. I also get an occasional sharp pain in my upper lip or chin that lasts a few seconds. Nothing I can't handle.
Range of motion: With the rubber bands on, I can open my mouth about a quarter of an inch. Without them, I can open about an inch and a half, or a finger and a little bit.
Bite: I haven't gotten over the fact that my upper teeth are in front of my lower teeth. Just lovely. My left back teeth don't make full contact, but the doctor says rubber bands + orthodontia will fix this. I also have a smallish gap in my top teeth on both sides from where my jaw was advanced. I assume that's what it's from, at least; the wire on my braces is cut there, also.
Eating: I eat almost everything. That's not to say I eat almost everything normally, because many things I just swallow whole. I'm getting better at chewing but not all there.
Appearance: Either my swelling is going down, or I'm just getting used to Chubby Cheeks. Also, I totally love my profile. I've been paying extra attention to everyone else's, and I've decided that mine is definitely normal now. Saturday, I went out with some friends for dinner, and put on mascara and did my hair for the first time in a month. That's when I decided I looked like a real person!
School: Yup, this is my first week back at school, and I'm getting back into it. It's nice to be back, though I am exhausted. Reactions from my classmates are varied and interesting. Many don't say anything about my absence or new face -- my dad's explanation is that "only good friends or very tactless people will comment on something like a change in your appearance". Good friends and I suppose the tactless ask. One kid tentatively asked me if I had my wisdom teeth removed. I told him I hadn't, and explained my surgery, basically that my jaw had been broken and then wired shut. This story attracted quite an audience of ooooo-ing people. I was a little proud, I must admit!
Pain: I have very little pain in my jaws, except for some that I attribute to them constantly being clenched with rubber bands. I also get an occasional sharp pain in my upper lip or chin that lasts a few seconds. Nothing I can't handle.
Range of motion: With the rubber bands on, I can open my mouth about a quarter of an inch. Without them, I can open about an inch and a half, or a finger and a little bit.
Bite: I haven't gotten over the fact that my upper teeth are in front of my lower teeth. Just lovely. My left back teeth don't make full contact, but the doctor says rubber bands + orthodontia will fix this. I also have a smallish gap in my top teeth on both sides from where my jaw was advanced. I assume that's what it's from, at least; the wire on my braces is cut there, also.
Eating: I eat almost everything. That's not to say I eat almost everything normally, because many things I just swallow whole. I'm getting better at chewing but not all there.
Appearance: Either my swelling is going down, or I'm just getting used to Chubby Cheeks. Also, I totally love my profile. I've been paying extra attention to everyone else's, and I've decided that mine is definitely normal now. Saturday, I went out with some friends for dinner, and put on mascara and did my hair for the first time in a month. That's when I decided I looked like a real person!
School: Yup, this is my first week back at school, and I'm getting back into it. It's nice to be back, though I am exhausted. Reactions from my classmates are varied and interesting. Many don't say anything about my absence or new face -- my dad's explanation is that "only good friends or very tactless people will comment on something like a change in your appearance". Good friends and I suppose the tactless ask. One kid tentatively asked me if I had my wisdom teeth removed. I told him I hadn't, and explained my surgery, basically that my jaw had been broken and then wired shut. This story attracted quite an audience of ooooo-ing people. I was a little proud, I must admit!
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