Well I went back to the orthodontist for my first adjustment of my braces yesterday. They applied 1 gauge higher tensile strength wire on my top teeth and 2 gauges higher on my bottom teeth. Here is a website I found that explains the importance of the wire: All About Arch Wires. It was sore yesterday after the adjustment, but really the pain started when I woke up this morning. It feels like my whole lower jaw is swollen, to the point where I feel like it should be obvious to everyone I meet. Of course I cannot see a difference in a mirror so there is no way that anyone else can tell, but I just want to wrap my whole face in ice and stop pretending that I am a normal person today... but that won't pay the bills!
Did I mention that they placed some composite material on my molars with the braces application in July? If not...they had placed a little composite material on my molars so that with my night grinding (bruxism) I would grind away the composite and not my tooth enamel (one of the reasons most people with TMJ disorders wear night guards). Well apparently I had managed to wear it away significantly (grad school= increase stress = more night grinding) so they added a lot more composite to my molars. I know this sounds great in theory, but the composite material is all that can touch now, so its like have 2 pencil points that prop my teeth apart and my mouth open. Which brings me back to eating, one of my favorite hobbies and something I can no long do :( Can you imagine trying to chew food with a pen tip? So needless to say I am really bummed to be back on a liquid/no chew diet. Looks like I'm headed to the grocery store to stock back up on yogurt, mashed potatoes, protein powder, and pureed soups.
Now after I've complained enough, I did get some good news from the Orthodontist! I asked if it still looked like we were on track to schedule my jaw surgery next fall (2014). My reason for asking is that I graduate in May and I would really like to give my new employer a heads up that I will need to take some time off for the surgery. And Dr R said that every mouth is different . . .*usual spiel*. . . BUT that there was a chance I could be ready for surgery in the Summer or even maybe May! Which means surgery sooner, braces off sooner, new pain-free life sooner!!! My response was that if it was possible for him to crank on my teeth harder now I would take more pain today to get it all over quicker...unfortunately it doesn't work that way. But I left his office feeling a renewed sense of hope and optimism for my future life! |
| Here's an (unattractive) but upward view of my teeth as closed as they can get... which is to say not at all :( |
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