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| 9th August: benefitting from a little residual swelling! |
I took a picture where I'd lipsticked my face to show the numbness remaining on July 26th: my top lip took a really long time to come back, which seems unusual compared to most people's experiences. I did lots of exercises screwing it up and screwing up my nose, to try and loosen the tissues, which seemed to help a bit. I had stitches just above my top lip, so I'm sure this is all related to the segmental osteotomy part of my surgery. So here was my numbness remaining then:
Now, on Day 79, it's better than the photo above but not perfect. Here was a picture from August 4th:
This may sound funny, but I actually miss that little bit of swelling! It was nice having fuller cheeks :-) I was still getting spasms, which worried me a bit. I was annoyed at myself because I forgot to mention it to my surgeon when I saw him. It has settled down now though and so I think my orthodontist was right - they were mostly caused by the elastics.
So the big news now is that I got my braces off!!! I was (and still am) worried it was too soon, but I decided to trust the orthodontist. We had a target for getting the front braces off by the end of August because I'm a teacher and it'd be a hell of a job teaching 6 classes a day with front and back metal work in my mouth! There was literally nowhere for my tongue to go. I was worried about the gap between my last set of molars on one side, which is big enough to stick my tongue through. All the other teeth touch, though, and the orthodontist and surgeon did not seem worried about it. There are no brackets on those teeth so there was no chance really of braces bringing them together. I'm a little disappointed my bite isn't perfect, although that seems quite common from a lot of blogs I've read. I guess I can't complain - my front teeth bite together and my bite on one side is perfect, just the other is a bit off right at the back! Much better than it was before, just I'm such a perfectionist. I did express my worries about having the braces off too soon to the orthodontist and surgeon, but they both seemed happy so I guess I have to trust them - they are both consultants after all!
So braces free life is wonderful, and so much easier to speak. I am constantly terrified that my bite will regress, but perhaps that's just my own paranoia! Some of my teeth are hyper sensitive at the moment so taking the braces off was surprisingly painful...it wasn't pleasant at all but I don't want to scare other people because I think my experience was very unusual! I don't remember it hurting when they took my braces off as a teen.
So here are some before and after shots! I'm really happy with: a) my bite at the front, b) my improved side profile, c) the increase in width in my lower face and d) my ears protruding less. My only negatives are 1) the imperfect bite on the left side, and 2) my fear that the work will regress! I have a retainer for my top teeth, and the braces are still on the back of my lower teeth (I couldn't handle any more removal that day!) so I am not scared of the teeth unstraightening - more the bite relapsing. I guess we'll see!
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| Side profile after: hello 45 degree change in chin! |
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| Side profile before:taken in a changing room with good mirrors |
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| Before |
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| After: I feel like my face is better proportioned here |
Wow, you look amazing. I am also a teacher, somewhat older than you and with two small children, embarking upon the jaw surgery journey.. I dithered and swithered for about a year and when finally said yes and was put on the waiting list it seems to be taking an age for my SARPE surgery date. (I also need double jaw after a year or so of braces) I had 8 separators squeezed into my teeth on Saturday and was instructed by the ortho to call the surgeon and ask him where I am on his list - 46th!! These spacers are killing me! If I can't hack this how am I going to cope with the rest of the process? I'm in the West Coast of Scotland and it's three hours to Glasgow and my Orthodontist (Okay he comes to Oban about once a month on a Saturday which is better than nothing) though I worry about lack of support. BUT seeing your blog gives me hope that I'm doing the right thing. Maybe I'm not past it, maybe it will be worth it, even it I'm hitting my mid fourties before it's all finished.....
ReplyDeleteYou’ve got to trust your orthodontist if he thinks your teeth are ready to be off the braces. You could always wear retainers if you think the work might regress. Anyway, the difference the treatment has made to your teeth and jaw is really exceptional. Even though your journey is not over yet, I’d already want to congratulate you for making it through!
ReplyDeleteIra Mann @ Soft Touch Dental
Given the amazing transformation this treatment has given you, I think it’s perfectly fine to fully trust your orthodontist on what should come next. Just enjoy the feeling of being finally free from those braces. Besides, there are always post-care treatments you can try, to prevent the work from regressing. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteDorothy Payne @ Dr. Monica Crooks, DDS
It’s good to hear that you put your whole trust on your orthodontist and neglected all the doubts you felt. Anyway, the braces obviously brought a big difference on the alignment of your bite and the shape of your face. Thanks for sharing that! All the best to you!
ReplyDeletePedro George @ Mirror Lake Family Dentistry