I went to my ortho last week and he was not happy with the width of my upper arch:( It's 30mm and he'd like it 35mm. My gosh darn 3rd molars are anchoring my teeth in too well and won't let them move at a proper pace. So, I'm going in this afternoon to have an expander installed. You know, that piece of equipment that 2nd graders wear before they have braces put on? He thinks I'll need to keep it in for one to two months. Ugggggg. Not very happy about it. At least its the kind that I don't need to wind with a key.
I'm happy to say that I don't think about my jaw all of the time. Though, I still examine my teeth and jaw every single time I step into my office elevator. After all this time I still have numbness above my top lip and chin. It's not too bad, but it's definitely weird when I move my mouth. My top gums are almost completely numb.
I do have some pain when I yawn, but this has been easing over the last month.
I realized I can now move my tongue all around my mouth and can touch every tooth with the tip. I know this may seem weird, but I used to try to explore the inside of my mouth w/my tongue and it would cramp up if I tried to extend it too much.
I can ALMOST open my mouth three fingers wide. I can't really move it side to side.
Another issue is my skin... my forehead is so broken out, worse than I've ever experienced. It seems like this is a problem other people have after surgery. It's just weird that it's hitting me months after.
This pic is from about two weeks ago. The shadow makes it look like my face is out of whack, but it really is pretty symmetrical.
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Hope all goes well with your procedure! I also have braces, I'm already 4 months into and I still have 1 year and 8 months to go. I try not to think too much about b/c I know in the end it would be worth it. I love your blog by the way!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I remember when I was 4 months in... I swear, time will fly by!!
DeleteI've been wondering how everything was going for you! You look great! Sounds like everything just keeps getting better and better, except for the expander situation. I'm not sure what that is, is it something you can take off and on, or is it more of a permanent thing until your arch expands?
ReplyDeleteYou look so good!
ReplyDeleteWow that sucks that they have to do an expander now, but at least they're making everything as perfect as can be.
I've been having that same breakout issue. My forehead and my chin. I've never broken out on my chin before and since surgery I've had a constant breakout.
I'm jealous you can open so wide. I still can't fit most foods in my mouth because I'm under 2 fingers :(
Hope the expander works fast for you and that the journey isn't too much longer.
Thanks lady. I hope you are doing well. I'm sorry you had to go through so much, but it seems you are now on your way to a happy mouth;)
DeleteDo you have any numbness on your face?
I am pre-surgery, but I get acne breakouts all the time. What I discovered that helps me is a baking soda scrub once a week. I use 1 tsp of soda, mix with water into a paste and scrub very gently. I'm not sure if what you are experiencing is just the chemicals getting out of your body.. so maybe the scrub won't work but it might be worth a try.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen for the tip and the thought that maybe it's the chemicals leaving my body. That makes sense and brings some relief!
DeleteThe expander is a spring loaded metal bridge that is connected to the upper teeth on either side and bridges across the roof of the mouth. Some have a little screw that you crank with a key to expand it. But like I mentioned, mine will be spring loaded. I missed my appt last week bc of work so I haven't gotten it yet.
Well that sounds like no fun at all! I hope you don't have to wear that for very long. I learned that my surgery will proabably be within the next 4-6 months... gulp! Starting to get very nervous. Your blog has been incredibly helpful for me!
DeleteHaha that's ok I'd forgive you for plagiarizing :P I just replied to your comment on my blog btw, but just wanted to comment here and say I'm sorry things have slowed down for you. I also have a bit of pain when I yawn, but nothing terrible. Jealous of you being able to open 3 fingers, I'm still not even quite at 2 :( But I can move side to side a bit, but tbh I'd rather be able to open wider, I think you got the better end of the deal lol! Darn the camera for making our faces look assymetrical, it really annoys me that I think I look ok in the mirror and then as soon as I take a photo I look like Mrs Wonky Face, I feel like its misrepresenting my results to my blog followers!
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