I just posted all that info about my workup, but I just realized that I've jumped into this blog in the middle of the action...so let me take a few steps back and fill you in on what's going on. (scroll to the bottom for a summary...this got really long)
I got braces when I was 11 or 12, at the normal age. I don't think I'd ever been so excited for anything in my young life. So weird... I used to wish I had glasses too. Before I got my braces on, I had a retainer with a palate expander and key. I turned it with the key to increase the width of my upper jaw. I'm so thankful that I did this when I was young because I shudder to think of going through SARPE (surgically assisted rapid palate expansion) and that gap afterwards. Also, there's NOOO way I could imagine my ortho doing that with invisalign. Okay, so I got my braces off when I was 12. Wait, I must've gotten them on earlier then...um 12=7th grade, 11=6th, 10=5th, 9=4th. Okay I have some memory of a retainer in fourth grade so let's go with 9 as my beginning of orthodontia. I only had actual braces for 9 months I think and looking back, I'm pretty sure my mom must have hustled the shit out of them to get them off before my bat mitzvah.
Anyways, I have vague memories of them saying if my jaws continued to grow, and duh they would, I was 12, that I'd need surgery to correct it. I remember thinking "surgery? what? whatever that's ridiculous." It was way past my scope of perception then because I was a kid. So I continued on my merry way for a couple of years until it came time to get my wisdom teeth removed.
First off, omg that sucked. Getting them removed was nothing, but they were SO SO SO painful right before I got them out. They grew in literally sideways, pushing straight into my back molars. Ugh the xrays were horrifying. I couldn't say the "s" sound, couldn't chew gum, could hardly eat, and had problems closing my mouth right before they came out. Getting them out, however, was the easiest thing ever. I slept all that day and a lot of the next day (bc I had stayed up all night the night before) and then went out that night, had a bonfire and a great time. No swelling, no nothing. I got a pretty nasty infection that sucked, but it was gone in a flash. My point of this story, is that the surgeon who removed those told me about this surgery with this funny name I couldn't ever remember. He showed me before and after pictures, told me how it would improve my bite and make things easier as I got older, said it would enhance the aesthetics of my face, but that I was, of course, already beautiful blah blah blah... and then he said it was at least $20,000. I think I considered it for the walk to the car and it was gone... $20,000?!?! hahaha yeah right.
Then I went to the dentist in September of 2010, so about a year ago. I had noticed my teeth had started to wear down in abnormal places, I was annoyed because I couldn't sleep comfortably, only 2 of my molars on one side made contact when chewing... I remembered that $20,000 surgery. I tried to research it, but couldn't remember that silly name he had said. Eventually, after many google "did you mean..." corrections, I found the name, and began adamantly researching the topic. And I mean adamantly. No actually, I mean obsessively. It took me until my winter break, December 2010 to find the name and start my search. I watched countless videos on youtube and was shocked at what a profound effect it had on these people. I was also stunned by the post op experiences, but as I continued to see more and more people who had endured it, I knew I could too. So I called my insurance one day and to my pleasant surprise, the lady on the other end of the phone said, "we cover it completely, you don't even need a referral." I was in shock, I clarified, "for orthognathic surgery? For an underbite?" Again she said, "yes, you're completely covered". I felt such an air of happiness, that there was something that I could actually do to fix my bite. I was in utter disbelief and couldn't wait to tell someone. That was such an incredible moment that those are the actual words that were said in that conversation and my fragments of questions were, honestly, all I could muster in my elation and shock.
Naturally, I started another branch of research. Cross referencing Baltimore's best doctors list with my insurance's in-network providers. I eventually found two after soooo many phone calls that told me the doctor doesn't do that anymore. I later found out that this was because it's a difficult surgery and not profitable enough when compared to wisdom teeth extractions and procedures like that. Unfortunately, the first surgeon's first appointment was March 3rd. March 3rd?!?! it was December, maybe early January!! "Yes, we're sorry, he doesn't have anything sooner, he only comes in on Thursdays...But he's really the best." I made that appointment, but kept looking. I found another doctor who was able to schedule me for February. I jumped at that appointment and excitedly awaited my February and March appointments. The day of my february consult rolls around and we get a blizzard. I wake up to a message saying that I'd have to reschedule. Ugh! It was torture already waiting so long, but no big deal, I called back, and of course, their next appt was March 4th. March 4th was after my original ridiculously late appointment!!! It was a very upsetting phone call.
Let me quickly stop and say sorry for writing a novel. I didn't plan on this, but I guess it's been a lot of work to get to where I am now...9 days pre op. yikes.
Okay so at this point, I had stumbled upon a groupon (by the way everyone seriously has to sign up for it. It's the best thing ever...EVER! It just sends you an email of local deals and it's SO much money off of things you may never have thought you could afford. They have deals for spa treatments, haircuts, home improvement stuff, magazines, random websites, sky diving, paint balling, vacations, gyms, restaurants, clothes, it's seriously amazing. I've gotten so much stuff through there. I'll give you my referral code haha:
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu4182441 If I refer people, I get $10 when they make their first purchase so help a broke college girl out :). and it's free to get the alerts. I know this may sound funny that I'm recommending them so much, but I say these exact things to my friends. I really love groupon.) Okay so I started talking about them because one day I got an email that said 1,000 dollars off invisalign treatment and initial consultation, xrays, and molds for $60!! I said $1,000 - seriously groupon's amazing. And it was with my childhood orthodontists!!! I researched a bit about invisalign, but I knew I had to buy this, it was just too perfect. So I met with them and I saw one of the Drs at the practice who I didn't see as much when I was younger. He said he would be willing to do the orthodontic work with the invisalign as long as the surgeon said it was okay. So I had to wait for my consults with the surgeons to find out.
The first consult was with Dr. C on March 3rd. He said he would do it with the invisalign and that he had done it once before and that it came out very well. I told him about all the youtube videos I had been watching and he thought it was funny. He said one of his patients had made one, he thought. I actually came across a blog of a girl who had gone to someone else in his practice. Anyways, he said 1 week of liquid and then soft foods. Sounded good and I was off to the next consult the next day. This Dr wasn't so pleased with the invisalign idea and said I'd have to get braces on before the surgery. He also said I'd be wired shut and on a liquid diet for 4-6 weeks. I didn't go with him. Dr. C all the way! After Dr. C okayed the invisalign, it was all systems go and they sent in the molds on a rush order and they got them to me fairly quickly I think... Anyways I'm on my 7th tray and that's the one that I'll stay on for a while because that was the position of my teeth when they took the mold for the splint at my work up.
For those of you who don't know how invisalign works, you wear each set of trays for 2 weeks and then move onto the other. You are supposed to wear them for at least 20-22 hrs (? I can't even remember...oops) each day and only remove them to eat and drink. You can only drink water with them in bc they can get dyed and you get a lot of cavities bc normally the saliva in your mouth cleans your teeth, but the invisalign basically sticks the food to your teeth causing decay. So the constant brushing and flossing is ridiculously annoying and even though I always try to do it, I can already see cavities wahoo!! But at least I don't have braces. That's what I always remind myself. Honestly, I don't know how I was so lucky to find Drs who were willing to work with the invisalign, but I don't know if I'd be going through with this if I had to get braces. Those of you in orthognathic land are much braver than me in that respect.
So I guess that's where I am now. Now I'm just anticipating the horrors of recovery and looking forward to 3 months from now when I can chew normally... hopefully. One of the hard parts about this surgery is that I know exactly what to expect, but most of my friends and family really have no clue how bad it's gonna be for a while. I'm gonna be mad ugly and mad swollen for quite a while. I've been trying to prepare my friends and family for it, but I don't think they grasp it. Maybe I should show them some pictures of other people during their recoveries. I showed one of my friends a few months ago and it freaked her out hahaha.
Well whatever that's my back story, if you scrolled through it (I couldn't blame you if you did), here's the gist:
Using invisalign and TADs during the surgery instead of braces and surgical hooks.
Underbite/ Class III Malocclusion correction due to maxillary deficiency/ mandibular hyperplasia
surgery July 29th 2011, one piece Le Fort I osteotomy(as far as I know it isn't segmental, but I think they'd have told me if it was)
not sure of movement yet, but probably about 5-6 mm forward.
very nervous, very excited
