Three years of dental purgatory later…
Since I’ve been repeatedly asked to post a picture of myself sans hardware (read: braces and appliances), I’m updating this fancy little blog one last time.
I had a date with my orthodontist earlier this week where she kindly removed my braces for me. The entire process took no more than 5 minutes and was relatively painless. I was shocked that something that was such an inconvenience could be eradicated in mere moments. My teeth felt extremely slimy at first, but I later realized that I’d simply forgotten what smooth teeth actually felt like.
Following that, she made a couple of molds of my new mouth so their lab could fashion me a sporty new retainer! (Note: I’m not actually excited about having a retainer. I’m just making my best effort at staying positive.) I received the retainer a few hours later and learned how to snap it in and take it out. Then, upon shaking the hands of all of the lovely ladies who have taken care of me in that office for the past 3 years, I walked out the door for the last time.
I’ve created a little storyboard intermission for those of you who would rather forego reading altogether and just look at pictures.
Guess what, folks! I have big news!
I got rid of my braces!
Now I’m subjected to wearing this retainer…
…but it’s going to keep my teeth super straight! (Now that’s an unflattering shot!)
Wearing a retainer is frustrating at first because your speech is slightly lispy and you need to take it out every single time you wish to eat. It only took a day or two before I learned how to speak while wearing it and realized that removing it to eat is hardly an inconvenience, considering I can now smile at the table while I eat. It’s quite a brilliant thought! I’m supposed to wear this retainer every day for a year, then every night for two months, and then 1–2 nights per week for the rest of my life.
I wonder what’s waiting out there for me and my new smile…
Following my orthodontist appointment, I went to donate blood with a friend for the first time in my life. Now, despite having 5 years’ worth of tattoos, I’m actually horribly afraid of needles. I finally manned up and committed to donating only to learn that you can’t be a donor if you’ve had dental work performed in the past 24 hours. I still had the privilege of eating free cookies though, so it was a worthwhile trip.
“Would you like another plate of ribs?”
Later that night, a few friends and I went out for unlimited ribs (despite the fact that my orthodontist explicitly told me not to eat ribs for three days until the glue on the permanent wire on the backs of my bottom teeth was fully set). Folks, eating things like ribs and apples again is quite amazing. I felt like a bit of a glutton afterwards, considering I ate 5 plates’ worth. It was a celebration though, so I’m exempting myself for that one night only.
I’ll be driving to New York in a couple of weeks to experience New Year’s Eve in Times Square. I plan on doing something crazy, so look for me on TV! I’ll be the crazy Canadian running around finding cameras in a mad attempt to flash the entire world… with my new smile!
February 1, 2012 at 9:36 am
Hey Graham, how’s it going? How’s your mouth? Did you experience any neck or back pain after surgery? My mouth is great but I’ve had killer back/neck/shoulder pain since about October.
January 30, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Hi Dino!
I was instructed to switch to heat packs on the third day following surgery (the same day I was released from the hospital).
As far as the swelling is concerned, it’s primarily a time concern. I recommend using heat at this point if only for the fact that it will be more comfortable for you than ice.
Stay happy, my friend!
January 30, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Graham, youre a living legend. Selfless and funny. Really appreciate this website you have put together. Im in the UK and had a bi maxillary osteotomy on Friday so day 3 today! Let me out of hospital the day after surgery so would hope im doing ok! The most annoying thing is the swelling as most you’ll know, dont really have pain just lots of aching. Ive been using cold pack to try and supress the swelling, when were you advised to use heat instead? Cheers bro.
January 27, 2012 at 11:56 am
It’s great to hear that you’re super pumped about your results, Mike! I love it when others think the process is worthwhile. Each time, it’s a small hint reminding me that I may not be crazy for always recommending the surgery to people. =)
Don’t even worry about the hosting costs. I’ve got it all taken care of, my friend. Just enjoy life with a confident smile!
January 27, 2012 at 10:10 am
I just got my braces removed on Wednesday, and I’m amazed by the results! My teeth were in horrible shape prior to surgery because my parents couldn’t afford to get braces when I was a kid, but now, they’re finally straight. Graham, thanks again for all of the work you put into this website. It really helped my keep my sanity the first 3 weeks after surgery. Is there a Paypal link anywhere so that we can donate money towards hosting costs?
January 21, 2012 at 5:10 am
Haha, I live in Texas. But I had this procedure done about six months early due to insurance issues (turn 26 in a week, and so will be kicked off my folks’ private coverage), so he had a few more tricks up his sleeve in usual. It’s actually nice to have such a thorough regiment. My doc showed me the new bite on xray yesterday; the difference is astounding! It’s so bizarre to be thrilled and yet in such discomfort at the same time.
January 21, 2012 at 12:25 am
I remember those days! You might feel claustrophobic at first, but I assure you life will be better in a couple of weeks.
Your surgeon’s orders sound eerily similar to mine. Are you sure you don’t live in Edmonton? =)
January 20, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Tightly banded, which means a syringe for anything beyond a liquid, I meant* 🙂
January 20, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Well Graham, thank goodness I read your blog. I had both jaws done, and am luckily home already. I’m on eighth thousand pills, and right now I’m writing them so I can keep track of what goes when. My mouth is tightly banded straight, which yes I’ll be straight beyond a liquid. No solids for six weeks. No blowing my nose for a all a week. All in all, your blog was a lifesaver. Thanks to you, I know exactly what to expect. 🙂 Thank goodness for the net.
January 16, 2012 at 1:49 am
Not a problem, Amber. Looking forward to hearing about your experience!
January 15, 2012 at 6:55 am
Graham, thanks for your blog. I’m having double jaw surgery next week to correct my overbite. Your blog has demystified the whole process. I’m still nervous, but I’m much more informed. Thanks again, man.I hope my results are as good as yours.
January 14, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Hi Beth!
It sounds like you’re well prepared as far as food goes. As long as you can make it a few weeks on blended food without going too stir crazy, you’ll be in good shape.
Having your mom stay with you for the first week is a good idea as well. Make sure you get outside and go for walks and breathe in fresh air. It will make you feel more like a human!
All the best in three weeks, my friend!
January 13, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Wow… I’ve just spent the past uh, hour maybe, reading through all your posts about your journey through surgery and recovery. Three weeks fromm today I will be having my lower jaw moved back and my upper jaw moved forward. I am excited and terrified. Thanks for your candid and honest posts. There are a lot of horror stories out there but yours seems to be the most honest and complete thing I’ve read.
I’ve been blending and straining seeds from berries and blending up smooth versions of things like turkey dinner (from Christmas) and other favourite meals. Thanks for the heads up on prune juice!
I have my mom coming to stay with me for the first week after to help me out with daily life and such and I hope not to get too shack wacky. I fully anticipate taking to Facebook to look for friends to help fill my long days at home since I loathe daytime TV!
Your story (and daily pics) made me smile, and feel sort of hopeful about what awaits me on my journey!
Cheers, Beth
January 12, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Hi there, Alex! It must be warm where you’re writing from!
Thanks for the kind words, my friend. You sound like you’re in a pretty good mood, so cheers to that!
Take care, dude!
January 12, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Hello Graham,
Just wanted to say THANK YOU!!! This resource has been an invaluable help for me, and a lot of other people in the world, for sure.
Hey, really, I cannot find words to express the support this blog has represented for my recovery. Tomorrow will be the 4th week of my surgery (bimaxillary and a genioplasty) and things are going great!!, I’m truly happy with my current result!!. My swelling has gone down and the next week I’m going to start with soft food. My loss weight was minor thanks to the constant help from my family and I’m really comfortable at the moment.
Only minor annoyances like the nose clogging the first days, and the inability to talk and open the mouth freely, were as expected, the main source of discomfort.
If anyone else is hesitant to do this procedure, let me tell you that is very worth the pain.
Graham, again thank you for taking the time and effort for compiling a resource like this.
Greetings from Colombia,
A. 🙂
January 9, 2012 at 11:11 pm
I guess you can’t win ’em all. That’s too bad that you were released during rush hour. I managed to receive a quiet ride home, thank God.
You’ve likely got another week and a half of difficulties ahead of you and then life will start to tend towards being awesome again. Just take good care of yourself and be thankful for your caring mother until then and you’re set!
January 9, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Oh! But the hospital wouldn’t give me my meds before I went home! Not a fan. All they gave me was Tylenol before I left. Ummm yea…that did nothing. So after being taken off the IV for 3 hours, they let me go 🙁 I was in pain then had to go pick up meds. And on the way there almost got into an accident. Some jerk ran a light and almost hit my mom’s car. Between that, the pain, being weak I actually threw up :-\ So hopefully everyone makes SURE they get their meds prior and don’t get released during lunch rush hour traffic with the crazies.
January 9, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Actually no crazy dreams during surgery! Now just dreaming of all the yummy food I’m missing 🙁 Surgery went smoothly. 5 1/2 hours long. Sheesh! Returned home on Thursday and from then until yesterday were the worst!!! My body apparently doesn’t like morphine and had horrible migraines throughout the hospital stay. No fun. Now I’m trying to find recipes to eat. I’m extremely tiny to begin with and can’t afford to loose any weight. Should be exciting! Eating feels more like a chore now. And my mother, the crazy Canadian, is taking good care of me!
January 2, 2012 at 10:50 pm
If you’re having nightmares like that prior to surgery, I can’t wait to hear about your dreams during the operation. Sheesh!
Good luck tomorrow! And don’t fret about it–everything will go according to plan. =)
January 2, 2012 at 10:31 pm
Ahhh!! Re-read your blog again. I wake up at 4:00am and head to the hospital. My surgery is tomorrow at 7:30am. Is it over yet?! I also keep having this reoccurring dream of my teeth jumping out of my mouth and running away while laughing at me. Yes, you read that correctly! Haha! Hope you’re having a happy new year so far.