Guest guest Posted December 17, 2002 Report Share Posted December 17, 2002 Congrats on getting a date again, Jeff - hey, somebody who reads that out of context must think you are not popular ..... My ortho has a basic plan, but he really does wing it at every session. I learned (from my cranial therapist, who works in his office part-time and who knows the techs there) that he'll look in your mouth, and can completely change gears, so that the techs have to run and grab whatever he calls out, and FAST. He does every last bit of work himself too, and he is the fastest ortho I have ever heard of. In no time flat one session, he had me down in the chair, lower brackets bonded and a lower archwire on - I think in less than 10 minutes. Apparently sometimes without warning he just says " ok, today the braces are coming off " . Myself, I want some warning so I can book a same-day cleaning with my dentist across town. I'm really afraid of what my teeth are gonna look like when things come off - they're starting to yellow a wee bit (probably due to age). Anyway, glad it was discovered before your next surgery date. Happy Holidays! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2002 Report Share Posted December 18, 2002 -- if he says " they're coming off today, " do not fight him. You can always book a cleaning. And my guy did some preliminary polishing in his office right after he took 'em off. I called him today to tell him that the new assistant at my regular dentist's office had peered in my mouth and said, " Geez! She really has straight teeth! " Nobody ever did THAT before, that's for sure! And then she added, " You must have worn braces. " My dentist and I exchanged knowing looks, and then he said, " Yes. Twice. " And then he ground off my last bracket, the one that was soldered to a metal crown. So I'm now free of all remnants but the retainers. Incidentally, for whatever it's worth to anybody else, he gave me the home bleaching stuff, and we're gonna see if I can use the retainers as the bleaching trays. He's not sure it will work, and neither is my ortho, because the retainers are made to fit more tightly than the bleaching trays. But I'll share whatever happens with youse guys. The ortho also promised to see me early in January to have another look at my occlusion. Since he ground some crowns down, it feels like the one on my right posterior is wayyy high, with the result that the bite on my left is just barely open, unless I really force it. And I think I'm getting a bit of TMJ from trying to do just that. But to my surprise, he was very agreeable about having another look and trying again. Whoopee! Cammie > Congrats on getting a date again, Jeff - hey, somebody who reads that > out of context must think you are not popular ..... > > My ortho has a basic plan, but he really does wing it at every > session. I learned (from my cranial therapist, who works in his > office part-time and who knows the techs there) that he'll look in > your mouth, and can completely change gears, so that the techs have > to run and grab whatever he calls out, and FAST. He does every last > bit of work himself too, and he is the fastest ortho I have ever > heard of. In no time flat one session, he had me down in the chair, > lower brackets bonded and a lower archwire on - I think in less than > 10 minutes. > > Apparently sometimes without warning he just says " ok, today the > braces are coming off " . Myself, I want some warning so I can book a > same-day cleaning with my dentist across town. I'm really afraid of > what my teeth are gonna look like when things come off - they're > starting to yellow a wee bit (probably due to age). > > Anyway, glad it was discovered before your next surgery date. > Happy Holidays! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2002 Report Share Posted December 18, 2002 Hi ! I'm sure this isn't an exact science anyway. It has to be a real challenge to try and get everything to line up just right. There are SO many variables. My ortho has 5 or 6 assistants working on the patients and he just walks around and checks everything out after they're done. Occasionally, he'll have to do something if one of his assistants can't get something to work right. You mention using your retainers for the tooth whitening, are your retainers similar to the invisilign braces?? One of the biggest bummers (for me) was knowing that I'd be wearing a retainer almost permanently after I get this process completed. When I think of retainers, I think of the single wire that goes around your teeth (maybe that was the " old days " though). So if it is basically an invisilign, I could easily live with that!! I had my teeth whitened just prior to beginning this trek and the tray was very much like an invisilign brace. Perhaps you could go in and have the tray made and use it for your retainer for a few nights while you whiten?? Jeff > Congrats on getting a date again, Jeff - hey, somebody who reads that > out of context must think you are not popular ..... > > My ortho has a basic plan, but he really does wing it at every > session. I learned (from my cranial therapist, who works in his > office part-time and who knows the techs there) that he'll look in > your mouth, and can completely change gears, so that the techs have > to run and grab whatever he calls out, and FAST. He does every last > bit of work himself too, and he is the fastest ortho I have ever > heard of. In no time flat one session, he had me down in the chair, > lower brackets bonded and a lower archwire on - I think in less than > 10 minutes. > > Apparently sometimes without warning he just says " ok, today the > braces are coming off " . Myself, I want some warning so I can book a > same-day cleaning with my dentist across town. I'm really afraid of > what my teeth are gonna look like when things come off - they're > starting to yellow a wee bit (probably due to age). > > Anyway, glad it was discovered before your next surgery date. > Happy Holidays! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 2002 Report Share Posted December 19, 2002 Jeff, You're not the only one who has doubts about the surgeon/ortho. I have them as well. I just found out yesterday that I have to have my lower jaw corrected because it's slightly crooked. I was only supposed to have upper before. It took them 2 years to figure out I have a crooked jaw?? That scares me a little. And now they're also talking about genio-reduction. All of this just weeks before my surgery. We have the same surg. date now! (knock on wood) > I have my surgery date set for Jan 8th. Hopefully it will actually > happen this time!! This date doesn't work quite as well as the > original date (Dec 12th) for work purposes, but I just told the > surgeon to schedule it and I'll force work to get by without me (not > that I'm indespensible...). > > I had a little bit of a SNAFU yesterday at the ortho. He had planned > on cementing my expander in just to make sure everything doesn't > shift around too much before the surgery and it wouldn't fit!!! They > had to re-make the impressions and send it off again to have the > expander re-made. He said it most likely would not have fit last > week (the day before the surgery) when it was supposed to go in. So > even if I hadn't had the blood problem, I might not have been able to > have the surgery after all since the expander wouldn't have fit. > > I'm beginning to have doubts about my medical professionals!! It > seems like first one thing, then another. I say that laughing, but > it does make me wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 2002 Report Share Posted December 19, 2002 Hi ! It's really my ortho and primary care physician that I have doubts about (although I'm only joking about it). I have great confidence in my surgeon. My ortho told me almost 2 years ago that I'd only be in braces about 9 months before having surgery (which would have been Nov-Dec of last year). So I feel that I'm already a year behind schedule. Most of it is due to me having very strong bones (per my surgeon) and that makes it tough to move my teeth to the correct positions for surgery. So any further delay just gets me a little frustrated. I don't think I'd worry too much about the change of plans for your surgery. It seems like that happens fairly often as what the ortho and surgeon think at the beginning can easily change after they get your teeth re-positioned. But I know by looking at all of the before and after pics that, in the end, it will all be worth it!! Jeff > > I have my surgery date set for Jan 8th. Hopefully it will actually > > happen this time!! This date doesn't work quite as well as the > > original date (Dec 12th) for work purposes, but I just told the > > surgeon to schedule it and I'll force work to get by without me > (not > > that I'm indespensible...). > > > > I had a little bit of a SNAFU yesterday at the ortho. He had > planned > > on cementing my expander in just to make sure everything doesn't > > shift around too much before the surgery and it wouldn't fit!!! > They > > had to re-make the impressions and send it off again to have the > > expander re-made. He said it most likely would not have fit last > > week (the day before the surgery) when it was supposed to go in. > So > > even if I hadn't had the blood problem, I might not have been able > to > > have the surgery after all since the expander wouldn't have fit. > > > > I'm beginning to have doubts about my medical professionals!! It > > seems like first one thing, then another. I say that laughing, but > > it does make me wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 2002 Report Share Posted December 19, 2002 Hi -- I don't know about you guys, but my surgeon and ortho did a mock " chop session " on my models after the last set before surgery were made. Actually, they made two sets. The ortho and surgeon got together and cut and moved one set, making markings to show how much change and where to make it. Then they stuck 'em back together with wax and tongue depressor bits. I believe that my surgeon also did a mock surgery, making the cuts the way he actually would make them in my mouth, to be sure of his approaches. (That's what I thought I'd get to see; actually, I watched the first one.) But presumably they do these things to double check themselves, and had I needed something different -- my ortho was uncertain toward the end whether I'd also need upper. Thank heavens, when I asked the surgeon about that, he said, " Somebody would have to beat me up and hold me down to make me do an upper on you. You would not get enough benefit from the upper to be worth the risks. " -- they'd have been ready to change their plan. Cammie > > I have my surgery date set for Jan 8th. Hopefully it will actually > > happen this time!! This date doesn't work quite as well as the > > original date (Dec 12th) for work purposes, but I just told the > > surgeon to schedule it and I'll force work to get by without me > (not > > that I'm indespensible...). > > > > I had a little bit of a SNAFU yesterday at the ortho. He had > planned > > on cementing my expander in just to make sure everything doesn't > > shift around too much before the surgery and it wouldn't fit!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2002 Report Share Posted December 20, 2002 Jeff, I just recently demanded an appointment with my ortho and basically grilled him for 45 minutes, I feel better now. I didn't realize that a lot of the decisions have to made while they're looking at my actual bones. (ugh!) Hopefully I can remain a Le Fort I case though. > > > I have my surgery date set for Jan 8th. Hopefully it will > actually > > > happen this time!! This date doesn't work quite as well as the > > > original date (Dec 12th) for work purposes, but I just told the > > > surgeon to schedule it and I'll force work to get by without me > > (not > > > that I'm indespensible...). > > > > > > I had a little bit of a SNAFU yesterday at the ortho. He had > > planned > > > on cementing my expander in just to make sure everything doesn't > > > shift around too much before the surgery and it wouldn't fit!!! > > They > > > had to re-make the impressions and send it off again to have the > > > expander re-made. He said it most likely would not have fit last > > > week (the day before the surgery) when it was supposed to go in. > > So > > > even if I hadn't had the blood problem, I might not have been > able > > to > > > have the surgery after all since the expander wouldn't have fit. > > > > > > I'm beginning to have doubts about my medical professionals!! It > > > seems like first one thing, then another. I say that laughing, > but > > > it does make me wonder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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