Re: Checking in -- To Cammie

[Guest guest]

Hey Cammie --

I'm better now. Sitting here on my bathroom floor where you left me in the

previous email -- (Wonders of technology, heh?)

Anyway, what a nightmare it seems we are ALL going through! Braces, grinding,

surgeries, splints, wires -- goodness gracious! I still cannot believe

everything

involved in resolving these types of problems! And none of it is particularly

pleasant, none of it is easy, and none of it provides one iota of the " instant

gratification " our American culture demands these days! What's up with

that?!?!?

Personally, at this point in my " adventure, " I'd like to see some serious Star

Trek

dental practices. No pain, instant tooth alignment -- just point that thing at

me and

wave the problem away.

Well -- thanks for the info. I guess I'm in for a long haul with the tooth

thing. I went

to three dental pro appointments last week, and the endodontist tried to break

it to

me as gently as he could that we were going to have to take this all one step at

a

time, and that popcorn was NOT in my immediate future. Luckily, my dentist is

also a

periodontist, so that cuts the number of people to consult by one.

I have not consulted an ortho yet -- I guess I'll check with my surgeon and see

if he

thinks it may be warranted. And I think Neil mentioned earlier the possibility

of a TMJ

specialist. Again -- me the gal who has to take a xanax to get her teeth

cleaned!

When my hygienist heard it was me who broke my jaw, she exclaimed, " Oh no! Of

all

the people in the world, not her! "

Have a good night, and thanks again -- you are obviously a strong backbone for

all

of us here -- you must have one wonderful husband, because we can best give of

ourselves when we've been lucky enough to have gotten from somebody else. And

after following the posts here for the last couple of months, I always see you

giving

back to all of us. You are a blessing....

Jen

> > Hey All!

> >

> > Jenmor/Chicago here -- (broken jaw/smashed teeth) -- I'm happy to

> report that I am

> > finally stitches free, metal free and broken bones free! After 60+

> days, I have gone 2

> > whole days without taking any pain meds whatsoever.

> >

> > It turns out (or those of you paying attention) that the

> excruciating pain I endured for

> > the week after the second procedur to remove the plate and screws

> and the metal

> > arch bars was due to the stitches in my mouth being too tight.

> Once those suckers

> > were taken out, my pain and my disposition improved immensely!

> >

> > I am concerned though, and was wondering if I might get some

> feedback from some

> > of you -- My jaw was broken vertically and laterally in 4 different

> places in that

> > accident. I lost three teeth, and broke/fractured 8 others (all

> molars) and knocked a

> > couple out of whack. The ligaments were damaged on the left where

> I complete

> > broke apart the condyle (sp?).

> >

> > Now that my jaw is " set, " it's time to start addressing the teeth.

> Currently, my jaw

> > now slides a little bit. I have to endure getting through a

> large " SNAP " on the right

> > side when I yawn or stretch or try to chew (soft foods only); my

> bite is now " off " ;

> > When I do the stretching exercises, I hear crunching in my year;

> and sometimes the

> > jaw just feels misaligned; my gums are trashed and a bit receded

> due to the trauma

> > from having those metal arch bars in place for 2 months.

> >

> > I realize that most of your types of surgery are to correct bite

> problems, or jaw

> > misalignment problems. Is that true? Because my dentist and

> endodontist are telling

> > me that with this new " off " bite, they are planning on adjusting

> all my teeth to " fit " the

> > new bite. This means shaving and shaping the good teeth, replacing

> missing teeth

> > and repairing the broken teeth in such a fashion to match the

> bite. I see my oral

> > surgeon again in about a week -- and I'm going to talk to him about

> their plans --

> > but I'm a little worried...

> >

> > When you splinter a piece of wood and then try and glue it back

> together, you never

> > get that " seam " to set perfectly as it was before. I'm afraid that

> my jaw is in the same

> > boat, as my two front teeth are now " off " with one being set a

> little lower than the

> > other.

> >

> > When it comes to having to realign the jaw, in your cases, do your

> teeth also have to

> > be adjusted? I think I've heard you guys talk about retainers and

> such -- I guess I'm

> > just worried now that I'm going to have to go through your type of

> surgery, as well.

> > And does it sound crazy to you to have to adjust all your teeth to

> match a new bite?

> > And for those of you who might have been wired for a while -- how

> long did it take

> > for your jaw muscles to be able to stretch back to their original

> opening sizes? (After

> > one month of not being wired, I can still only barely get 2 fingers

> in. )

> >

> > Any advice, or suggestions on what I should be asking these fine

> professionals?

> >

> > Jenmor/Chicago

[Guest guest]

Hey Cammie --

I'm better now. Sitting here on my bathroom floor where you left me in the

previous email -- (Wonders of technology, heh?)

Anyway, what a nightmare it seems we are ALL going through! Braces, grinding,

surgeries, splints, wires -- goodness gracious! I still cannot believe

everything

involved in resolving these types of problems! And none of it is particularly

pleasant, none of it is easy, and none of it provides one iota of the " instant

gratification " our American culture demands these days! What's up with

that?!?!?

Personally, at this point in my " adventure, " I'd like to see some serious Star

Trek

dental practices. No pain, instant tooth alignment -- just point that thing at

me and

wave the problem away.

Well -- thanks for the info. I guess I'm in for a long haul with the tooth

thing. I went

to three dental pro appointments last week, and the endodontist tried to break

it to

me as gently as he could that we were going to have to take this all one step at

a

time, and that popcorn was NOT in my immediate future. Luckily, my dentist is

also a

periodontist, so that cuts the number of people to consult by one.

I have not consulted an ortho yet -- I guess I'll check with my surgeon and see

if he

thinks it may be warranted. And I think Neil mentioned earlier the possibility

of a TMJ

specialist. Again -- me the gal who has to take a xanax to get her teeth

cleaned!

When my hygienist heard it was me who broke my jaw, she exclaimed, " Oh no! Of

all

the people in the world, not her! "

Have a good night, and thanks again -- you are obviously a strong backbone for

all

of us here -- you must have one wonderful husband, because we can best give of

ourselves when we've been lucky enough to have gotten from somebody else. And

after following the posts here for the last couple of months, I always see you

giving

back to all of us. You are a blessing....

Jen

> > Hey All!

> >

> > Jenmor/Chicago here -- (broken jaw/smashed teeth) -- I'm happy to

> report that I am

> > finally stitches free, metal free and broken bones free! After 60+

> days, I have gone 2

> > whole days without taking any pain meds whatsoever.

> >

> > It turns out (or those of you paying attention) that the

> excruciating pain I endured for

> > the week after the second procedur to remove the plate and screws

> and the metal

> > arch bars was due to the stitches in my mouth being too tight.

> Once those suckers

> > were taken out, my pain and my disposition improved immensely!

> >

> > I am concerned though, and was wondering if I might get some

> feedback from some

> > of you -- My jaw was broken vertically and laterally in 4 different

> places in that

> > accident. I lost three teeth, and broke/fractured 8 others (all

> molars) and knocked a

> > couple out of whack. The ligaments were damaged on the left where

> I complete

> > broke apart the condyle (sp?).

> >

> > Now that my jaw is " set, " it's time to start addressing the teeth.

> Currently, my jaw

> > now slides a little bit. I have to endure getting through a

> large " SNAP " on the right

> > side when I yawn or stretch or try to chew (soft foods only); my

> bite is now " off " ;

> > When I do the stretching exercises, I hear crunching in my year;

> and sometimes the

> > jaw just feels misaligned; my gums are trashed and a bit receded

> due to the trauma

> > from having those metal arch bars in place for 2 months.

> >

> > I realize that most of your types of surgery are to correct bite

> problems, or jaw

> > misalignment problems. Is that true? Because my dentist and

> endodontist are telling

> > me that with this new " off " bite, they are planning on adjusting

> all my teeth to " fit " the

> > new bite. This means shaving and shaping the good teeth, replacing

> missing teeth

> > and repairing the broken teeth in such a fashion to match the

> bite. I see my oral

> > surgeon again in about a week -- and I'm going to talk to him about

> their plans --

> > but I'm a little worried...

> >

> > When you splinter a piece of wood and then try and glue it back

> together, you never

> > get that " seam " to set perfectly as it was before. I'm afraid that

> my jaw is in the same

> > boat, as my two front teeth are now " off " with one being set a

> little lower than the

> > other.

> >

> > When it comes to having to realign the jaw, in your cases, do your

> teeth also have to

> > be adjusted? I think I've heard you guys talk about retainers and

> such -- I guess I'm

> > just worried now that I'm going to have to go through your type of

> surgery, as well.

> > And does it sound crazy to you to have to adjust all your teeth to

> match a new bite?

> > And for those of you who might have been wired for a while -- how

> long did it take

> > for your jaw muscles to be able to stretch back to their original

> opening sizes? (After

> > one month of not being wired, I can still only barely get 2 fingers

> in. )

> >

> > Any advice, or suggestions on what I should be asking these fine

> professionals?

> >

> > Jenmor/Chicago

[Guest guest]

Hey Cammie --

I'm better now. Sitting here on my bathroom floor where you left me in the

previous email -- (Wonders of technology, heh?)

Anyway, what a nightmare it seems we are ALL going through! Braces, grinding,

surgeries, splints, wires -- goodness gracious! I still cannot believe

everything

involved in resolving these types of problems! And none of it is particularly

pleasant, none of it is easy, and none of it provides one iota of the " instant

gratification " our American culture demands these days! What's up with

that?!?!?

Personally, at this point in my " adventure, " I'd like to see some serious Star

Trek

dental practices. No pain, instant tooth alignment -- just point that thing at

me and

wave the problem away.

Well -- thanks for the info. I guess I'm in for a long haul with the tooth

thing. I went

to three dental pro appointments last week, and the endodontist tried to break

it to

me as gently as he could that we were going to have to take this all one step at

a

time, and that popcorn was NOT in my immediate future. Luckily, my dentist is

also a

periodontist, so that cuts the number of people to consult by one.

I have not consulted an ortho yet -- I guess I'll check with my surgeon and see

if he

thinks it may be warranted. And I think Neil mentioned earlier the possibility

of a TMJ

specialist. Again -- me the gal who has to take a xanax to get her teeth

cleaned!

When my hygienist heard it was me who broke my jaw, she exclaimed, " Oh no! Of

all

the people in the world, not her! "

Have a good night, and thanks again -- you are obviously a strong backbone for

all

of us here -- you must have one wonderful husband, because we can best give of

ourselves when we've been lucky enough to have gotten from somebody else. And

after following the posts here for the last couple of months, I always see you

giving

back to all of us. You are a blessing....

Jen

> > Hey All!

> >

> > Jenmor/Chicago here -- (broken jaw/smashed teeth) -- I'm happy to

> report that I am

> > finally stitches free, metal free and broken bones free! After 60+

> days, I have gone 2

> > whole days without taking any pain meds whatsoever.

> >

> > It turns out (or those of you paying attention) that the

> excruciating pain I endured for

> > the week after the second procedur to remove the plate and screws

> and the metal

> > arch bars was due to the stitches in my mouth being too tight.

> Once those suckers

> > were taken out, my pain and my disposition improved immensely!

> >

> > I am concerned though, and was wondering if I might get some

> feedback from some

> > of you -- My jaw was broken vertically and laterally in 4 different

> places in that

> > accident. I lost three teeth, and broke/fractured 8 others (all

> molars) and knocked a

> > couple out of whack. The ligaments were damaged on the left where

> I complete

> > broke apart the condyle (sp?).

> >

> > Now that my jaw is " set, " it's time to start addressing the teeth.

> Currently, my jaw

> > now slides a little bit. I have to endure getting through a

> large " SNAP " on the right

> > side when I yawn or stretch or try to chew (soft foods only); my

> bite is now " off " ;

> > When I do the stretching exercises, I hear crunching in my year;

> and sometimes the

> > jaw just feels misaligned; my gums are trashed and a bit receded

> due to the trauma

> > from having those metal arch bars in place for 2 months.

> >

> > I realize that most of your types of surgery are to correct bite

> problems, or jaw

> > misalignment problems. Is that true? Because my dentist and

> endodontist are telling

> > me that with this new " off " bite, they are planning on adjusting

> all my teeth to " fit " the

> > new bite. This means shaving and shaping the good teeth, replacing

> missing teeth

> > and repairing the broken teeth in such a fashion to match the

> bite. I see my oral

> > surgeon again in about a week -- and I'm going to talk to him about

> their plans --

> > but I'm a little worried...

> >

> > When you splinter a piece of wood and then try and glue it back

> together, you never

> > get that " seam " to set perfectly as it was before. I'm afraid that

> my jaw is in the same

> > boat, as my two front teeth are now " off " with one being set a

> little lower than the

> > other.

> >

> > When it comes to having to realign the jaw, in your cases, do your

> teeth also have to

> > be adjusted? I think I've heard you guys talk about retainers and

> such -- I guess I'm

> > just worried now that I'm going to have to go through your type of

> surgery, as well.

> > And does it sound crazy to you to have to adjust all your teeth to

> match a new bite?

> > And for those of you who might have been wired for a while -- how

> long did it take

> > for your jaw muscles to be able to stretch back to their original

> opening sizes? (After

> > one month of not being wired, I can still only barely get 2 fingers

> in. )

> >

> > Any advice, or suggestions on what I should be asking these fine

> professionals?

> >

> > Jenmor/Chicago

[Guest guest]

Jen, as long as you SAT on your bathroom floor and didn't take a

plunge there chin-first, it's ok. (Actually, that was one thing my

surgeon's partner advised me on my first post op visit.

" The only way you can really hurt yourself is to fall, " he said. I

explained that I have a problem with balance, and am often likely to

do just that. " Then sit down, " he said. " You are NOT going to fall. "

He was right.

Glad you're better. Actually, in my lifetime, I have seen Star Trek

advances in dentistry. With all the difficulties there can be, all of

this treatment is sooooo much better than it was when I was a kid.

(I'm 57 now.) You would not believe the difference in my ortho this

round, and what I had as a child.

And nope, it's not easy. But there is a lot of gratification, once

you get to the " end " of it all.

Another thing I have found. I used to be terribly anxious about

dental appointments. That's about gone now. I guess I've done it so

often, and the techniques are so much better, that I've just worn out

the anxiety.

Hope you can do the same.

And yes, my hubby is plumb magnificent.

Lots of folks gave me a lot of backbone here, back when I was a

newbie and terrified of the whole thing, likely to burst into those

unflattering tears at the thought of jaw surgery. (My bp was 180/100

the first time I saw my surgeon.) I figure the way we pay back is to

try to help others who are where we once were.

Best,

Cammie

> > > Hey All!

> > >

> > > Jenmor/Chicago here -- (broken jaw/smashed teeth) -- I'm happy

to

> > report that I am

> > > finally stitches free, metal free and broken bones free! After

60+

> > days, I have gone 2

> > > whole days without taking any pain meds whatsoever.

> > >

> > > It turns out (or those of you paying attention) that the

> > excruciating pain I endured for

> > > the week after the second procedur to remove the plate and

screws

> > and the metal

> > > arch bars was due to the stitches in my mouth being too tight.

> > Once those suckers

> > > were taken out, my pain and my disposition improved immensely!

> > >

> > > I am concerned though, and was wondering if I might get some

> > feedback from some

> > > of you -- My jaw was broken vertically and laterally in 4

different

> > places in that

> > > accident. I lost three teeth, and broke/fractured 8 others

(all

> > molars) and knocked a

> > > couple out of whack. The ligaments were damaged on the left

where

> > I complete

> > > broke apart the condyle (sp?).

> > >

> > > Now that my jaw is " set, " it's time to start addressing the

teeth.

> > Currently, my jaw

> > > now slides a little bit. I have to endure getting through a

> > large " SNAP " on the right

> > > side when I yawn or stretch or try to chew (soft foods only);

my

> > bite is now " off " ;

> > > When I do the stretching exercises, I hear crunching in my

year;

> > and sometimes the

> > > jaw just feels misaligned; my gums are trashed and a bit

receded

> > due to the trauma

> > > from having those metal arch bars in place for 2 months.

> > >

> > > I realize that most of your types of surgery are to correct

bite

> > problems, or jaw

> > > misalignment problems. Is that true? Because my dentist and

> > endodontist are telling

> > > me that with this new " off " bite, they are planning on

adjusting

> > all my teeth to " fit " the

> > > new bite. This means shaving and shaping the good teeth,

replacing

> > missing teeth

> > > and repairing the broken teeth in such a fashion to match the

> > bite. I see my oral

> > > surgeon again in about a week -- and I'm going to talk to him

about

> > their plans --

> > > but I'm a little worried...

> > >

> > > When you splinter a piece of wood and then try and glue it back

> > together, you never

> > > get that " seam " to set perfectly as it was before. I'm afraid

that

> > my jaw is in the same

> > > boat, as my two front teeth are now " off " with one being set a

> > little lower than the

> > > other.

> > >

> > > When it comes to having to realign the jaw, in your cases, do

your

> > teeth also have to

> > > be adjusted? I think I've heard you guys talk about retainers

and

> > such -- I guess I'm

> > > just worried now that I'm going to have to go through your type

of

> > surgery, as well.

> > > And does it sound crazy to you to have to adjust all your teeth

to

> > match a new bite?

> > > And for those of you who might have been wired for a while --

how

> > long did it take

> > > for your jaw muscles to be able to stretch back to their

original

> > opening sizes? (After

> > > one month of not being wired, I can still only barely get 2

fingers

> > in. )

> > >

> > > Any advice, or suggestions on what I should be asking these

fine

> > professionals?

> > >

> > > Jenmor/Chicago