Today I turned in my screwdriver, meaning I'm done moving my distractor! It's always nice to hit a milestone. They didn't end up moving the distractor as much as I thought they would, but it's pretty darn close and now I have so much more bone.
I don't have to see Dr. D for another 3 weeks and Dr. F for 6 weeks. I nice break since I've been seeing them once or twice a week since the surgery. Dr. D said she'll do another x-ray in 8 weeks to check my progress. Until then, I feel like Madam Pomfrey in Harry Potter and trying to grow some bone - it's tough work!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Bones...
On my last trip to Dr. D she said that the teeth are moving fine and that although the gap in my gums has not cleared up, she said that wouldn't happen until I stop moving the teeth/bone.
Another one of the doctors from the practice was also in the room, he showed me 2 x-rays of my mouth, one from that day the other from a week ago - you could see the difference in where the teeth were.
While the two doctors were talking Dr. D mentioned that she was only going to move my teeth 2 teeth lengths, leaving the gap for the 3rd tooth. The other doctor commented that the way the bone was positioned she probably couldn't go much further anyway. The bone that is moving is more tapered at the gum line, so up in the gums it should meet up with the other bone first, never giving the bone at the bottom a chance to meet next to the other tooth. I hope that made sense.
Then she said I would need a bone graft in that gap. Ick! I'm not sure if only going the length of 2 teeth (instead of 3) is because of the bone or because of the adjustment to slowing down the movement. Either way, yuck, I don't want another bone graft.
One plus side is that I had a very small hole in the roof of my mouth and that seems to have been pushed closed with the movement of the bone and teeth, yea!
Another one of the doctors from the practice was also in the room, he showed me 2 x-rays of my mouth, one from that day the other from a week ago - you could see the difference in where the teeth were.
While the two doctors were talking Dr. D mentioned that she was only going to move my teeth 2 teeth lengths, leaving the gap for the 3rd tooth. The other doctor commented that the way the bone was positioned she probably couldn't go much further anyway. The bone that is moving is more tapered at the gum line, so up in the gums it should meet up with the other bone first, never giving the bone at the bottom a chance to meet next to the other tooth. I hope that made sense.
Then she said I would need a bone graft in that gap. Ick! I'm not sure if only going the length of 2 teeth (instead of 3) is because of the bone or because of the adjustment to slowing down the movement. Either way, yuck, I don't want another bone graft.
One plus side is that I had a very small hole in the roof of my mouth and that seems to have been pushed closed with the movement of the bone and teeth, yea!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I don't like this Dr.'s Appt!
Monday I went to see Dr. D and it didn't go that great. My gum separated from one of my back molars, leaving a gap and allowing fluid to come out.
Now I'm on an antibiotic, which my body doesn't like.
Dr. D also decided to stop moving the bone for 2 days and then on Thursday she wants me to start turning the screw again, but only twice a day instead of 3 times a day. I'll see her again on Friday.
Ugh, this is very annoying and frustrating! But on the up side my mouth seems to be doing much better now.
Here is a photo of my mouth. In the front you can see a large bar, that is the screw. When my mouth is closed other then looking a bit swollen in that area you can't see the screw. When I open my mouth obviously it's a different story. On the left you can see my two fake teeth and then a gap. On the right of the first gap are the 2 teeth that are being moved. To the right of those teeth you can (hopefully) see another gap, that is how much my teeth moved in 4 days. Above that gap you can also see some metal, that is part of the device that was put in my mouth during the surgery. There are actually two of those ladder like pieces. One is on the right side of where the gap is the other is on the piece of bone that is moving.
Now I'm on an antibiotic, which my body doesn't like.
Dr. D also decided to stop moving the bone for 2 days and then on Thursday she wants me to start turning the screw again, but only twice a day instead of 3 times a day. I'll see her again on Friday.
Ugh, this is very annoying and frustrating! But on the up side my mouth seems to be doing much better now.
Here is a photo of my mouth. In the front you can see a large bar, that is the screw. When my mouth is closed other then looking a bit swollen in that area you can't see the screw. When I open my mouth obviously it's a different story. On the left you can see my two fake teeth and then a gap. On the right of the first gap are the 2 teeth that are being moved. To the right of those teeth you can (hopefully) see another gap, that is how much my teeth moved in 4 days. Above that gap you can also see some metal, that is part of the device that was put in my mouth during the surgery. There are actually two of those ladder like pieces. One is on the right side of where the gap is the other is on the piece of bone that is moving.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Yesterday I saw Dr. D and let me just say that she is marvelous, I really do love her.
She started by rewiring the work that Dr. F had done. On my upper left there are 4 teeth in the back, then the 3 toothless gap and then the right middle tooth. The 2 left back teeth are staying where they are, the other 2 left teeth are the ones that will be moving into the gap with the bone. She tied the 2 teeth that are moving together and then tied them to my bracket so they are guided by the wire as they move.
Yesterday Dr. D started to move the 2 teeth. She turned the screw once (.3m), then my sister turned it once and later in the night I turned it once. I can already feel the difference in the gap between my teeth in the back. But when the teeth move I don't have any pain, I barely feel anything actually, just an extremely mild strange sensation.
She also took some weird high tech x-ray and showed me what she was doing. I'll admit, there was nothing earth shattering in this but the x-ray was very fancy and a little over my head.
Oh, and she did say the surgery went well.
I have to go back on Monday.
I'll work on a picture or two so you can see what's going on.
She started by rewiring the work that Dr. F had done. On my upper left there are 4 teeth in the back, then the 3 toothless gap and then the right middle tooth. The 2 left back teeth are staying where they are, the other 2 left teeth are the ones that will be moving into the gap with the bone. She tied the 2 teeth that are moving together and then tied them to my bracket so they are guided by the wire as they move.
Yesterday Dr. D started to move the 2 teeth. She turned the screw once (.3m), then my sister turned it once and later in the night I turned it once. I can already feel the difference in the gap between my teeth in the back. But when the teeth move I don't have any pain, I barely feel anything actually, just an extremely mild strange sensation.
She also took some weird high tech x-ray and showed me what she was doing. I'll admit, there was nothing earth shattering in this but the x-ray was very fancy and a little over my head.
Oh, and she did say the surgery went well.
I have to go back on Monday.
I'll work on a picture or two so you can see what's going on.
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