Today I picked up my retainers from the orthodontist, and for right now I have to wear them all the time.
Here is the before and after smile :)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The End of the Tin Grin :)
Well, this is what I've been waiting for! On Monday I finally got my braces taken off. All I can say is "WOW!" All along I knew that I was going to be pleased with the results, but I still can't believe what a difference my surgery and orthodontic work has made! I could not be happier, and to anyone who might be considering orthognathic surgery, all I can say is "Go for it!" It wasn't always easy, but the end product is definitely worth everything that I went through over the past year and a half.
Today I picked up my retainers from the orthodontist, and for right now I have to wear them all the time.
Today I picked up my retainers from the orthodontist, and for right now I have to wear them all the time.
Friday, December 2, 2011
The End is in Sight! (I think) - Just Over 4 Months Post-Op
On Wednesday, November 28th, I went back to the orthodontist again for adjustments, and got some very good news! First, the orthodontist said that she was very pleased with my bite, but she still wanted to make a few adjustments on my left side so my teeth fit together perfectly. Therefore, she changed my rubberbands on the left side so they pull my jaw/teeth into the right place. Then, after these changes were made, she told me that my last appointment for adjustments will be right before Christmas, which means I scheduled an appointment to get my braces off in January before I return to school. However, she wants to double check with a few colleagues to make sure that 5 1/2 months is enough time for everything to be considered healed and all set to stay in place before the braces come off. I really hope that the braces can come off before my second semester. I can see how everything has come together, and now that it appears that everything is close to perfect, I can't wait to have a metal-free smile! As for looking at pictures, things look pretty much the same as last time, but here are some recent ones to show you how everything looks now. Note that the most recent pictures are at the bottom.
November 3rd
November 4th
November 17th
December 1st
Once again (because I simply can't say it enough), I am so pleased with the results! I couldn't be happier with the way I look now, and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to have this surgery. Over Christmas, I'm hoping to post a video with lots of before and after pictures to show how far I've come.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Just Over Three Months and Back to the Orthodontist
Well, it's been over three months since my surgery, and things couldn't be going any better!
Yesterday, I went to the orthodontist for my first adjustments since before my surgery. In addition, it was the first time my orthodontist has seen me since my surgery, and she is very pleased with how everything looks. At this point, everything that is done to my mouth is simply fine tuning. Right now, I have to wear four rubberbands in my mouth all the time. This is to help my bite fit together better, especially on the left side. While I have to get used to having rubberbands in my mouth all the time again and my teeth have been sore, I know that everything is almost over. My orthodontist said that if my mouth responds well to the rubberbands and the few wire adjustments she made, my next appointment around Thanksgiving could possibly be the last adjustment appointment. This means that I could possibly get my braces off around Christmas which would be wonderful. However, I'm not going to get too excited since this is all a 'maybe' for right now. Even though it would be great to get my braces off by Christmas, I want to make sure that everything is perfect after everything I've been through.
Here are some pictures from the past few weeks. They start from a few weeks ago and the last two pictures (I'm in a green sweatshirt) are from today. As you can see, there still has been some decreasing in the swelling, and I still feel like there is a little bit left around my lower jaw and in my cheeks. Everything is looking great though! :)
Yesterday, I went to the orthodontist for my first adjustments since before my surgery. In addition, it was the first time my orthodontist has seen me since my surgery, and she is very pleased with how everything looks. At this point, everything that is done to my mouth is simply fine tuning. Right now, I have to wear four rubberbands in my mouth all the time. This is to help my bite fit together better, especially on the left side. While I have to get used to having rubberbands in my mouth all the time again and my teeth have been sore, I know that everything is almost over. My orthodontist said that if my mouth responds well to the rubberbands and the few wire adjustments she made, my next appointment around Thanksgiving could possibly be the last adjustment appointment. This means that I could possibly get my braces off around Christmas which would be wonderful. However, I'm not going to get too excited since this is all a 'maybe' for right now. Even though it would be great to get my braces off by Christmas, I want to make sure that everything is perfect after everything I've been through.
Here are some pictures from the past few weeks. They start from a few weeks ago and the last two pictures (I'm in a green sweatshirt) are from today. As you can see, there still has been some decreasing in the swelling, and I still feel like there is a little bit left around my lower jaw and in my cheeks. Everything is looking great though! :)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
8 Week (and 1 day) Update
Hi everyone! I know it's been awhile since I've updated my blog, so I thought that the 8 week mark would be a good check point. I've made a video showing my progress up through six weeks, but I've been having some trouble getting it to upload in good quality. I think it might have something to do with my bad internet connection at school.
As of right now, I've been eating pretty much everything I want, except crunchy foods and things that are hard to chew like steaks and other tough meats. Eating is still a type of "exercise" for my jaw and facial muscles, and they just aren't quite strong enough to deal with those foods yet. In addition, I still have to cut up some foods because my mouth doesn't open as wide as I would like it too which makes it difficult to bite into some things.
While I feel like pretty much all of my swelling has gone down, when I compare weekly pictures to each other, I'm amazed at how different I look each time. For example, these are my pictures from 6, 7, and 8 weeks.
As of right now, I've been eating pretty much everything I want, except crunchy foods and things that are hard to chew like steaks and other tough meats. Eating is still a type of "exercise" for my jaw and facial muscles, and they just aren't quite strong enough to deal with those foods yet. In addition, I still have to cut up some foods because my mouth doesn't open as wide as I would like it too which makes it difficult to bite into some things.
While I feel like pretty much all of my swelling has gone down, when I compare weekly pictures to each other, I'm amazed at how different I look each time. For example, these are my pictures from 6, 7, and 8 weeks.
6 Weeks
7 Weeks
8 Weeks
In addition, here are before and after pictures for today (for a larger version, click on the picture):
I honestly couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. However, sometimes when I see myself in the mirror and smile, it's hard to think that it's actually me and my smile. It's a difficult concept to explain, but I think it's worth mentioning. So many changes have taken place in regards to my bite, smile, and overall face that I'm still trying to comprehend them all.
Hopefully I will get the video I made up in a couple weeks when I go home and have a better internet connection. I will also try to do an update every two-ish weeks just to show you how things are coming along. :)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Day 40: Eating Again!!!!
Sorry for the delay in posting, but I've been very busy over the past few days.
Friday I went to see the orthodontist in the morning so they could fix my broken bracket. It was slightly entertaining because I saw another orthodontist in the practice who I don't normally see. He asked me to open my mouth wider, and when I told him I couldn't he asked why. I told him that I had just had surgery about five weeks ago. He asked what kind of surgery, and I explained. Upon hearing the explanation, he said "Oh that surgery! Well you look fantastic!" They decided to clip off the back bracket since it really isn't doing much at the moment. When I go back in October they'll probably put it back on before they adjust my wires since I should be able to open my mouth wider at that point.
Later Friday afternoon, I went to go see the oral surgeon. He said that everything is looking good. I can now chew soft foods and gradually work up to a normal diet over the next few weeks. I also only have to wear my rubberbands at night which also makes things easier. The surgeon also said that if I was at home and could go to the orthodontist every month, I would probably be able to get my braces off after 3 or 4 months. However, since I'm away at school and can only go every 6 weeks to 2 months, the process will almost definitely be prolonged. Even though this is disappointing because it would be wonderful to have my braces off as soon as possible, at this point I'm willing to wait patiently so that everything comes out the way it should. I've gone through so much that a couple extra months can't be that big of a problem.
Since I could eat, my family took me out to eat at Olive Garden. The food was delicious, but I had to consciously think about chewing because my initial instinct now is to just mush the food with my tongue. In addition, eating is really like exercise. All of the 'chewing muscles' in my face haven't been used for almost 6 weeks. Therefore, eating still isn't enjoyable and takes a lot of work.
Later that evening, we went to my brother's first football game of the year. Towards the end of the game, my jaw was very sore from all of the chewing, and I had to take some ibuprofen when I came home.
I'll continue to keep you updated as things move along, and here are today's pictures.
Friday I went to see the orthodontist in the morning so they could fix my broken bracket. It was slightly entertaining because I saw another orthodontist in the practice who I don't normally see. He asked me to open my mouth wider, and when I told him I couldn't he asked why. I told him that I had just had surgery about five weeks ago. He asked what kind of surgery, and I explained. Upon hearing the explanation, he said "Oh that surgery! Well you look fantastic!" They decided to clip off the back bracket since it really isn't doing much at the moment. When I go back in October they'll probably put it back on before they adjust my wires since I should be able to open my mouth wider at that point.
Later Friday afternoon, I went to go see the oral surgeon. He said that everything is looking good. I can now chew soft foods and gradually work up to a normal diet over the next few weeks. I also only have to wear my rubberbands at night which also makes things easier. The surgeon also said that if I was at home and could go to the orthodontist every month, I would probably be able to get my braces off after 3 or 4 months. However, since I'm away at school and can only go every 6 weeks to 2 months, the process will almost definitely be prolonged. Even though this is disappointing because it would be wonderful to have my braces off as soon as possible, at this point I'm willing to wait patiently so that everything comes out the way it should. I've gone through so much that a couple extra months can't be that big of a problem.
Since I could eat, my family took me out to eat at Olive Garden. The food was delicious, but I had to consciously think about chewing because my initial instinct now is to just mush the food with my tongue. In addition, eating is really like exercise. All of the 'chewing muscles' in my face haven't been used for almost 6 weeks. Therefore, eating still isn't enjoyable and takes a lot of work.
Later that evening, we went to my brother's first football game of the year. Towards the end of the game, my jaw was very sore from all of the chewing, and I had to take some ibuprofen when I came home.
I'll continue to keep you updated as things move along, and here are today's pictures.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Day 35: Five Weeks Post-Op
Wow! I'm almost done with my first week of school! Everything has been so crazy, and a lot has happened. First of all, after comparing the pictures I took tonight with the pictures from a week ago, I can actually see some improvement. I'm so glad things are continuing to progress and get better.
That being said, it has been a little bit difficult being in a dorm without air conditioning as well as being so active all the time. Especially when it is hot and humid, my jaw seems more sore than usual and my face tends to feel more swollen.
I'm still working hard at eating. Every time I walk into the dining hall I feel like it's a gamble. Sometimes they have a decent soup I can eat, a good pasta, or rice, but other times I'm stuck eating a PB&J with apple sauce. I do cook and eat in my dorm every now and then, especially when I'm feeling really hungry. I love scrambled eggs (although doing the dishes is a pain), Stouffer's macaroni and cheese, and chicken noodle soup at hand. Hopefully I'll be able to start chewing soft foods this weekend which would make things a little bit easier.
Tomorrow after my classes, I'm going home so that I can go to the orthodontist and oral surgeon. The only reason I have to go to the orthodontist is because the bracket on my very last molar came loose the other day and I have to get that taken care of. The visit to the oral surgeon will simply be another check-up where he looks at my bite and rubberbands. I'll have a special update on Friday to tell you how everything goes.
Here are today's pictures. I decided that from now on I'll post a before and after picture of my smile just for fun. :)
That being said, it has been a little bit difficult being in a dorm without air conditioning as well as being so active all the time. Especially when it is hot and humid, my jaw seems more sore than usual and my face tends to feel more swollen.
I'm still working hard at eating. Every time I walk into the dining hall I feel like it's a gamble. Sometimes they have a decent soup I can eat, a good pasta, or rice, but other times I'm stuck eating a PB&J with apple sauce. I do cook and eat in my dorm every now and then, especially when I'm feeling really hungry. I love scrambled eggs (although doing the dishes is a pain), Stouffer's macaroni and cheese, and chicken noodle soup at hand. Hopefully I'll be able to start chewing soft foods this weekend which would make things a little bit easier.
Tomorrow after my classes, I'm going home so that I can go to the orthodontist and oral surgeon. The only reason I have to go to the orthodontist is because the bracket on my very last molar came loose the other day and I have to get that taken care of. The visit to the oral surgeon will simply be another check-up where he looks at my bite and rubberbands. I'll have a special update on Friday to tell you how everything goes.
Here are today's pictures. I decided that from now on I'll post a before and after picture of my smile just for fun. :)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Day 28: One Month Post-Op
Wow! Has it already been a month since my surgery? I can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday I was taking pain killers and eating through a syringe. To say the least, I think I've come a long way.
Every time I look at the pictures I take of myself on a daily basis compared to my "before" pictures, I can't believe what an incredible change there has been in the way I look. Going into the surgery, I knew that I would end up looking different, but I never expected this much change. To be completely honest, I couldn't have been happier with the way things are coming along. Here's a look at how different my smile is:
For the past few days I have been extremely busy with training for Welcome Week, and every now and then I'm tired and my mouth gets a little bit sore. Therefore, I try to utilize the small amount of free time I have by laying down and relaxing.
I still am a little bit swollen in my cheeks and upper lip, but as I've said before, that will take a few months to disappear. Since a lot of the changes from day to day are no longer substantial, I will only be updating my blog on a weekly basis from now on unless something earth shattering happens.
Here are the rest of today's pictures:
Every time I look at the pictures I take of myself on a daily basis compared to my "before" pictures, I can't believe what an incredible change there has been in the way I look. Going into the surgery, I knew that I would end up looking different, but I never expected this much change. To be completely honest, I couldn't have been happier with the way things are coming along. Here's a look at how different my smile is:
Click the picture for a larger view.
For the past few days I have been extremely busy with training for Welcome Week, and every now and then I'm tired and my mouth gets a little bit sore. Therefore, I try to utilize the small amount of free time I have by laying down and relaxing.
I still am a little bit swollen in my cheeks and upper lip, but as I've said before, that will take a few months to disappear. Since a lot of the changes from day to day are no longer substantial, I will only be updating my blog on a weekly basis from now on unless something earth shattering happens.
Here are the rest of today's pictures:
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