DEBRACING DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went and saw both my orthodontist and my surgeon last week. I saw the ortho first and he asked my how I felt about my teeth. I told him I was very happy and he said 'well, if we did anything more it would just be tinkering so I think its time to get them off'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO IM GETTING MY BRACES OFF ON THE 8TH OF APRIL!

I can't believe the journey is nearly at an end! The ortho brought Dr Ellis down (the woman who will be eventually fixing my veneers) and they've decided that I'll get a general tidy up, clean and polish at the start of May (just in time for my graduation ball) then they'll be looking into veneers after that! SO EXCITED!

My surgeon was also very pleased and didn't even take an x-ray of me, he said I just have to see him annually now for five years! BEST. NEWS. EVER.

Six weeks

(This was supposed to of published on the 10th! Stupid technology)

I went to my orthodontist yesterday and got the fabulous news that I don't need to wear elastics anymore :D he's really pleased with the way my bite is so I'm back to regular braces again!

I got a few brackets removed and replaced on the right side of my mouth - the brackets have been moved down in order to push the teeth up and make my gumline more straight. He also told me to keep building my chewing up :) I'm so happy! I'm not going back for six weeks so I hope everything holds up while I go back to university! I'm so excited to get my life back!

Before and after 

Biting down, relaxed lips - they still don't meet but they're definitely getting there

Went for a meal and drinks with my friends last night and had carbonara and cocktails! yum

Day 34 (week five)

Happy new year! 

I celebrated by going to a house party with a few friends. We all got very merry and I did no harm to my new face which I was very pleased about!

Eating wise, I've been doing some chewing (but nothing too extreme). I can manage pasta no problem as long as I chop it in half. Anything I realise is too hard once it's gone in my mouth I tend to swallow whole. I can open my mouth two fingers width now.

My numbness has still been exactly the same (bottom lip and upper part of my chin). However tonight when I was eating I kept thinking I had a hair on my lip when I didn't which I'm going to take as a sign! I get a lot of pins and needles in these areas.

I'm still wearing rubber bands at night only but it's really starting to make my teeth sore in the mornings - I'm going to ask my orthodontist about this next week. I also have really bad pain in my teeth when I brush but I think this might be because I bought myself a posh electric toothbrush at the weekend and my mouth isn't used to it yet! Oh and the remaining stitches are really irritating me so I think I'll ask to get them taken out next week as my ortho said he was allowed!

1 month post op

Day 34 and I can do a (lopsided) duck face again!

Day 28 (FOUR WEEKS!)

Another ortho appointment today! He said I was still healing well. I was a bit corncerned as I woke up on Christmas Eve morning and - to me at least despite reassurance from my stepdad - my bite had shifted a lot. However, my orthodontist said although it had moved it was by the tiniest bit and I still only have to wear my elastics at night :) I also told him I still feel I look swollen and he was all 'really? I think you look great!' but reassured me that it's only been 4 weeks since the op and there's still plenty of time for swelling to dissipate.

In regards to my treatment the next step is to reposition some brackets on my top teeth so they're moved up, which will make the gumline more aesthetically pleasing. When he was talking about this he was saying 'final tooth positions' a lot which makes me think I could have these braces off soon! I was too scared to ask though in case I was dissapointed with the answer! I'm going to ask next time (in two weeks) and as long as he says we're still on track for June I'll be very happy! also said he'd talk to the dentist concerned with my veneers (see my previous posts if you have no idea what I'm on about) to see what is going to happen after the braces come off. 

I'll do eating updates etc on my one month post op blog on Sunday!

Three weeks!

I've just got back from an ortho appointment. It took an hour! I told him the hooks were digging into my lips and now I'm getting some feeling back they were quite painful. So he tried to cut them off without removing my archwire or any of my modules which didn't work. He then took the archwires out and I lost about 5 brackets including one composite! So he had to fashion me half a new tooth with composite, cure that, then replace 5 brackets. He thinks they've probably been loose since the surgery. I got a new softer wire for my bottom teeth and my orthodontist said we can start focusing on getting my teeth really straight for the final result now! So I'm experiencing the old adjustment toothache that I haven't had for a while.

Moving on to my bite he's really happy with how I'm doing. Apparently I've shifted half a mm to the right but he said it actually looks better that way as my chin is central rather than my teeth (if that makes sense). It doesn't bother me at all that my midlines are off and the orthodontist doesn't seem to mind either so I'm not going to worry about it.

In other news, I've been upgraded to only wearing elastics at night! I've also been given less tight ones which you can see below. Also I'M ALLOWED TO START CHEWING!!!!!! Obviously I've got to start with really soft stuff but I'm over the moon because I can start expanding on what food I eat and I don't have to purée my christmas dinner next week!

New elastics - my old ones had a 4oz force 

Diagram which shows how my teeth should stay - if the bottom starts veering left I should wear the elastics more. Unless that happens I wear two on the left side and one on the right nightly.

Day 20

Some stuff to report in the last 10 days:

• I am now changing my elastics myself - the ortho said once a day but i'm doing it twice (i.e. when I brush my teeth). I wear one on the right side and 2 on the left during the day/3 at night. I'm just using a pair of tweezers to hook them on and its become easier the more I do it
• Saw my surgeon yesterday and i'm not allowed out on New Years Eve in case I get my face hit :( I suppose I was being rather optimistic as i'll only be a month post op then - but i'm a party girl and I'm really starting to miss going out! I can drink just not head to a crowded club, which makes sense. On the plus side i'm saving money by not spending it on alcohol (ha)
• He also didn't give me a straight answer about when I could start going out (drinking) again, and just said it takes 3 months before you can do contact sports again. Hmm.
• I think most of the 'surgery' swelling has gone now but I definitely still have some residual swelling there.

And the rest...

Eating: 

No changes - i'm still on soft food. Was supposed to ask my surgeon yesterday when I can start chewing again but I was too distraught about not being able to go out! I'll be asking my orthodontist tomorrow.

Sleeping:

I don't need to update on my sleeping anymore as its completely back to normal :)

Medication:

Again, no more updates on this section as I am medication free! I take two ibuprofen if i'm in pain (rarely)

Numbness:

Before I fell asleep last night my lower lip was tingling for the first time! I was so excited. I still can't feel my upper chin/bottom lip but i'm used to it now. I have tingling/burning sensations around the numb areas 24/7 which is promising. I can also feel the surgical hooks digging into my bottom lip again so the wax is back on which makes my lip look way fatter than it is

And just a quick question: if you're post-op when did you start exercising again? I'll probably leave it until I go back to uni (when I'll be 5 weeks after) and i'm hoping to get back to the gym. Thanks :)

Day 0/Day 2/Day 7/Day 14

Day 19 (in my dressing gown AGAIN)

Days 8-10

The last few days I've been feeling more and more like myself. I can taste the normality! Swelling is still going down daily which I LOVE - I get a new face every day! 

Eating: 

Now I just ask my mam or dad to blend whatever they're eating. It always looks gross but tastes yummy. For example, I've been eating curries and casseroles that have been stuck in the food processor. This makes me feel more normal as I'm eating exactly what my family are :) 

Sleeping:

I AM SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! I've slept all the way through for about 3 nights now. I find I'm a lot more 'awake' when I wake up (if you get my drift) and I have more energy though the day.

Medication:

Today is my last day of antibiotics. I'm still taking 10ml of ibuprofen and 2 paracetamols morning and night.

Pain:

My mouth gets tired if I talk too much. It also feels pretty achey by the end of the day which is why I'm still taking meds before I sleep. I'm still waking up in pain in the morning but it's very tolerable.

Numbness: I think my chin is slightly less numb? It seems to be gaining more sensation in the left side first (incidentally the least swollen side)

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

I took some better photos today as I'm actually making the effort to look presentable again. I'll post before and after comparisons soon!

Days 6/7: Appointments

I am one week post-op! Hurrah for me!

I feel a lot better than I did on Wednesday regarding both my jaw and how I feel in myself. Saw both my surgeon and ortho yesterday and they are very pleased with how I'm doing! My ortho even said I'm the 'poster girl' for amelogenesis, ha!

I also got to see my X-Ray! I have one metal plate on each side of my face held in with two screws. Sadly I have to request for a copy of them so I will post those as soon as I get my hands on them.

Another interesting fact - when the surgeon tried to break my jaw it sort of 'bounced back' due to my elastic bones and instead he had to tap the sections of bone out bit by bit!

Eating:

Still on soup. Luckily for me my mam took the week off to keep and eye on me which means she has time to make her own soup - I had butternut squash for lunch today :) she is also making me milkshakes with ice cream in which are delicious!

Sleeping:

I woke up about 3am Thursday morning with really bad stomach pains. Woke my dad up because I was quite worried about it but he thinks it's because I've been taking a lot of medication on little food. Thank god the pain lasted 10 mins and was gone again! Last night I woke up briefly and fell asleep again. Still waiting for a full nights sleep!

Medication:

Still on all the same as my last post however I have upgraded my paracetamol to tablet form! Wahoo!

Pain:

Definitely going down. I took some meds at 8am this morning then didn't need any more until 3pm :)

Numbness:

I have major tingles in the middle of my chin as I type this. I also get the sensation of something hot running from the left side of my lip now and again. Lips still completely numb.

I also got my elastic bands changed on Thursday which meant I was able to give my teeth a proper brush. It was heavenly! I'm seeing my orthodontist weekly for the next month now to try and get my bite to stay where it's supposed to. Apparently my midlines are 1/2 a mm out on the bottom but he said he can work with it :) 

 Day 6

Day 7 - I am slowly getting a chin back!

Days 4&5: Frustration

After getting home on Monday I was looking forward to relaxing and trying to recover. Things have been frustrating and I've had a few crying bouts (typical girl). I've categorised things to make it easier and this will probably be my blog format for a while:

Eating:

I officially hate food. Mealtimes require all my energy and I'm sick of looking at mushed up crap. I want pizza. I want a steak. I don't weight myself often but I think I've lost about 5 pounds already. I know I need to seriously up my intake but it's too much effort

Sleep: 

Getting better. I slept through till 4 this morning and had to take some codeine when I woke up, then I feel asleep again until 9am. However, the smallest tasks feel like total exertion and this is probably down to my lack of nutrition at the minute

Medication:

Currently I'm taking 20ml of paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 hours (through a syringe) and 10ml of antibiotics morning noon and night. I also have codeine for when the pain is particularly bad but I haven't had to use much of that yet

Pain:

It's been on and off. I'm definitely getting more pain in the left side of my face and when it starts it's horrendous, running from my ear all the way down. It also hurts on that side when I swallow. My right side feels more stiff though, especially when I open my mouth

Numbness:

I have zero feeling in my bottom lip and most of my chin. However the middle of my chin is rather tingly so that's a very good sign! The tip of my tongue is also numb.

And that's everything. I think a stitch came out when I was doing my hygiene routine this morning but there was no bleeding so I'll take it as a good sign. I'm going to see both my surgeon and orthodontist tomorrow so I'll have a better idea of timescales and things. I just hope the time goes quickly because I WANT TO EAT

 Day 4

Day 5

Days 1-3 post-op and MY 21ST

Following from my last post, my night in HDU wasn't the best sleep i've ever had. I was given morphine and a pain button so I could self-administer and I woke up every single hour of the night. My pain wasn't too bad but the morphine helped me drift back off to sleep so I kept using it.

When I woke up properly at about 6am I remembered it was my birthday! So when my mam and auntie came to visit at 11am the nurses came over with a cake and sang Happy Birthday to me!

The nurses in this unit were the best. As soon as I woke up they asked me if I wanted to try and sit up which I definitely took advantage of. The only thing they took out was my catheter so I was still wired up to morphine, saline, heart monitor etc (hence the wires).

After this photo I was asked if I wanted to try and eat something and since I didn't have elastic bands on at this point I enjoyed chopped up lasagne and I EVEN ATE SOME BIRTHDAY CAKE! That was a proud moment for me. I was transferred back to the ward at 3pm where I opened my presents and cards from family.

Days 2 and 3 were basically the same with limited mouth movement and a lot of painkillers. My surgeon came to see me yesterday morning to check all was well - apart from my 'rubber bones' the only issue is my second molar on the left hand side hasn't got much support from the jaw anymore so I might lose that but everything else went well. The bands went on on day 2 and I have NOT been enjoying those, but I've been preserving with a plastic spoon and mushed up anything food wide because I think I might throw up if I have any more soup! Other than that I've been trying to stay hydrated and positive which is hard when even the smallest actions tire you out.

Some photos to recap:

Just after I got my elastics - this was day 2 I think

Side view and NO OVERBITE!

Day 3 smile attempt!

I am like a human pin cushion after my stay in hospital :(

Day 3 - relaxed face and lopsided mouth! 

I came home last night which was a godsend but more about day 4 (today) later :) I'm getting there!

RECAP: SURGERY DAY

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the lack of posts, I only got discharged from hospital at about 6pm last night.

I'm now day 4 post-op but i'll make another post about the three days following surgery.

So, where to begin? My stay in hospital began on the 28th (last Thursday). I checked into my ward and was sent straight to the maxillofacial department (max-fax from here on) to meet with my surgeon. To be honest I got upset as soon as I saw the wards full of people in hospital beds - I was completely overwhelmed with everything that was happening. Anyway, I saw my surgeon and he completely reassured me, for some reason when I see him he always cheers me up! He checked that my wafer fitted (it did) and sent me on my way. Why I had to stay in hospital that night I have no idea. I got no sleep and my last chewable meal was a hospital chicken dinner - absolutely disgusting!

The next morning was surgery day. My dad came in at 9am with my mam following shortly after. I was told my operation was scheduled for 11.50am. However, my surgeon had decided I would be put straight into high dependency (aka HDU - a step below ICU) after the op for one night as he'd been working around my airway to make sure I was being checked on constantly (you get one nurse to every two patients). We waited and waited (and waited!) and 11.50 came and went and I remember not being nervous at all - I just wanted the bloody thing done with! Finally, a ward nurse came over at about 1pm and said a bed was ready for me in HDU and that I could get ready for theatre. I stripped off, gowned up and I was ready to go!

The surgeon had told my parents the op should only take about two hours. Instead, it took four. Apparently people with amelogenesis imperfecta can also have 'rubbery bones' which are more difficult to fracture. My mam and dad didn't actually get to see me until 7pm so they were relieved to finally see me!

I don't remember much after waking up to be honest. The first thing I remember is being wheeled down a corridor, then nothing until I was picked up and moved to the HDU bed from my stretcher. Then nothing until I threw up a load of blood down myself (attractive). I was completely gone - look at my eyes on this photo!

This was about 2/3 hours post-op when I had all kinds of wires and tubes sticking out of me. My mouth looked like dracula at one point but they gave me this suction tube which I could use to get all the goop out of my mouth!

I'm alive!

All went well

Awful day yesterday though :(

Detailed post coming when I leave hospital on Monday

Thanks for all the support

Beth x

Surgery day!

Hope everyone's done well!

I cant't believe it but today is FINALLY my day! I've been waiting for this day for about 3 years and by tonight I'll be POST-OP! wahoooooo :)

Wish me luck!!!! And I'll see you on the other side ;)

T-3 days!

Today I got my surgical hooks fitted! I HATE them it's like having braces for the first time all over again (ulcer city)

This is truly the worst photo of me ever :') but it's the only one I got and now I'm just heading off to bed!

In other news my mam got me some new sets of pjs and slippers for the hospital as well as a washkit containing miniatures of all the essentials :)

I still can't believe I'm having my surgery on Friday! I'm being admitted to my ward on Thursday afternoon so my guess is the operation is first thing the next morning. So exciting/nerve wracking!

Pre-surgery appointments and PRE OP PHOTOS

I've met with my surgeon twice in the past month for my final appointments before I'm admitted to hospital. The first appointment was with two assistants who asked me all the general health questions and stuff as well as taking some blood. They also sent me for several x-rays and took impressions of my bite. The impressions are so the surgical technician can make my wafers that will be fitted while my operation takes place.

The second appointment was with my surgeon and every time I meet this guy I feel more and more at ease. He talked me through exactly what will happen next month and estimates the operation will only take 2 and a half to 3 hours! He said that the surgery will fix my bite at the front but will probably open it back up at the sides, but assured me this isn't a problem as it can be fixed with orthodontics later.

I'm so excited for my surgery now and just want it over with. I've had my braces on for 25 months already with little to no progress in my teeth movement for the past 6!

Here are my pre-op photos (just taken by myself, I'll be posting the official hospital ones as soon as I get my hands on them!)

Dates and some more info

I went to the orthodontist yesterday. My mam came with me as she had a lot of questions (her main concern being how much time she needs to take off work).

I have two appointments with my surgeon, one on the 23rd of this month and one on the 3rd October. This is to determine exactly how my jaw will be moved during the operation. I also need to be measured and fitted for wafers which will guide my surgeon as to the position of my teeth during surgery.

I also have a final pre-surgery appointment with my ortho to fit surgical hooks onto my braces, and this is on the 26th November. I'm being admitted to hospital two days later, stopping overnight on the 28th ready for my operation on the 29th.

After my op i'll need tlc for 10 days minimum (as estimated by my ortho). However, he thinks i'll bounce back rather quickly which I hope is the case! I'm missing the last four weeks of university before Christmas but should be able to return in January. He also said he can start doing orthodontist work again six weeks after the operation.

My orthodontist estimates about 6 months in braces post surgery. During my recovery period I'll also be seeing my prosthodontics dentist who will be fitting me with a shiny new set of veneers once the braces are off. I'm going to Florida on the 23rd June next year so I think i'll be pushing for this whole episode to be done and dusted with by then!

SURGERY DATE

I have a date. I actually HAVE A DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In typical fashion though it's at the worst time... the day before my 21st birthday.

I got an out of the blue phone call yesterday morning from a nurse at the hospital saying the 29th November was my surgery date. She also explained that due to the waiting list if I don't take this date I have to wait until at least after the New Year and that it could be months away. I rang my mam and dad and they both think I should go for it. So thats what I'm doing!
I'm still in shock. I thought this thing would never get booked. I have an appointment with my ortho on Thursday so I'll write another post with dates of my PRE-SURGERY APPOINTMENTS!!!!!!!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel guys, just hang in there!

79 days until surgery!

finally an adjustment! and some other things...

Firstly I can't believe i've been in braces for OVER A YEAR! Crazzzzy.

Moving on to today, I was finally given a new wire :) yay! Also my OD has gone off on long term sickness :( so i've been moved over to someone else. Luckily he knows all my history, as he put it i'm an 'interesting case' so hopefully I won't be moved around any more. I definitely prefer having one person do all my treatment, you feel like they know you and can accommodate for your needs better than some random person.

I had some moulds (molds?) taken, I hate that purple gunk so much, gets caught in all the wrong places. I also had it all over my face - attractive - and was kindly given a tissue and a mirror so I could clean myself up before I left. The OD said they're going to have a look and see how everything is lining up. If it's all looking good then it's time to start planning my surgery!!!!!!!! I am so excited!

Hopefully buying a new camera tomorrow so photos should be up soon, i'm really bad at taking them

My first post!

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! I'm Beth and i'm 18 years old, and in 26 days (7th September) I will be getting braces. I've decided to blog the whole process because in terms of my teeth i'm a pretty complicated case.
I've been going to my local dental hospital since I was 5 (yes! a whole 13 years!) due to me having a genetic disorder called Amelogenesis imperfecta, which put simply means I have little to no enamel protecting my teeth (head to http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/amelogenesis-imperfecta if you want more information). This means my teeth are extremely sensitive and yellow - at the moment I have various crowns and composite veneers covering them.

Unfortunately, this isn't the end of my problems - as i've grew my dentist (or dentists really) have noticed I have an anterior open bite, just to complicate things. I'll post photos before I get my braces so you can see what I mean - basically my top and bottom teeth don't join together at all. It's hard to explain.

Anyway, the solution to all of these problems is going to be a pretty lengthy process. As my teeth aren't in good condition to start with my orthodontist is unsure whether the brackets will stick to the composites, but she said we will try braces and see what happens.
As of today I have had bands cemented to my back teeth in order to try to get the wire to stay in place better, and I can tell you they are hurting like hell, basically ripping into the side of my cheeks. Again, you'll see them in my 'before' photos.
After I get my brace fitted I have a nice wait of 1 1/2 to 2 years before I have jaw surgery, then after that we have another 6 months of braces. Then after that, when my teeth are nice and straight but not necessarily attractive, I have the whole restoration process which will be when I get porcelain veneers glued onto what is left of my actual teeth.
So, I have a long road ahead of me. I aim to have the perfect smile by 7th September 2014 - three years from the day I get my braces. But we'll see, to be honest i've waited 18 years to smile confidently with my teeth, whats another 3 going to do?