I can tell something is happening inside my mouth, and it is pretty exciting. Before all this surgery stuff started, I had a very slight lisp (if you could call it that), particularly with "ch" and "sh" and a few other sounds. I had pretty much figured out how to overcome the problem, but things are changing now. Even though I still cannot see much visible movement of my teeth, I can feel that things are moving around beneath my gums and in the area of the bone. My palate feels quite different, and the way my tongue hits behind my teeth is now just different enough to cause a quite noticeable speech difficulty.
I find this whole process really rather fascinating, and I wish I understood more about it so I could know just exactly what is going on inside my mouth!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Overheard.
My ortho's office is set up in a circle, so all the patients are in the same area and he just moves around the circle. It's not a bad set-up, but it doesn't allow for much privacy.
During my last adjustment, I was in the chair for over an hour while the OD assistant wired me up. In the meantime, I overheard two interesting things.
There were two teenage boys in there at the same time. One had a significant overbite, the other one, an underbite. They were both surgery cases. The kid with the overbite has the same surgeon as me, and he's not too far away from surgery. He's for the surgery, and so are his parents. My ortho was explaining that he has 20 times more surgery patients than any other ortho in the area. My surgeon says he's the best.
The other guy was about 17. He was telling the ortho that he's refusing to wear rubberbands because they cause too much pain. He's refusing the surgery because his dad says he is a wuss for even needing braces. (His dad hasn't been to the dentist in 35 years, and apparently, his teeth are "fine" and he has an underbite too). My ortho did his best to explain that the surgery was important for functional reasons, that he was putting the future health of his teeth in jeopardy, etc. The guy was basically saying he wants his braces off now even though he has a year to go. He doesn't want his wisdom teeth out. yada yada. I think the kid is going to win out this time, but I wonder if he won't be sorry down the road.
As much as I sometimes wish that I had this taken care of when I was younger, I am so grateful to be doing this as an adult, as someone who can make my own decisions about my well-being. I totally get that parents need to watch out for their kids. But if they're going to refuse their kid the opportunity to have a needed surgery because they think it makes him look weak, I wish they'd just butt out.
Maybe I read too much into these things because my step-mom was so overbearing. Maybe I don't get it completely because I'm not a parent. But, boy I am glad I am doing this on my own terms.
During my last adjustment, I was in the chair for over an hour while the OD assistant wired me up. In the meantime, I overheard two interesting things.
There were two teenage boys in there at the same time. One had a significant overbite, the other one, an underbite. They were both surgery cases. The kid with the overbite has the same surgeon as me, and he's not too far away from surgery. He's for the surgery, and so are his parents. My ortho was explaining that he has 20 times more surgery patients than any other ortho in the area. My surgeon says he's the best.
The other guy was about 17. He was telling the ortho that he's refusing to wear rubberbands because they cause too much pain. He's refusing the surgery because his dad says he is a wuss for even needing braces. (His dad hasn't been to the dentist in 35 years, and apparently, his teeth are "fine" and he has an underbite too). My ortho did his best to explain that the surgery was important for functional reasons, that he was putting the future health of his teeth in jeopardy, etc. The guy was basically saying he wants his braces off now even though he has a year to go. He doesn't want his wisdom teeth out. yada yada. I think the kid is going to win out this time, but I wonder if he won't be sorry down the road.
As much as I sometimes wish that I had this taken care of when I was younger, I am so grateful to be doing this as an adult, as someone who can make my own decisions about my well-being. I totally get that parents need to watch out for their kids. But if they're going to refuse their kid the opportunity to have a needed surgery because they think it makes him look weak, I wish they'd just butt out.
Maybe I read too much into these things because my step-mom was so overbearing. Maybe I don't get it completely because I'm not a parent. But, boy I am glad I am doing this on my own terms.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Adjustment update.
I saw my ortho on Thursday for a wire change. I was originally only supposed to get the top wire changed, but he went ahead and changed the bottom, too! I was very happy about that.
I wish I knew more about what he was trying to do in there so I could explain it better. The top wire was just changed to a thicker wire. They put some sort of loops on the bottom wire between the molars. Not sure what they are for. To make the loops fit, they had to take off the tube that's normally on the molar band and tie the wire on with more wires. There's a lot of hardware back there now.
But there is MOVEMENT! I am excited! I had a gap between my right lower canine and lateral incisor for a long time. The canine was rotated sideways. The gap wasn't huge, but it was big enough. I meant to take a picture of it before I had my wires changed, but I forgot, and then I thought that it would be fine to take it later in the day. Well, I was totally wrong. By the end of the day, the gap had almost closed. I can't believe it.
Pain the day of was pretty intense, I think mostly because they had to push so hard to get the doors closed over the wires. The pain is better now, but I still can't really bite into anything properly.
I don't go again for nine weeks. That seems like a long time to me. My appointment is at the end of October. There has been no mention of a surgery date.
I wish I knew more about what he was trying to do in there so I could explain it better. The top wire was just changed to a thicker wire. They put some sort of loops on the bottom wire between the molars. Not sure what they are for. To make the loops fit, they had to take off the tube that's normally on the molar band and tie the wire on with more wires. There's a lot of hardware back there now.
But there is MOVEMENT! I am excited! I had a gap between my right lower canine and lateral incisor for a long time. The canine was rotated sideways. The gap wasn't huge, but it was big enough. I meant to take a picture of it before I had my wires changed, but I forgot, and then I thought that it would be fine to take it later in the day. Well, I was totally wrong. By the end of the day, the gap had almost closed. I can't believe it.
Pain the day of was pretty intense, I think mostly because they had to push so hard to get the doors closed over the wires. The pain is better now, but I still can't really bite into anything properly.
I don't go again for nine weeks. That seems like a long time to me. My appointment is at the end of October. There has been no mention of a surgery date.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Consoling.
Something I found out that's rather consoling...
My orthodontist had this surgery done about 12 years ago with the same surgeon I will have! So, this is good in a double way---I have the surgeon my ortho trusted for himself AND my ortho had this surgery done when he was in his 40s, which makes me feel better knowing I'm already well into my thirties.
And, even more, my ortho's daughter had this surgery with the same surgeon, so I feel that I must be in good hands. :)
My orthodontist had this surgery done about 12 years ago with the same surgeon I will have! So, this is good in a double way---I have the surgeon my ortho trusted for himself AND my ortho had this surgery done when he was in his 40s, which makes me feel better knowing I'm already well into my thirties.
And, even more, my ortho's daughter had this surgery with the same surgeon, so I feel that I must be in good hands. :)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
More on the MAGO splint.
I've posted a bit about it before, but I wanted to provide my information about the MAGO splint I wore. When I first got it, I could hardly find anything at all about it, and so I thought it might be helpful for anyone out there searching to write more about my experience.
**Disclaimer**
I'm not a dental professional; I'm just someone who's gone through MAGO splint therapy. Everything I say is only my experience and opinion. You should discuss the MAGO splint with your dentist if you have questions.
***
That being said, I'll offer what I know.
The dentist I worked with originally was a bioesthetic (OBI) dentist. He worked from the philosophy that instead of correcting dysfunction, treatment should focus on creating a functional bite based on nature's model. Basically, that meant repositioning the joints into their most natural position using the MAGO splint, and then (but I never did this) re-shaping the teeth so that they fit together to maintain the ideal joint position. The idea is that nature has come up with an ideal chewing system, so it is best to study that "perfect" system and then make that which does not work look like it does. The typical approach, that of correcting dysfunction, includes traditional braces and surgery. My treatment plan with this dentist included neither of these options--only the splint and crowning all my teeth, at the sweet price of at least $4500 for the splint, and anywhere from $10,000 to $80,000 for the reshaping and crowning.
I began to explore the option of braces and surgery, which, given that my TMJ problems were structurally related in a way that I began to believe the splint would not "fix," I found a surgeon and an orthodontist who also did splint therapy, but gave other treatment options if the splint was not enough. That's where I am now.
The idea behind the MAG0 (maxillary anterior guided orthotic) is that it creates a bite plane that allows your muscles to relax and allow your joint to move to its natural position. If someone has poor occlusion, their jaws will shift in a way to make the teeth meet so that they can chew, talk, etcetera. This is all at the expense of the joint. With the MAGO (fitted to the upper jaw--the maxilla), your bottom teeth come into contact with the splint. The splint is made so that all your teeth come in contact in the "perfect" way, just as if you had no bite problem at all. The splint must be adjusted frequently, as it comes out of adjustment as your muscles relax and your joints shift position. Each time the splint is adjusted, your joints should be closer to their ideal position, and you should have fewer symptoms.
I know people who went through splint therapy very successfully in a few months. I was in the splint for nine months, and had no relief of symptoms, though I could tell my joints had shifted. According to the x-rays taken, I went from active degenerative joint disorder (DJD) to inactive; so even though my symptoms did not go away, some healing did take place.
BUT, I hated the splint. I found it uncomfortable, bulky, and embarrassing. In order for the splint to work effectively, it MUST be worn 24/7, taken out only for brushing. You have to wear when you eat, and it is gross. It is difficult to talk with it. I think it would be difficult for anyone in a professional position, and so I gave up on it. With my asymmetry problems, I think I just was not a good candidate.
Well, if I think of anything more, I'll post it. In the meantime, I'm happy to answer any questions that might be out there.
The dentist I worked with originally was a bioesthetic (OBI) dentist. He worked from the philosophy that instead of correcting dysfunction, treatment should focus on creating a functional bite based on nature's model. Basically, that meant repositioning the joints into their most natural position using the MAGO splint, and then (but I never did this) re-shaping the teeth so that they fit together to maintain the ideal joint position. The idea is that nature has come up with an ideal chewing system, so it is best to study that "perfect" system and then make that which does not work look like it does. The typical approach, that of correcting dysfunction, includes traditional braces and surgery. My treatment plan with this dentist included neither of these options--only the splint and crowning all my teeth, at the sweet price of at least $4500 for the splint, and anywhere from $10,000 to $80,000 for the reshaping and crowning.
I began to explore the option of braces and surgery, which, given that my TMJ problems were structurally related in a way that I began to believe the splint would not "fix," I found a surgeon and an orthodontist who also did splint therapy, but gave other treatment options if the splint was not enough. That's where I am now.
The idea behind the MAG0 (maxillary anterior guided orthotic) is that it creates a bite plane that allows your muscles to relax and allow your joint to move to its natural position. If someone has poor occlusion, their jaws will shift in a way to make the teeth meet so that they can chew, talk, etcetera. This is all at the expense of the joint. With the MAGO (fitted to the upper jaw--the maxilla), your bottom teeth come into contact with the splint. The splint is made so that all your teeth come in contact in the "perfect" way, just as if you had no bite problem at all. The splint must be adjusted frequently, as it comes out of adjustment as your muscles relax and your joints shift position. Each time the splint is adjusted, your joints should be closer to their ideal position, and you should have fewer symptoms.
I know people who went through splint therapy very successfully in a few months. I was in the splint for nine months, and had no relief of symptoms, though I could tell my joints had shifted. According to the x-rays taken, I went from active degenerative joint disorder (DJD) to inactive; so even though my symptoms did not go away, some healing did take place.
BUT, I hated the splint. I found it uncomfortable, bulky, and embarrassing. In order for the splint to work effectively, it MUST be worn 24/7, taken out only for brushing. You have to wear when you eat, and it is gross. It is difficult to talk with it. I think it would be difficult for anyone in a professional position, and so I gave up on it. With my asymmetry problems, I think I just was not a good candidate.
Well, if I think of anything more, I'll post it. In the meantime, I'm happy to answer any questions that might be out there.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Displacement.
My top wire seems to have shifted over so that it is sticking out the back on my right side a few millimeters. I am guessing this means that my teeth are moving (yay!) but it hurts like all get out (boo). My next ortho appointment is in two weeks, so I'm just piling the wax on (though it's a trick to get it to stick back there...) until it's time to go in. I don't want to be a wimp. Plus, I want to get as much out of these current wires as I can, because I definitely want new wires next time I go in (there was a hint at my last appointment that there would be no wire change this time around).
Thursday, August 4, 2011
R.I.P., dear night guard.
I woke up this morning to bits of something stuck in my braces. At 6:00 in the morning, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was, because I had only had coffee, and I assured myself that I had brushed thoroughly the night before. I picked out one bit, and it was a piece of plastic from my night guard. Apparently I was hungry last night. Well, actually, after less than two months, the poor thing had just been clenched to death. I had been noticing some wear on it, but last night was the end. It had had it. So, I hope my teeth are strong enough to handle what my jaw does on its own during the night, because I'll have to be without a night guard for a couple of nights until I can get a new one. Alas!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Strange sensations.
I can hear my joint moving in my ear. I don't know how to explain it, but when I turn my head or open my mouth in a certain way, I can both hear and feel my TMJ in my ear. (Actually, anyone can feel theirs, if you stick your finger in your ear and open and close your mouth, you should be able to feel your TMJ. That's how close it is to your ear!).
Anyway, I can only feel it on my right because my left one is so small. When I hear it (besides a clicking noise) it sounds like I have a bit of water stuck in my ear and I can feel it grinding. I've been noticing it more because my bite has been shifting a bit in these past few days. I've had more pain and headaches. Something in there just feels "off."
My next ortho appointment is the 17th, so we'll see what happens. It's strange that I look forward to these appointments, but I do. I figure each appointment brings me that much closer to a surgery date.
Anyway, I can only feel it on my right because my left one is so small. When I hear it (besides a clicking noise) it sounds like I have a bit of water stuck in my ear and I can feel it grinding. I've been noticing it more because my bite has been shifting a bit in these past few days. I've had more pain and headaches. Something in there just feels "off."
My next ortho appointment is the 17th, so we'll see what happens. It's strange that I look forward to these appointments, but I do. I figure each appointment brings me that much closer to a surgery date.
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