Update 2011

Hello toothy jaw folk. Well it's almost 2 years now since my awesome fun surgery. Just wanted to post another update on all the changes that have happened... Basically, no TMJ anymore, still some numbness but I don't really mind (aka "I've adjusted"), and still some days I feel like I look funny (i.e. my face is different, and it's still a little weird to me). In any event, I am glad that I have good chompers now, and that I am no longer degenerating (or grinding and clicking and wearing down my jaw). That, and I got married! Here's a little pic of the elopement at the Art Gallery of Ontario on November 26, 2010! I married the most wonderful, kind, and loving man alive and couldn't be happier! Who knew??? :)

Those summer nights.

Aaaaah!!! I love LOVE summer! This is a toothless smile. Getting ready for the cottage... going to movies, concerts, more concerts, and more concerts. I am still learning guitar, and have started "training" for my surf trip by swimming 3x per week for 40 minutes. All I have to do now is add some yoga, and I'm good to go. I hope. My surfboard is NOT going to hit me in the jaw... repeat to self 3 times when necessary.

This is a nice little pic of me and my mfeo (made for each other... I know... a little sleepless in seattle reference for anyone over 25) camping buddy up above... after a little 5k hike up a very buggy trail on Rock Lake. He's the best.

Ok campers... enjoy your surg-journey!!! Oh GOD does it suck like a mo-fo. Say "no" to bad oral hygiene.

What happened to this post?

Apparently I posted air. Anyway, just a note to say everything is still super awesome fantastic. Life is experienced and breathed in with appreciation, career is sailing along. I don't watch t.v. anymore. I am going surfing ... SURFING in October! Camping in Algonquin, cottages #1, 2, and 3 this summer. I am dating the best man in the universe and cannot believe my incredible luck. Niece & nephew are cute and healthy. Family is healthy and well. Best friend is getting married at the Gardiner - which was coincidentally designed by the best man in the universe. I count my blessings daily. As for the teeth... straight as ever. Broke the retainer, but no big deal.

Good luck to anyone reading this who is about to have surgery. It sucks. You won't be eating or breathing right for 2 weeks minimum. Enjoy the silence. Revel in the dvd time. Let yourself be sucked into the la-z-boy. It's so good if you are willing to enter into a world of apathy. It can be quite indulgent and, also... incredibly uncomfortable. xo

Happy these days I guess. Didn't know I had so many laugh lines either. This is a good thing.

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...