Post gum-recontouring

All went well... not a huge difference / didn't really lengthen, but definitely evened out the gums! Very pleased with the result. I'll post pics after the stitches are gone (you can't see them, but I am pretty meticulous, so I'll wait).

In total, the procedure took about 1.5 hours. Weekly visits for a couple weeks afterward. No real pain, just a few little needles beforehand to freeze. That's after they freeze your gums topically with some sort of liquid, too - so nothing to fear.

I think the worst thing I did was google image search the procedure. Yuck. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to knowing what these people are going to do to my mouth. Man alive.

One Last Procedure...

Hi orthognathic chums...  I've decided on the advice of my "perfectionistic" orthodontist (that is said most lovingly, btw), to go ahead with a "crown lengthening" procedure at the end of September.  This procedure will effectively remove a little excess gum tissue along the top and bottom teeth, exposing more tooth and enhancing my smile even more.  I'm not too too thrilled about it, and it is expensive (about $1500 for top and bottom gums), but I think it will be worth it.  During the period where I had my braces, a little extra gum tissue actually "grew" on one of my bottom teeth, and the rest of the teeth are not symmetrical along the top arches.  You can research "crown lengthening" on google images to get a sense of what I will be doing.  Luckily my employer covers 100% of my dental :)  Woo hoo!!!  

P.S. I got my clear retainer for the top teeth - another $425, but luckily again...covered.  I can't drink or eat with it, so it's in and out a lot.  The metal retainers on the insides of my uppers and lowers will stay on FOREVER.  DO NOT... repeat... DO NOT let your orthodontist convince you that you don't need it after a period of time. You will ALWAYS need it.  Several formerly braced individuals who had theirs removed have convinced me (as well as my orthodontist) to never remove these.  If you want your teeth to remain straight, keep them in.  You can't even notice / feel them.  It's a total no-brainer.   The clear retainer by the way, needs to be worn for one year.  My orthodontist said that if I can wear it constantly for 6 weeks, and then every night for a year, he'll be happy.  Most people put it in the drawer when told they have to wear it 24/7 for a whole year, so he let me off the hook on this one.  I'm happy to oblige.  

A couple other things - as for the elastics post-surgery, I wore them religiously.  I really did keep them on for 7 months - 4 months day and night, 3 months night only.  I think this did some good in terms of speeding the de-bracing process.  

Cheers, all.  I will post again after the crown lengthening.

Final B4 & After

I am about 27 here. This was almost 4 years before braces.

This is at age 32, and about 5 months before the braces came off!

Braces off Day!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Age 33!!! And worth the wait.

Hey everybody! So the braces came off today - pretty painlessly I might add. I've posted the before and after (with braces & without) for you to compare. What an incredible journey! I never dreamed I would have straight teeth... SO glad I did this. True, there were several spaz attacks here and there, but in the end, it was worth it.

I know it's cliche, but if you're thinking of getting braces "after 30" or thinking of having orthognathic surgery, I would encourage you to do so. I can't stop smiling :)

Big thanks to Krista & John for the lovely de-bracing dinner! It was awesome eating without having to clear each brace of a bunch of food. So easy!

Big thanks also to Toronto's best Dr. Christopher Cameron @ Yonge & Eglinton... I was never more happy to meet a perfectionist in my life. Thanks to all the staff as well... consummate professionals. I never had to wait more than 5 minutes in the waiting room either.

Big thanks again to Dr. Claudio Tocchio @ North York General. You did a fantastic job. My jaw no longer clicks, I can't feel the bones "grinding" anymore, and my bite hasn't shifted one bit.

MOST of all, thanks to my beautiful-toothed mother, Bev, and to my good friend Charlie. Without you two, I would have had a very difficult time. Thank you for crushing up aspirin, for making me ensure & whey milkshakes, for the walks and the talks, and for keeping my spirits up. Not two weeks before this surgery, me & my fiance split up, I had to move out, and I started a new job. Needless to say, an unluckier person would have easily cracked up. Without the support and reassurance you both showed me, I wouldn't know so well what it means to be so selfless. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. xoxo.

I'm off to do my whitening now...

Big News!

Just a quick note... In 6 days, I'll be getting my braces off!  Woo Hoo!!!  I haven't posted pics bc my camera needs a memory card, but I'll try to pick one up and post some "final" pics.  I am SO looking forward to this.  I've already got the internal bottom retainer on, and the top goes on next week when they take these torture devices off.  'Til then!

Another before & after

Okay the "angelic light effect" was an accident... I swear... but it beats the "before" photo, and that's the whole point of these before and afters, right?

May pics - 3 months post op.

Still some swelling...NOT used to my face yet.  Some days I feel like a wildebeast, some days I feel just fine.  It's an adjustment.  I like some things, and am not used to other things.  What I do know, is that reading other people's blogs, everyone is going through this.  We pick apart little "spots" on our faces that aren't "right", etc.  We probably sound silly to other people, but it's your face, man.  Geez.    

Oh...I have COMPLETE feeling back.  It's been all good for about 2-3 weeks now.  No numb spots at all.  I did do something about a month after surgery  - I took these vitamin B12 sublingual vitamins.   It doesn't make a difference if it's not sublingual - it was just easier to take because it melts under your tongue.  Anyway, it "supposedly" helps nerve regeneration, so I took it.  I'm just one case - probably not linked (and surgery man didn't have an opinion on it one way or the other).  But if it did help, then it really worked.  :)

2 months and a week post op.

Oooopsies... I've fallen behind on the blog-thing.  I think I'll stick to monthly updates from now on, as there isn't a lot happening in recovery-land these days.  Swelling is down a bit more (other people say this but I don't notice it one day to the next).  The feeling is almost totally restored - but just the sensation - not the same "type" of feeling yet.  In other words, if I touch my chin and lips I can feel it, but it doesn't feel like it used to.   Whatever - at least I can feel it.  

I can open almost to two fingers now... but it's a stretch.  The bumpy jawline is starting to go away too.  I can still see my cheeks if I look down (never used to).  I don't have to wear my elastics now either (according to my surgeon), but I wear them at night anyway (until I get the all-clear from my orthodontist too). 

My gums... let's just say it is very important to keep up the waterpic, the flossing, the little tiny "brushy" thing (you know what I'm talking about) that goes between your braces under the wire, and MOST of all... LISTERINE.  I forgot about the listerine.  :(  Regret.  Let this be a lesson that I learned for you... don't ask me for details.

I will post again around May 12 (the 3 month mark), and do monthly updates from then on.  

p.s. Ortho-man says the braces can come off in September (we'll see...).