It's true. Two days ago marked my second braces anniversary. I'm pretty sure that's longer than either of Britney Spears' marriages.
It's been almost 11 weeks since surgery. I'm still eating everything by cutting it up really small and chewing it with my back teeth. There's a lot of things I can eat, but I'm still avoiding anything hard, chewy, or cruncy, like crusty bread or, sadly, Craisins, which I love. Salad is edible, but it takes me quite a while to eat!
The swelling is still going down, fortunately. I'm having a little trouble adjusting to the way my face looks now. I can't pinpoint what it is, but there's something I just don't like when I look in the mirror. I hate my smile right now. I get these funny lines in my face when I smile, and my mouth looks really wide. Hopefully it's just because of swelling and will get better, because, even though it was crooked, I liked my smile before. Did anyone else feel this way getting used to the new look?
The good news is, I'm amazed by how much better I feel. The terrible headaches I used to just deal with two or three days a week are gone. I haven't had one since the surgery. It's amazing. So yes, I definitely think it was worth it, and will think so even more in a few months when I no longer look like a chipmunk!
Hi Meredith! I am happy to hear you are recovering so well, and chewing! I have tried chewing but feels funny as I don't feel my gums of cheeks so I don't know if I bite myself or not. I also think that my back teeth are not touching - need to confirm this with my ortho.
ReplyDeleteI also don't like my new look, especially the nose! But we'll see - let's give it a few more months...
How do we know when swelling is completely gone? Do you know?
Hi Meredith,
ReplyDeleteI have been looking through your blog and I found it to be an excellent examination of your orthodontic and orthognathic treatment. I think it is great when patients decide to blog about their treatment as it demonstrates to others just how beneficial such treatment can be, even if it is a gruelling journey at times.
I am writing to you as I feel your followers could benefit from a link to the http://www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/ which would not only give your followers access to information concerning orthodontic treatment and TMJ disorder but about a whole host of dental treatment.
The Cosmetic Dentistry Guide is the leading provider of cosmetic dental information online in the UK, and includes a forum as well as an expert answers section, so if you have any questions then feel free to ask.
Our topics include:
Orthodontics - http://www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/orthodontics.html
TMJ Disorder - http://www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/tmj.html
Our homepage is: http://www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/
I hope your treatment is going well and look forward to your next update.
Kind regards and keep up the good work with your blog.
Richard.