Freedom!

After almost three years of dental purgatory, I am brace free!  I feel naked, and I like it!

Here are a few pics of the 2 hour process of removing ceramic braces...

 

 

  Here is my bite positioner I have to wear for 4 weeks.  I'll wear it 4 hours a day at least, and every night until my bottom teeth are straightened back out and ready for veneers...



Cute look, no?  I don't even care that it's foul, and tastes bad, and makes me drool and I can't speak with it in.  I'm just glad to be brace free!  Well folks, I'm off to eat me some corn on the cob, woohoo!


 I'll leave you with one last awful pic.  It's unflattering as all get out, but I love my new big cheesy smile!

One year plus

It's been just over one year since my surgery.  I meant to post last month, but never got around to it.  So, the bad news...I'm still in braces

The good news...they come off in 17 days!

The fantastic news...I feel great!

I still have a bit of numbness around the sides of my chin. I'm sure it's as good as it will get at this point, but it only bothers me when something brushes it, like my coat collar.  There are things about my appearance that I will always wish better improved, but functionally I feel fantastic.  I can chew and bite normally for the first time in my life.  My TMJ pain is at least 90% improved from before surgery and I hardly ever get a headache.  This last point is amazing to me.  I didn't realize that my head, along with my jaw was in constant pain for so many years.  I also have great range of motion, 44mm's, which my OS says is astonishing considering my case. 

So, now I count down the days until de-banding.  I'll have an articulated bite positioner (or something like that) I'll have to wear for a while, then I'll get my lower veneers and be done.  I can see the finish line finally and I'm over the moon happy!  Hope you are all well :)