6 years, 7 months, and 2 days post surgery.

Ok..I realize its been a LONG time since I posted, but I said I would continue to post as long as there were changes that took place. It's been a little over 6 and half years and believe it or not changes are still happening. So I must admit that I hadn't been to the dentist in a couple of years. I take good care of my teeth and I started experiencing a lot of discomfort in my top front teeth and the whole lower quadrant on the left. I was really stressed out, since my dentist said I had some serious root resorption and that we would have to keep an eye on my teeth. I have one tooth on top in the rear that is pretty much void of a root, and became quiet painful when the root was becoming very short. My dentist said I didn't have to have the tooth removed yet, that it is healthy and isn't going to fall out. Since I don't really chew on that side I just decided to leave it alone. So anyway...I started having a lot of pain in my teeth...the same kind of pain, so I got scared. At one point my left front tooth felt very loose and I was sure that it was root resorption and that the only thing really keeping it in place was my bonded retainer. I was really not ready to have more bad news or the dentist to tell me they would need to do more implants or such, so I just kindof buried my head in the sand and avoided the bad news. Well eventually the pain kindof went away so I decided to go get my teeth cleaned and new Xrays last week. Guess what? It's good news! Apparently the pain I was feeling was nerve regeneration! I know nerves take a long time to recover but never did I think they would still be regenerating at this late date, but they are! So my Xrays showed no change in my roots, the dentist even jiggled my teeth and said they are good. The roots are still recessed to about half the norm but haven't changed since my surgery was done 6 years ago! What has happened over the last few months though is that I can now feel my teeth. Before they started hurting they were like numb...when I would run my tongue over my teeth I couldn't really feel anything....now I can. I still have a slight bit of numbness in my lower lip to the left, but it has also improved some, and really is almost non existent at this point. My left front tooth is still improving it is still mildly numb but getting better each day and it doesn't feel wiggly anymore which is such a relief! So I thought I would pass this along since it has been so long since I last posted, but clearly things really are still changing, healing, and getting better!

4 years, 3 months, and 20 days since......

Well its been over 4 years now since my surgery was complete. I have a very tiny area on my lower lip (so small it is almost not worth mentioning) that is still mildy numb. It gets tingly still sometimes and definitely has surface sensation, just lower down, deeper, into the thicker part of my lip, remains a little void of feeling. Otherwise I have made a full recovery. I sleep so well now! These last few days when I have been having glorious, full color dreams, I have been reminded of how wonderful this surgery has been for my overall health and life. I look back on my pre surgery pics, when I was so tired, and eating all the time just to stay awake. Now I'm rested, healthy, and rarely unless I'm truly hungry. I have renewed energy, and I feel like my thoughts are clear. I can focus, and remember things now. I do not regret one thing about having this surgery. It was totally worth every moment of grief to get to the end result.

I have had some issues with root re-absorption in my upper and lower front teeth in the last year. This is something that sometimes happens to older adults like myself with rapid orthodontic movement. It's just something we have to keep an eye on, and see what happens. At this point if I eat something hard, my front teeth sometimes get sore since they only have about 50% of their roots. I try and stay away from things I have to bite into like really hard sandwiches, etc. I will often cut it, or use the side of my mouth to bite so that I don't upset those front teeth anymore, but mostly things are just back to normal and I'm doing very well.

I feel like I'm still healing and really believe at some point I will get all the feeling in my lower lip back. Nerves just heal really really slowly, and at this point I don't really even notice my numbnes, its just so miniscule. I also had some minor sinus surgery done shortly after my jaw was done. They reduced my turbinates and expanded the airway on one side of my sinuses. What a difference that has made as well! I used to have reoccurring infections for years almost every month or two. As of late I have not had a sinus infection in over a year! What a blessing that has been! I feel like a totally new person these days!

I will keep posting as long as I feel there are changes to report, the time frame in between may be longer though since at this point improvements are slow. Good luck to all who are undergoing, or in the process of having this surgery done. Hopefully your results will be as positive as mine. I would so do it all again in a heartbeat!

3 years, 5 months, and 25 days since Surgery

Haven't posted in awhile as progress is slow at this point. Don't get me wrong, it is still getting better but it just takes a lot longer to improve. I have a small area in my lower lip that is still tingly but has gotten much better since my last post. Things are almost back to normal with full feeling everywhere, and feeling has come back a lot in my upper and lower teeth as well. Hard to believe I'm still making progress at almost 3.5 years post op, but its true! I'm sure at some point in the very near future I will have full feeling totally back. Maybe by my 4 year mark I will be completely healed! Woo hoo!

I was thinking today though how great it is to sleep now. I'm grateful everyday that I sleep so soundly and deeply, and dream so vividly. That is a blessing! Until next time. Sweet Dreams to you all!

3 years 1 month Post Op

I posted last time that feeling was continuing to return. I have had A LOT return in the last few weeks in my mouth and lower lip area. For about a full two weeks me teeth were pretty sore and achey, especially my front teeth. That has since subsided though and I now have pretty close to full feeling back in both my upper or lower teeth.

My lower lip is still tingling a bit, and feeling is still coming back, but has improved tremendously. I used to not be able to really feel my partners lower lip. I was so excited this past month when we were kissing and I could (with my eyes closed) feel, and even find his lower lip with mine. That rocks!

So...healing continues! Woo HOO!

3 Years Post Op

Well I missed my 3 year anniversary date by about a week, but kindof did it on purpose because the last few days I've been having more improvements and wanted to see how they were gonna pan out before I posted again.

I actually was a little worried as my front tooth started hurting a lot. I thought maybe I bit into something too hard and just stressed it, but I couldn't remember doing that, and I kept waking up everyday and it would really hurt in the morning. It did not feel lose, but my dentist had told me that I had had some root reabsorbtion on my two front teeth, and they only have about 1/2 their roots. He said we would need to keep an eye on them to make sure they stayed ok, but that he thought they would do alright. So when my tooth started hurting my first thought was that the root was getting worse and that it was now hurting like my rear molar because the root was no longer stable. I decided to wait a few days to see what would happen. Well in the last few days I think I know what is going on. My front teeth for so long have been numb, and now feeling is returning to my gums in that area and my teeth. It is achey because it is healing and now has feeling. Its so weird to bite down on my teeth and actually be able to feel sensation, instead of just contact. I've also been having a lot more feeling return in my lower left molars.

My lower lip continues to improve and has been very tingly the last few weeks, becoming closer and closer to normal. Feeling used to be deep into my lip, now it is much much closer to the surface. For about two weeks now my lower lip has been tingling bad, like when coming off novecaine. It's been really annoying, but cool because I've been noticing more sensation, especially when I kiss. Before I couldn't really feel much with my lower lip, now I can actually find lips, the edge of a glass, etc because there is feeling in it now.

So...as I have mentioned in most of my other posts....things continue to improve. It is a slow process, but it getting better and better with each passing month. I'm no longer thinking about it, but I am noticing it happening. Makes me wonder already, where things will be a year from now, but also know that it will for sure be better then it has been. After all of this, that is all one can really ask for I think. Right???

So...I will continue to post updates as thing progress. I said I would continue to keep this blog until improvements stop, and since they haven't yet I will stay with it. :)

Almost Anniversary Day - Almost 3 years!

Wow..can't believe in another couple weeks it will be 3 years since my surgery. It has gone by sooo fast, seems like just yesterday I was getting wheeled out of surgery. Thankfully I don't remember a whole bunch about my recovery in terms of pain and discomfort so overall it has truly been worth it.

So...here is some updated progress info and things I have discovered since my last post. My first and most important advice to anyone having this surgery, or who has already had it and is in the process of healing is to find some really good vitamins (I take the Alive ones with iron) and take them regularly at least 3 a day. I have kindof been experimenting with my recovery a bit, and testing some theories I have. The first took place when I had my SARPE and was not on any vitamins or supplements. If you've looked at my blog you know that my overall big surgery (upper, lower, and genio) was much less traumatic and I had hardly any bruising, compared with my SARPE. So...things had been going along well, and I have been gradually getting feeling back in my chin, teeth, and lips. I just have had a small area only on the lower left side of my bottom lip that has been taking its sweet time. It has been tingling over the last year so I was pretty certain feeling would return. Things seemed like they were progressing well then things seemed like they really slowed down. I didn't really notice until recently but I had gotten very lazy and pretty much just stopped taking any vitamins etc.

About 6 weeks ago I decided to get on the bandwagon again and be good about them. I had a week very soon afterwards where it almost seemed like my bottom lip was getting MORE numb. I was like "what the heck" but just sorta dealt with it. Well...shortly after that things changed, my bottom lip has become very tingly and just this week I had a huge surge of feeling return. Now mind you it might just be coincidental, but given my previous experience with vitamins and supplements I don't think so. I'm about 99% sure its them that is making the difference. Even the feeling that I didnt' know I was missing in my teeth has started to return, and quite rapidly I might add.

So..just incase anyone is interested I'm currently taking Alive Vitamins with iron (at least 3 a day sometimes 4) Emergen C - 2 - 3 packets a day, and Vitamin D 3,000mg (because I live in Ak where we hardly get any sun LOL) I have noticed a huge difference since starting back on this regimen so might be something to think about if your still healing, or getting ready to go under the knife so to speak.

I will continue to post updates on my progress until I'm sure I'm no longer having any improvement. Right now...3 years later I'm still healing...just more proof that this whole process is, as my fellow surgery friend Roger states "not a race but a marathon" So...stay with it...and hold your course!

Till next time.... Wishing you all well :)

2 Years 10 Months

Hello Everyone,
Well its been a little while since I posted last but that's because things are just healing slower at this point and it takes longer to see significant results. Believe it or not I'm still improving! Over the last few months I have gotten considerable feeling back in my l upper and lower gums and teeth. Feeling has also continued to return in my lower lip area. It is still very tingly and is improving but not quite 100% yet. I can tell it is going to completely heal though, but it is just a slow process. I can now feel my whole chin area, and the area on the outside of my lower lip. The left side, on the top surface of my lower lip is the area that is still patchy and all tingly. It has gotten sooo much better though, and I can actually feel it now when I lick my lips, it is deep inside that is still kind of numb.

Overall things just continue to improve. I have weeks where things get really tingly and almost more numb, then it will pass and I will have increased feeling back in those areas. It's really very strange how nerves heal, but I'm just happy that I'm still seeing improvements in these areas. I will post again on my 3 year anniversary date (May 24th) to let you know where I'm at.

To all of you going through this, or getting ready too....keep the faith! it's sooo worth it in the end!

2.5 years post op (well almost)

Wow, I haven't posted in awhile. Amazing how time flies when your not obsessing over your blog! LOL.. So I thought I would give you an update on where were at in terms of healing. Believe it or not things are still getting better, its just a whole lost slower in terms of how fast it is coming along.

I still have a tiny area on my bottom lip that is very tingly and numb feeling but it has gotten much smaller and more localized, and continues to get better and better, smaller and smaller. Over the last couple months I started getting a lot of feeling back in my upper teeth. I suppose I had not noticed how numb they were, just got used to it I guess, but now they are tingly and I can really feel things when I bite into them with my front teeth. I know eventually I will have full feeling back it is just a slow journey. Over all life is great now though. I sleep like a baby and have no issues to really speak of. Surgery sucked! but the end result was worth all the pain for sure!

I will keep posted until I see no more results, or I stop making progress. Just to give a sortof time line for how long it's taken, and to show that healing really can continue for a very very long time!

Until next time! :)

2 Years two months Post OP AND MORE Surgery in my future!

So today is almost 2 years and 2 months post op. I know it sounds crazy, and it is slow but feeling is still returning. The area in my lower lip has become significantly less numb, it is very tingly now and when I bite down into my lip I can now feel it totally on all areas of my lip, whereas before it was numb in spots. Those areas that were numb are now still tingly but I suspect in the next month or so it will all be back to normal and I will have no numbness.


Now for the really big news. Since my surgery I have been having trouble with my upper second molar on the left. I cannot chew on that side because it hurts to bite down on. I had a consult with Dr. Edwards again today as I went for a dental consult a few weeks ago and found out that my tooth is hurting because it basically has hardly any root left. We are not sure why, probably some sort of reabortion from the surgery. Anyway...the goal today was to see if there was enough bone left to pull the tooth and place an implant and if I would require another bone graft before we could place an implant. Or if it just wasn't an option. As is the norm it can never just be simple an easy. I'm starting to seriously think that this oral drama in my mouth is just never gone to end. I mean really how many times can a persons gums be cut into?

So I arrive today hoping for the best! Dr Edwards comes in, says hello to me and "that we really need to stop meeting like this." He asks me if I got full feeing back, and afer taking a quick look see in my mouth says..."you really did heal beautifully" He looks at my xrays and says that what he will need to do to fix things is this. First he will extract my tooth, then go in and removed my rigid fixation in that area, or at least cut some of it in half or out so he can get to the are, then he will do a sinus lift. Which is basically where they lift up the sinus, and pack more bone under the area lifted in the upper jaw area to allow more bone to be grafted for placement of the implant. He said he would still place the implant in the current bone, but this extra bone would make sure the jaw was stablized and strong enough to support a molar implant. The abutement would then be placed about 6-8 months after that. He wants to do all this in his dental office, under I.V sedation and says it will take about 90 minutes.

Now I'm sure the look of horror on my face pretty much said it all. I was worried about damage to my sinuses...the ones that I just got to finally work the way I want them too. I'm also worried about more numbness to my upper jaw or gums (which he swears will not happen), In addition I must say that I'm quite nervous about my rigid fixation being taken out. I know that is kindof silly but I guess everything has just been working so well, I'm worried about messing with something that is just working. He says I don't need them anymore that my bone has now filled in and done its part, but Im stil scared.

Now with all that being said I'm also so not excited about ANYMORE surgery in my mouth! God I don't want anymore cutting in there! This however is really my best option. They can't do a bridge due to the supporting teeth being weak, and with the root absortion it would also be problematic. So really this is my ONLY option! As crappy as it is I really don't have much of a choice. The cost of everything....$5900.00 before insurance. So I'm waiting for pre-auth to see what will be covered and what won't before we decide to proceed.

CAN I SCREAM NOW!!!! UHHHH...MORE SURGERY IN MY MOUTH!

2 Years Post op

Wow....2 years! That sounds like such a long time just typing it! Hard to believe it has been that long already, but it has! Well where to begin...I mean as of today the time really has gone by quite quickly, and I have almost complete feeling back everywhere now. There are a couple small spots that are still a tad bit tingly but I know that within the next couple of months, I will be back to 100% which really is pretty cool, given my age and all.

I was thinking back on the beginning of all this and how apprehensive I was. I'm so glad I did it though, and the benefits from it all have been truly amazing. I'm also excited because I get to see my oral surgeon tomorrow. My son has a wisdom tooth consult with him, so it will be the first time I have seen him in over a year and a half. Overall I have been just thrilled with the work he has done, and "knock on wood" I have not any issues at all since completing the surgery. In fact I haven't had a sinus infection in over a year now, and haven't been sick not even with a cold in over a year as well. Overall I'm sleeping like a baby, and honestly have never felt better.

I will continue to post until full feeling is truly 100% back, which probably won't be much longer. I think it must be very encouraging to others out there to know though, that the healing really does take a long time, but that the prognosis is good, its just a waiting game.

I will post a current pic tomorrow.

23 Months and counting

So I'm a few days late, but still pretty close. It has now been 23 months...almost two years since my jaw surgery. Hard to believe it has been that long, seems like just yesterday when I was having it done, thankfully the mind has a way of dulling those memories.

Thinks are still improving. Still getting feeling back in my lower lip and teeth area. It is slow but definitely getting better each and every month. I'm definitely not done healing yet that is for sure! Never when I started this, would I have thought that I would still be posting about my healing almost 2 years post op, but I'm here to say that I am, and will continue to do so until all feeling returns or I stop having any changes.

I like that when I bite my lower lip now I can feel it everywhere...mind you some areas just feel tingly but at least I can feel it whereas before it was just numb. My chin has feeling back everywhere for the most part, but feeling is still a bit diverted or confused. When I scratch the left part of my chin I can feel it, but also feel it in the lower gums of my bottom teeth. It's kindof weird, but also getting less and less so that is good.

Overall things continue to go well. Eating, talking, pretty much everything I do with my mouth is getting easier with the increased feeling returning, so I'm very happy about that.

Other than this not much else to report. I haven't been taking my vitamins very well the last few months. I'm going to get back on my regular vitamin routine and see if it doesn't boost the healing/nerve regeneration process. I will keep you posted ! Until next month the official 2 year mark, I wish you well!

22 Months and Counting

Ok..so its now a year and 10 months since my big jaw surgery. Feeling is still returning, and I have actually gotten quite a bit back this month in my lower lip. It is starting to feel almost sorta normal again. I got a lot of feeling back in my lower teeth this month too, but it is not totally back just yet. I went through a couple of weeks where my lip and teeth were like really tingly and it was kindof annoying, but it seems to have subsided now so that is a plus. It seems to follow that course everytime. I get tingly and sometimes feel more numb, then after a week or so it subsides and I have more feeling back in that area. At any rate I"m happy to still be getting feeling back and I"m pretty positive that eventually it will all return.

Other then that things with my mouth are pretty uneventful. I have now officially not had a sinus infection in over a year so that is a huge celebration! For the most part I don't really notice the stuff with my jaw now though, I'm used to it and it all feels pretty normal to me now. I will continue to post though until things stop changing or return to 100%.

Check in next month!

21 Months Post Op

So...actually I have been a little lax with my updates and its actually 21 and a half months. Things are going well still and feeling continues to return bit by bit. My lower lip is still mildy numb but is getting better and better with each passing month, as is my lower left quadrant. I can now chew gum on my left side and actually feel what I'm chewing which is a plus. I'm convinced its all going to come back within the 2 year mark.

Since having the surgery things are great. I'm sleeping, and honestly feel terrific. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, and I don't regret any part of this whole decision.

Well, I will keep posting until its really over! So until next month peace out! :)

20 Months and Still Healing

Well this is a little late, but not much has really changed so you haven't missed much. Overall things are still going well. I'm getting more and more feeling back everyday and my lower lip has been pretty tingly, which is good cause that is what it does right before I get a nice amount of my feeling returned. Recovery is very slow these days though, and I fully expect that its going to take no less then 24 months for things to return to normal. I have gotten a lot of feeling back in my lower left quadrant, and teeth too which is nice.
So...things continue to progress....just slowly, but hey its a marathon and I knew that going in. One big celebration though is that as of March 5th I have not had a sinus infection in a year. Wooo Hooo! That rocks!

Ok...here is an udated photo at Mary's request. Taken today January 7th, 2009 

19 months Post op

Ok...so I actually missed 19 months by 10 days but figured I would update anyway. I'm still having things improve. Bottom lip is getting better in terms of feeling. It is still slow but improving more every month. My lower teeth in the left quadrant have just about all the feeling back now, and overall things are doing well.

Mostly I don't really notice my numbness too much now, but do find in the evenings when I get tired that sometimes my lip becomes more numb and harder to control. I will continue to update until I'm not longer having any changes.

18 Months Post op! Woo hoo!

So I"m three days late...but officially a year and a half post op. Can't believe it has been that long already! Thankfully it has gone by pretty quickly!

So..things still continue to improve. I still have some slight numbness in the lower left area of my bottom lip, but it has improved since last month and I can feel it when I lick it and also with lip to lip contact now, so that is a plus.
It is still tingly and gradually improving. I'm sure it will return to normal in the next few months I can tell its not done repairing just yet.

Overall I'm still thrilled with everything. I haven't had a sinus infection in almost 9 months now, and I'm sleeping great, have a ton of energy, and I'm in better shape then I have been in years now, so its really all good. Nothing to complain about for sure.

If you have an specific questions please feel free to email me. Otherwise I will post next month with the most current changes. Thanks for checking out my blog!

17 Months Post Surgery

So I came to my blog today to see if it was time for me to post an update again, and low and behold today was exactly 17 months! Well I have to say that things just get better with each passing month. Feeling is slowly improving and I think I could honestly have it totally back by next month. Things have gotten considerably better this past 30 days. My bottom lip is still mildly numb but is sooo much better and only very tiny patchy areas remain impaired. I also got a lot of feeling back in the lower left quadrant of my teeth. They were tingly when I would chew, now they feel much more normal, and less uncomfortable.

I was initially told 18 months to 2 years for full healing. I seem to be coming right up on that date, and may actually be done by then, I suppose only time will tell.

Overall I'm still thrilled I did all of this and very happy with my progress. I'm also now 9 month without a sinus infection, or really any kind of illness. I have been working out very hard, and honestly feel better then I have in years! This surgery was truly a miracle for me.

I will post again next month with my progress. Sorry for the boring update, but it just is what it is.....things are slow, but steady. It's a marathon but one I'm rather enjoying.

16 months Post Op

So here we are again, only today it is 1 month later and I'm 16 months post op. Things continue to heal and improve, and with each passing month become closer and closer to how they were before surgery. Just this past week I went through another healing spurt. As has been the norm with the others my lower lip got very hot, tingly, and hyper sensitive for a few days. It felt more numb then it normally does, and then without warning the tingling subsided and my lower lip now has more feeling in it then it did before. There are still patchy areas (very small ones in my lower lip and slightly below it) that continue to heal and improve as time continues to pass.

I can now easily put lipstick on, meaning I can really feel it without looking now, and I have much more control over drinking and eating, as well as kissing. Things no longer feel totally void of feeling. The bonded retainer has done wonders over the past month and my teeth now feel pretty stable on top with no more pain. I'm thinking that some of the pain and instability I was experiencing was due to the nerves regenerating in my upper incisors. I can bite into sandwiches now and just about anything else with little or no issue.

Sleeping continues to be amazing, and I'm so much happier and healthier then I have been in a long long time. I'm also at 6 months now without having any sinus infections either. This is the longest stretch without one in over 4 years. It is so nice to feel strong and in control of my immune system again! Mostly my life has returned to normal, and I honestly just go about my days without really thinking about the changes anymore. My healing continues though, and has followed a very definite progression moving from the chin up. I'm guessing it could be a few more months until everything is 100%, but currently it is at about 95%, and I can live with that as it gradually returns on its own.

Until next month, I wish you all well, uneventful surgeries, and happy healing.

15 Months Post Op

Ok, technically its 4 days away from 15 months but its close enough I think! Things continue to go well and I continue to heal! I sortof look forward to the day I post and everything is back to normal and I have nothing to post about though.

Feeling continues to return more and more as each month passes. It is just a slow process now, and takes 3-4 weeks to really notice a difference rather then just a couple of weeks. My bottom lip is still slightly numb but has actually improved a lot this past month. It is becoming less tingly and more normal feeling. The area below it, and down into my chin is also getting much better. It is still tingly when I scratch it, but it has a lot of feeling now and almost feels back to normal. Not totally but definitely improved. I think if I spilled something on it, I would be able to feel it now as opposed to before where I would just walk around with it stuck to my face. I have gotten a lot of feeling back this past month in the lower left quadrant of my teeth and can feel all of my gums now. The bonded retainer has helped a lot with the upper tooth pain I was experiencing, and I'm thinking that some of the pain might have just been the nerves regenerating in that area. Either way, I can now bite into things pretty well without any real issues to speak of. I figure since I have a bit of root reabsorbtion that it is probably better to not overstress my upper incisors so if its really hard, chewy, or tough, I just use my fingers to break it up into smaller pieces and eat it rather then biting into it. I have found it still to be uncomfortable with very hard things, but I can bite into a soft sandwich, and if necessary turn my bite a bit to allow my canines to do some of the tearing work now.

Overall things seem to be coming along very well. My range of motion has returned, and while the jaw joints are stiff sometimes, it is pretty much back to normal without much effort. I can't say enough about how thrilled I am with the results of this whole surgery experience I mean my quality of life has been dramatically improved, and while it has been a long recovery, it has been sooo worth it.

So....here is some other good news. I have not had a sinus infection in 6 months now! A record for me, so that is pretty thrilling. Overall I feel incredible! I'm back at the gym working out, and doing very well.

I will post again in another month and let you know how the healing is coming along then. Thanks for reading my blog and I hope it is/has been helpful to you.

Last "official" Ortho appointment

Well today was officially my last ortho appointment. He checked my bonded retainers, said they look good, and that I don't need to come back anymore. I mean he wasn't rude. He just said that he wouldn't make me schedule an appointment and that he no longer needed to see me unless I needed to see him. I gave him the double thumbs up sign with a big smile, and said awesome! He laughed and handed me my chart.

For some reason I feel a little sad about not having to go there anymore. I mean, I'm glad everything is all done, but I guess this has all been such a big part of my life for so long, that it seems strange to not have to go to anymore appointments.

All is going well though and feeling continues to improve. It is hard to believe that it has been 14 months now and I'm still healing, but at the same time I'm ever so glad that I am!

Here are a couple of new pics of my ever changing face! LOL..
(They look blurry til you click on them)

14 Months Post op

Wow....I have been lax with my blog posts lately. I have an excuse though, as I have been on vacation for the past month and my internet access has been pretty limited. Things are still going well. Feeling is still coming back, it is taking longer these days but it is definitely still not finished up yet.

The bonded retainer is doing well, and has helped stabilized my teeth a lot. I'm still not able to bite into things with my front teeth though without it being uncomfortable. Not unbearably so, but not like the good old days when I could bite into anything with not issues.

Eating still has its challenges at times due to the slight numbness in my lower lip. I have the most difficulty with liquid stuff like soup, or drinking things sometimes. Overall though its not too bad and I don't notice it all that much now. My range of motion is still a bit limited too.....I sometimes have to stretch my jaw out a bit before I can take big bites, but it does open once it is worked out a bit.

Overall there is not much else going on with my jaw. I will keep posting until it all improves.

New Crown and Essix a Thing of the Past

So I saw my dentist on Monday and he put my new crown on! I'm very happy with it, it matches my teeth now and I don't feel so self conscious. I did get a bit of disconcerting news though. It seems that I have had some root re-absortion on my upper front teeth. One tooth is at less then 50%. Now why this happens is not really known. So people have more of a genetic predisposition for it, other times it could be caused by trauma such as my surgery, or from orthodontic treatment, however, the xrays of my teeth at my removal date showed all of my roots looking fine, so its something that has happened in the last 6 months.

New crown and finished smile
I have been having a lot of discomfort in my front right incisor. It has been wiggly and really uncomfortable when I brush, or try to bite into anything. It just so happened that I had an appointment with the ortho for my retainer check the day after I got my new crown. I talked to him about my loose tooth, and the dentist sent over some xrays showing my roots. He said that yes my roots had shrunk a bit, but that as long as we have at least 50% on them, and there is no bone degeneration it should not pose a really issue for me in terms of losing teeth. In order to help stablize them, get rid of my wiggly tooth, and just give them a bit more strength he decided to put a bonded retainer on the top teeth from bicupid to bicuspid. I'm so loving it! My essix is a thing of the past and it is really nice to not have to bother with it anymore.


New bonded retainer on top

Since having my surgery and expansion, things in the cheek area have been pretty fitted. With the essix I would wake up with grooves in my cheeks from biting down on them. Today was the first day I awoke with no cheek grooves. I slept like a baby, AND best of all, I can now bite into sandwiches, and brush my teeth with no pain. I love this new retainer so much better. Now yes it has a downfall. I can no longer floss freely, I have to use a threader floss and do the uppers an lowers with a mirror. It is a small price to pay for the benefits though, and my bite feels spot on now.

Other then that there is not much more to report. I'm still healing, numbness is still abating, and I'm still glad everyday that I went through all of this.

Before and After Brandy

Busy Week at the Dentist

So I decided to get my front crown fixed right away, so I had my implant seated Monday and was back at the dentist today to have my old crown removed, and replaced with a temp. I learned a lot today about how old crowns are replaced. What they do is saw down the center of them, then pry under the edges and pop them off. My dentist then removed the glue leaving me with basically a little tooth stump that the old crown was previously attached to. He had to call the guy from the place that makes the crowns, the one that will be baking the porcelin on it, because it seems that my teeth are pretty white! He could not find a perfect color match, the brightest sample was just a hair to white, and the one below it was too yellow. He had the guy come over and personally check it out. He said something about using the brightest one but adding a bit of blue to it to tone it down. I'm assuming since he is the expert that he knows what he is doing, and he was taking very detailed notes about it so I'm sure it will all turn out well when its done. I'm excited that I'm finally going to have matching front teeth!

The crown is supposed to be ready to go by the 14th so I can get it on before heading out on vacation. So far my essix retainer still fits with the temporary crown, but it is possible I might need a new one once the crown is done so I need to have time to get in and get it, if that is the case.

Here is my sore looking gums with the temp crown on it. It actually looks much better then I thought it would for a temp.

I also got some more good news....I have some dark spots(what I thought were stains) between my front tooth and my second incisor. I was asking the dentist today about it and what we could do to get rid of it. He said that it is not staining but composite that a previous dentist used to fill in some very small irregularities. He said he had no idea why the dentist used such a dark color as it doesn't match my teeth at all. He also said that he left a big glob of it on the back of my front tooth. So...he shaved that down and told me that at a later appointment he can remove the old composite and put some new stuff that will match my teeth and eliminate the dark spots. I was so excited! Soon my teeth will all look good.

I know your probably wondering what I'm talking about, but trust me this stuff is not in my head, it really is visible, and since I can get it fixed, AND it's all covered by insurance why not do it?