Guest guest Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 Hi group had a 10 day checkup today. The great news is I can take the bands off. The bad news is figuring how to get them back on. I spent about 45 minutes in front of the mirrow this morning. Anyone else having to learn to do things backwards? It's a good thing I'm not female having to put makeup on-I'd never make it out of the house! Thanks Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 I have the same probelm. I can take my bands off to eat and I'm supposed to brush my teeth with a baby toothbrush. however, i have a difficult time getting them back on. my upper lip is still swollen and it hurts. i know i don't have them on like they did, but i just do the best i can. i actually still just drink liquids so i don't have to take them off as much. - In orthognathicsurgerysupport , " denshobe " <denshobe@y...> wrote: > Hi group > had a 10 day checkup today. The great news is I can take the bands > off. The bad news is figuring how to get them back on. I spent > about 45 minutes in front of the mirrow this morning. Anyone else > having to learn to do things backwards? It's a good thing I'm not > female having to put makeup on-I'd never make it out of the house! > Thanks > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Hi Don, I marked down the tooth arrangement of my elastics before I ever took them off (on the back of some elastics packets is a set of teeth you can write on as a guide). I spent about half a hour trying to get one side on when I first took mine off too - it's frustrating when you're drooling away, isn't it? Get a hemostat if you can (locking thin-nosed tool) - it makes it way easier. My surgeon wouldn't part with his, but a friend sent me one, and it was a real lifesaver. You do get better at it the more you do, but in the beginning, it's so hard to open up and see anything, and doesn't it hurt like the dickens when those elastics miss the mark and whip against your gums! > Hi group > had a 10 day checkup today. The great news is I can take the bands > off. The bad news is figuring how to get them back on. I spent > about 45 minutes in front of the mirrow this morning. Anyone else > having to learn to do things backwards? It's a good thing I'm not > female having to put makeup on-I'd never make it out of the house! > Thanks > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Hi Don, I marked down the tooth arrangement of my elastics before I ever took them off (on the back of some elastics packets is a set of teeth you can write on as a guide). I spent about half a hour trying to get one side on when I first took mine off too - it's frustrating when you're drooling away, isn't it? Get a hemostat if you can (locking thin-nosed tool) - it makes it way easier. My surgeon wouldn't part with his, but a friend sent me one, and it was a real lifesaver. You do get better at it the more you do, but in the beginning, it's so hard to open up and see anything, and doesn't it hurt like the dickens when those elastics miss the mark and whip against your gums! > Hi group > had a 10 day checkup today. The great news is I can take the bands > off. The bad news is figuring how to get them back on. I spent > about 45 minutes in front of the mirrow this morning. Anyone else > having to learn to do things backwards? It's a good thing I'm not > female having to put makeup on-I'd never make it out of the house! > Thanks > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Hi Don, I marked down the tooth arrangement of my elastics before I ever took them off (on the back of some elastics packets is a set of teeth you can write on as a guide). I spent about half a hour trying to get one side on when I first took mine off too - it's frustrating when you're drooling away, isn't it? Get a hemostat if you can (locking thin-nosed tool) - it makes it way easier. My surgeon wouldn't part with his, but a friend sent me one, and it was a real lifesaver. You do get better at it the more you do, but in the beginning, it's so hard to open up and see anything, and doesn't it hurt like the dickens when those elastics miss the mark and whip against your gums! > Hi group > had a 10 day checkup today. The great news is I can take the bands > off. The bad news is figuring how to get them back on. I spent > about 45 minutes in front of the mirrow this morning. Anyone else > having to learn to do things backwards? It's a good thing I'm not > female having to put makeup on-I'd never make it out of the house! > Thanks > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Hi Don, That's great, you'll be all set. Boy, I don't miss that gum/lip snapping. Owwwwwww!!!!!!!!! I had three, one on each side, one in the middle. All of them were nasty to get on, but I did get better at it. I only had an hour for lunch at work and I was damned if I was gonna spend it playing with the elastics! > , > Thanks for the hint on hemostats-my wife works at the hospital. I'm sure she can get some. I'm lucky in that I only have one band on the right incisor and one on the left. I kept having to spit & wash to keep my fingers dry (kinda the opposite of brace wax)! > I did manage to snap my gums a lot-what fun. > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Hi Don, That's great, you'll be all set. Boy, I don't miss that gum/lip snapping. Owwwwwww!!!!!!!!! I had three, one on each side, one in the middle. All of them were nasty to get on, but I did get better at it. I only had an hour for lunch at work and I was damned if I was gonna spend it playing with the elastics! > , > Thanks for the hint on hemostats-my wife works at the hospital. I'm sure she can get some. I'm lucky in that I only have one band on the right incisor and one on the left. I kept having to spit & wash to keep my fingers dry (kinda the opposite of brace wax)! > I did manage to snap my gums a lot-what fun. > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Hi Don, That's great, you'll be all set. Boy, I don't miss that gum/lip snapping. Owwwwwww!!!!!!!!! I had three, one on each side, one in the middle. All of them were nasty to get on, but I did get better at it. I only had an hour for lunch at work and I was damned if I was gonna spend it playing with the elastics! > , > Thanks for the hint on hemostats-my wife works at the hospital. I'm sure she can get some. I'm lucky in that I only have one band on the right incisor and one on the left. I kept having to spit & wash to keep my fingers dry (kinda the opposite of brace wax)! > I did manage to snap my gums a lot-what fun. > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2003 Report Share Posted July 27, 2003 Hey -- I made my ortho give me a schematic when he put me in five bands of different configurations and strength. Told him otherwise I'd never figure it all out! Nothing wrong with that! C. > When I first started having to do my own bands, I had a mirror in the > surgeon's office and then in the orthodontist's office (though I > still had to call twice to make sure, I'm OCD), and watched them do > it. I also went straight home and wrote down the exact placement of > the bands before I removed them myself for the first time. I am here > to tell you (at six weeks post op), my band configuration got screwed > up for two weeks in the early recovery days by an intern who was > taking the place of my regular surgeon and they pulled my entire > midline's off by 5 mm. Now I am in agony with bands trying to pull > the jaws back to where they should be. So don't just go putting > bands wherever. It can really mess you up in the early weeks. WRITE > IT DOWN!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2003 Report Share Posted July 27, 2003 Hey -- I made my ortho give me a schematic when he put me in five bands of different configurations and strength. Told him otherwise I'd never figure it all out! Nothing wrong with that! C. > When I first started having to do my own bands, I had a mirror in the > surgeon's office and then in the orthodontist's office (though I > still had to call twice to make sure, I'm OCD), and watched them do > it. I also went straight home and wrote down the exact placement of > the bands before I removed them myself for the first time. I am here > to tell you (at six weeks post op), my band configuration got screwed > up for two weeks in the early recovery days by an intern who was > taking the place of my regular surgeon and they pulled my entire > midline's off by 5 mm. Now I am in agony with bands trying to pull > the jaws back to where they should be. So don't just go putting > bands wherever. It can really mess you up in the early weeks. WRITE > IT DOWN!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 Hi Don, I had a removeable ALF appliance (upper and lower) for a year before I went into braces, so I'm very familiar with the embarassment of being in public washrooms - there's something weird about brushing a wire appliance in your hand. I survived it. Now I have a lovely removeable retainer - same deal! I'm sure you'll clear those restrooms in no time flat! > , > I did get the little plastic tool. Since my original message on Thursday, I've gotten pretty good and fast at getting them on and off. Of course that's only been at home. It'll be interesting to try it at work. I work at a university museum, so the restrooms are all public! Wait till I scare the daylights out of some kindergartners. HA! > Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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