Comic book on braces

I came across a recommendation for this comic book, Smile, about orthodontics. Seems pretty cool. Has anyone read it?

Website Review: BracesInfo.com

Please note: this is a sponsored review.

I have another new site sponsor, www.bracesinfo.com, (the link is in my sidebar as well); here is a review of the website and how it can be helpful to those of us going through braces and jaw surgery.

Heads up: this site has a fair amount of ads, so you'll have to take some time to orient yourself and differentiate between ads and content. Though, I never thought I'd say this, the ads on the site are actually useful. They are targeted to the content on the site and your geographic area, so when I was searching the site, I saw dental ads specific to Canada and even Western Canada. I'll give you some important links in this review to help you navigate the site, too.

Dental Cost Calculator

The dental cost calculator on the site allows you to choose the city in the United States where you live (or the closest one to you) and the dental service you need; plug this information into the fields and the calculator will tell you the average cost of that service in that city, as well as the highest cost that you will find for that service.

For instance, in Fargo, North Dakota, the average cost for adult orthodontics is $6,762.91 and the highest cost is $8,144.12. This information would be helpful if you wanted to see if the estimate you got from an orthodontist or dentist falls into the average cost, or if it's much higher and you should get an estimate from someone else. It would also be helpful if you lived near several cities to determine which city has the lowest average price for the service you need. On a related topic, the site also has a very useful patient guide with tips on avoiding unqualified or inferior orthodontists. You never want to sacrifice quality for cost, of course.

Dental Insurance

The site has some good information on dental insurance. A feature I think is cool is a section where you can input your zip code and search for online dental insurance. I typed in the only US zip code I know (90210, natch), and was given a list of 21 insurance providers and descriptions of what they offered so you can compare and make an educated decision that fits your needs. There is also a page with a comparison of discount dental plans available to the general public.

Useful Articles

In addition to the guide on avoiding unqualified orthodontists I mentioned above, there are a variety of useful articles about orthodontics on the site. Article topics include: the link between dental disease and cardiovascular disease and the theory that orthodontics may prevent future heart problems (cool!); FAQs for adult orthodontic patients, teens with braces, and parents of kids with braces; and a great dictionary of dental terms that would be helpful when you're listening to all those dentists, orthodontists, and surgeons talk when they have their hands in your mouth. There are also some fun articles, such as one with a list of celebrities who have had braces.

This site is currently being revamped, and I'm going to be doing some writing there as well, so there will be many articles added in the near future, particularly on orthodontic and jaw surgery topics, so be sure to check back!

Ortho-don't-ist

Last week, I went to the orthodontist only to find the door locked and a sign saying that all appointments were cancelled due to "sterilization issues."

Being involved in animal rescue, I immediately thought this meant my orthodontist was being neutered. He couldn't keep his appointments because he was currently under the knife, or he had just had the procedure done and had acquired some kind of unspeakable infection.

And now, the mental image of him holding a big bag of ice to his crotch is traumatizing me to no end.

Ew.

On the plus side, the appointment was rescheduled for today, and to my surprise, he took my braces off!

Freedom, finally! I am whitening my brace-free teeth as I type! Hooray!!

Don't count your brackets before they've been removed

Remember when I said my braces were supposed to come off on August 8?

Well, scratch that. One of my brackets came loose before my last appointment and a gap opened up big enough that food was getting impacted in it every time I ate. Fun!! Also, there are some other gaps that need to be closed as well. When I asked if my braces will come off at my next appointment, I was told with a laugh, "Oh, no. It will be longer than that."

I may not make corn on the cob season this year. Oh well, I may have to head down to the Farmer's Market, buy a bunch of corn, and freeze it until I'm brace-free. I am determined to have corn on the cob, and I will have corn on the cob, damnit!!

In other (good) news, I went to the Folk Festival again this year and had a pleasant surprise. Last year, I had to leave once Michael Franti took the stage, as the heavy bass in his music vibrated the screws in my jaw and gave me a raging headache. I was less than impressed, as Michael Franti was rocking it. Not fair!

This year, I was weary of the same thing happening, but when k-os played, with just as heavy bass, if not more, I was fine! So, no more worries about loud, rock concerts with generous amounts of rumbly bass - my jaw and I are good to go!

Wooo hooo! Bring it on!

One month?

I went to my orthodontist yesterday and got some good news: the braces will come off on August 8!

I'm a bit paranoid about getting them off, as last time they were removed (July 2008), large spaces opened up within a few months, and I had to get them put back on in October. Even though I was wearing my retainers. Religiously.

So, we'll see what happens. I'm willing to put aside my paranoia in exchange for eating a bushel or two of corn on the cob this summer!

Yay!

Mind the gaps

We're slowly inching toward the day when my braces will come off (again). My orthodontist sent me to a dentist to see if the gaps in between my teeth can be filled, as he is unable to close them this time around.

The dentist said that because my teeth seem to be moving around and that the retainer was unable to hold them in place last time around, that he will probably bond a permanent retainer (light wire) behind my upper teeth to keep them anchored.

He's going to talk to my orthodontist over the next while to come up with a plan. So, we'll see what happens.

I am starting to get tired of the train tracks, not because they get in my way, but because I like smiling with my teeth in pictures, and when I do that now, it looks awful!

Cross your arch wires for me...

Free at last...kinda

I went to The Big City to see my surgeon for my one-year post-surgery appointment the other week and he said that my bite looks great and I don't have to go back to him anymore!

Yay!!

The only reason I would have to go see him is if the screws in my jaw get infected and have to be taken out, which he says is quite rare.

Double yay!!

Another exciting development is that when I go see my orthodontist today, I will not have to pull out my credit card to make my monthly payment. Because, last month, I made the FINAL one. After three years of monthly payments, I am done, baby!!

Triple yay!!

I did a little dance around the reception desk with my credit card, singing, "This is my final payment, this is my final payment" while the ladies laughed at me. My orthodontist didn't seem phased at all. Maybe he sees this a lot?

The only area where I am not free is in the upper braces department. But hey, after all I've been through, what's a bit longer?

Happy Jawiversary

February 12 marked my 12 month jawiversary, one full year after my face was sawed open and screwed and wired together. Wow. It's hard to believe. It feels both like forever ago and like it was just yesterday.

Things have finally started settling down for me. I still have the braces on my top teeth (put back on in October after three months of being off) and the gaps are closing nicely.

A month or two ago, I started developing some problems with my right joint - crackling and clicking and pain upon opening and chewing. Fortunately, a physiotherapy session helped resolve that. I am confident that once the braces are off again, the joint will settle into place, because I don't recall having problems with that joint when the braces were off last time.

My opening is at about 44 mm and my jaw swings slightly to the right when I open to my full range of motion. Again, some physiotherapy exercises are helping to correct that, and also build some more strength in the jaw. Though I am told that it will take months of these exercises before I will be opening straight. It's a marathon for this kind of thing, not a sprint.

I have my one-year checkup with my surgeon next week, so we'll see what he thinks. I have a feeling he'll be happy with how things are going. One thing I noticed over the past few weeks is that there's a spot on the left side of my jaw that's a bit tender. It seems like the location of where the screws are, so I'll have to ask him about that.

There is still a slight, slight amount of numbness in my chin. I only notice it when I run my finger very lightly across it. When I touch my face normally, it feels fine. I notice minute improvements still, so I know it continues to get better, even though it's at a slower pace than at the very beginning. I am hoping that full feeling will return eventually, though I can live with the amount that I have now without any discomfort, so I'm not too worried about it.

As for the depression I have been dealing with since after my surgery, it seems to be lifting with the proper drugs and treatment. I've had to accept that this will likely be a life-long struggle for me, as it runs in my family, but I am sure that I can fight it and come out on top.

I always come out on top.

I thought you might like to see some pictures of what I look like now:

Medical claims

So, last year was quite the year for medical expenses for me. Fortunately, I do live in Canada, where my surgery and hospital stay were completely covered by our health care system.

But that doesn't mean that there weren't major costs associated with this surgery for me. The surgical splint was $500 and wasn't covered under any of my benefit plans. Also, I had my surgery in another city, which meant lots of travelling back and forth to see my surgeon. And then there was a lengthy recovery, which included extra insurance, medications, physiotherapy, massage therapy (including lymph drainage massage), acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy, orthodontics and dentistry.

I avoided totalling it all up until now. And the damage: more than $4,700.

Wow. That's a lot. And the above is just the amount my benefits didn't cover. If it were the full amount, it would be another few thousand for sure (not to mention the shortfall in my gross pay because of all the work I missed due to related illnesses over the past year.)

Then again, being able to chew like a normal person and replace frequent migraines with a winning smile?

Priceless.

And hey, at least I get a good tax return this year.

And the heavens opened and there was much rejoicing

Yesterday, I went on an epic quest in search of the elusive orthodontic wax.

I was positive that I had seen it on a particular shelf in a drug store the last time I was there. I went to a different location of the same chain, only to find they didn't carry it.

I then drove all the way across town to the original location where I'd seen the wax, expecting that it would be exactly where it was just a few days ago, but it wasn't there, either.

I begged the store clerks to help me find it, but they confirmed the fact that it wasn't there. I soon realized that I was so desperate for the stuff that I had actually been hallucinating it was at the store. They don't carry it, and hadn't carried it for years. It was all just a beautiful, beautiful dream created by my wax-deprived mind.

It's kind of sad, really.

I was almost in tears when I realized that you can't really buy this stuff in stores, at least not in my city. Also, my orthodontist doesn't have an office in town - he just comes in on weekends every few weeks, so it's not as though I could get some from him.

And then one of the clerks suggested I go to the dentist's office in the mall to see if they had any.

Good idea! I ran there and begged the clerk at the desk for some, conveniently not mentioning that I was not at all a patient at that office.

She wasn't sure if they had any, but after much searching in a back room, she came out with a plastic baggie with about a lifetime supply of the stuff. I almost kissed her, I was so relieved.

And then I mushed a whole bunch of that stuff into my wires and cried tears of joy.

Sigh.

Life is good.

Damn you, Four Months Ago Bella!

One of my new brackets is rubbing against the inside of my upper lip, creating a very raw bump that catches on the metal every time I talk, smile, eat and...do just about everything.

Last night, I tore apart my purse, bathroom, bedroom searching for that little magical box of orthodontic wax. The fact that I couldn't find it anywhere drove me absolutely nuts, because I'm the Queen of knowing exactly where all of my stuff is at any given time. It's my thing.

As I obsessed over where it could possibly be, I suddenly got a very distinct image in my mind of me tossing the box in the garbage four months ago and saying smugly to myself, "Hah! I'm never going to need that again!"

Right now, I would be quite happy to smack Four Months Ago Bella across her braceless face.

(In case you were wondering: Yup, braces + raw lip = cranky Bella.)

Choo chooo

It's true: the train tracks, they are back on.

As my orthodontist was placing them back on, he commented, "I don't even remember the last time I've had to re-place brackets because I needed to fix something."

So, I've gone from the patient who had her braces off after surgery in record time, to the only one in recent memory who has had hers put back on.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

An apple a day

Even though I have had my braces off since early July, it took me until this week to eat an apple without cutting it into sections first.

I think I avoided it for so long because I had a hard time believing my jaw would be strong enough to eat a whole apple out of my hand instead of sliced up on a plate.

When I finally got around to it, it was as though I had forgotten how to eat an apple. I bit in with my top teeth and tried to pull of a chunk with them, as I used to do with my overbite. It wasn't working. And then I discovered that I had to move my lower lip out of the way and my lower teeth could actually dig into the skin, too.

Then, the coolest thing happened - I got a full bite out of the juicy flesh! And it was awesome!

I have been gorging myself on sweet organic apples ever since, and every bite fills me with a sense of marvel.

It took me this long to figure it out...and guess what?

My upper braces are going back on tomorrow.

8 months post-surgery

It's hard to believe eight months has gone by since my surgery. It feels like forever, making me wonder if it ever happened in the first place. But I need only look in the mirror to see my new chin and smile to remind myself that yes, it really did happen.

In good news, I went to my physiotherapist yesterday and we got up to 45 mm for the first time! I'm almost at the end of my range of motion, so that's incredibly exciting. I still have some work to do, though, because my muscle memory is interfering with my mouth opening properly.

When I open my mouth wide, my jaw swings to the right, because the muscles are remembering the way my jaw was positioned for 32 years (it was a bit asymmetric before). So, I have to start doing exercises using my hands to guide my jaw into the proper position while opening my mouth.

I've also noticed the muscle thing when I smile. My smile is still somewhat crooked because my muscles have been compensating for the asymmetric jaw. I have to start taking time each day to practice smiling in the mirror so my muscles can relearn what to do.

I have to spend hours in front of a mirror smiling at myself? How tragic.

In other good news, I have full feeling in my chin now - no more numbness! If I pay super close attention and use a very light touch across my chin and lower lip, I can tell that the feeling isn't 100% back yet, but it's barely noticeable (we're talking 99.999876%). There are still improvements every day and I am positive that I will get to 100% in the next few months.

In the not-so-good news department, I am one week away from getting my top braces back on to close a couple of gaps that opened up at the back.

Until then, I will be eating popcorn, corn on the cob, apples, and other crunchy "forbidden" foods to my heart's content!

Chow down!

Before, during and after pictures

I finally got my "after" pictures taken at my last surgeon visit, so if you would so kindly ignore the bags under my eyes, here you go! (The order goes: before braces, before surgery (with braces), and after surgery and braces removal.) Enjoy!

And here are my teeth, pre-braces, pre-surgery and post-braces and surgery:

Brace yourself...again

So, I went to my orthodontist for a follow-up appointment and guess what?

I have to get my upper braces put back on.

I wish I were messing with you and there was a really awesome punch line to insert right here, but that's not the case.

There are some spaces between my upper molars that opened up these past few months. My ortho had closed some gaps a few weeks before the braces came off and I guess they didn't "set" in their new positions and even wearing the retainers as instructed (religiously, I swear!) did not keep them from moving back.

My teeth, to anyone around me, look perfect, because you can't see the gaps. But I can feel them, particularly because anytime I eat anything, it gets impacted in the spaces and drives me absolutely crazy.

If I were only doing this for aesthetic reasons, I suppose I could live with it. But the whole point of getting the braces and surgery was to have a functional bite. I'm not willing to compromise on that. And after everything I've been through this year, this is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. I imagine it will only be a month or so and then I'll be done. Again.

So, here we go.

Bring on the tire tracks!

Sigh.

(On the plus side, I don't get them on until late next month, so there is lots of time for me to eat corn on the cob until then. Yay!)

Ask Bella: Always wear protection

Q: I broke my jaw in three places by falling and landing jaw first on a concrete step. I had surgery immediately after the accident, which resulted in two titanium rods being inserted either side of my chin. I also broke some of my teeth in the fall. I had my mouth wired during the surgery and shut with elastics. I went to see my specialist and he removed the elastics after only 12 days. I still, however, have all the wires in for another four weeks.

The main problem is that my bite is miles from being where it should be. At the moment, only my teeth at the back touch. I am hoping that the jaw will loosen over the next few weeks and may improve my bite, however I'm not very optimistic that it will improve very much.

Would you have any advice here? It looks like I will need the help of a dentist/orthodontist to sort me out!

A: I cringed when I read your story - that must have been so painful.

I'm no expert, but I'm guessing you'll need some orthodontic help to get your bite in order. I was wired with wires and elastics over top for two weeks as well. My surgeon told me that the elastics were there to help level the bite while the jaw was healing, so there would be less work for my orthodontist to do.

Your elastics were likely there to do the same, so if your teeth aren't touching at the front, that means more would need to be done. I hope that everything works out for you.

A friend of mine was telling me about a guy he knew who fell off his bike and broke his jaw. After everything I've been through with my surgery, I'm considering getting one of those full-face bike helmets (here's an example of what they look like: http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442621427&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693161&bmUID=1215389828047) so that if I fall, my jaw, as well as my brain will be protected. Hey, a gal can never be too careful.

Good luck with everything - I hope the rest of your recovery is a smooth one.

*To ask Bella a question about her jaw surgery, email her at smilingbella at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this post. Go ahead: ask away!!

Brace-free and fabulous

I promised brace-free pictures, and I like to keep my promises, so here you go:

I am now officially at six months post-surgery, though I had my braces taken off at the five month mark (a record for my orthodontist, who says he's never had a surgical patient's braces taken off that quickly.)

I still have to have some dental work done, though. There are large spaces between some of my top teeth, common after this kind of surgery, that I have to get filled in by my dentist next month.

So, we're getting there. By the end of this year, I figure everything - jaw opening, chin numbness, tooth spaces - will be taken care of, and I can finally move past this phase of my life.

Three weeks ago, something cool happened

It's hard to believe that it's been three weeks already and I haven't written about this. But that was part of the plan. Not to write about it. To have something that was just mine, that wasn't a status update on Facebook, that wasn't Twittered, that wasn't mentioned on one of my blogs. Something special. Something that could actually be a surprise.

And man, was it a hard secret to keep. I have a big mouth, and this is something that has to do with my mouth, so it was even more difficult to shut up about, so to speak.

Three weeks ago today, I went to see my orthodontist for a ten-minute check-up. He just wanted to see how my teeth were progressing so we could talk about the potential of getting my braces off in the next month or so.

He looked at my teeth and said, "They're perfect. Take them off!"

I looked at him, puzzled. "So, I should make an appointment to get the braces taken off, then?"

He said, "No. Take them off now."

"You mean, right now?" I asked, incredulously.

"Yes."

"But I don't even have my camera with me!" I cried.

I am such a blogger, jeez.

Next thing you know, they're coming at me with pliers and a drill. Two hours later, I was brace-free and grinning ear to ear. I'm sure the grinning had nothing to do with all the painkillers I downed before I'd let them come at me with the pliers and drill.

So, what was the first thing I did with my new metalless mouth? Well, I didn't eat corn on the cob, like I had originally planned, because the lady with the pliers told me that I should wait for my teeth to settle into the bone more - she was worried that eating anything too hard would pull them out of alignment. I couldn't argue with her on that one, because once you've gone through everything that I have, you don't want to take any chances.

I don't remember what I ate, but I do know how awesome it was to brush my teeth for the first time without all that metal in my mouth. It was so...easy. Brushing your teeth is awesome! The brush feels so good against your teeth and gums. I don't know why we don't do it all the time, like for fun:

Imaginary friend in alternate universe where teeth brushing is uber cool: Hey Bella, what do you want to do this weekend? Live music, hanging at the pub, going to a movie?
Bella: Why don't we all get together and brush our teeth?
Imaginary friend: Why didn't I think of that? That's the Best Idea Ever!
Bella: And get this, after we brush, we are totally going to floss!
Imaginary friend: Hooray!!

And flossing! Oh, my, flossing! Why did I ever not floss before? It's practically effortless. Just glide that string between my nicely spaced teeth and I'm done in a few seconds. People who have never had braces don't understand how awesome flossing is. Once you have to maneuver around wires and brackets for a few years, you want to do it all the time when it's easy again.

After all the gratuitous oral hygiene, I did something that I've wanted to do for the past year and a half. I told my boyfriend that I had something important to show him and that he had to come over right away.

Once he walked in the door, I kissed him.

You see, the entire time we've been together, I've had braces, so I didn't know what it was like to kiss him without them. A year and a half is a long time to wait for that kind of thing.

And I must say it was worth the wait. The boyfriend is a very good kisser, even better when he doesn't have to worry about my wires digging into my lips.

As for my other friends, I didn't post my news online because I wanted to show them myself. I thought they would just notice right away, but none of them did. I had to resort to staring at them and grinning like a maniac until their fight or flight instinct kicked their brains into high gear and they exclaimed, "Oh, you got your braces off!"

Yes, yes I did. Thanks for noticing.

Willkommen, Ich bin Bella

As you know, in February, I started this blog to chronicle my jaw surgery. My vision was that it would be a site for people seeking out information about what to expect when they went under the bone saw. I also saw it as a good way for my co-workers, family and friends to see how I was doing while I was at home recovering.

It's a specialized site that I've promoted on the jaw surgery forums I frequent, so it has a small, specific audience. When it began, the blog got an average of 15-30 hits per day. So, when I went to my stats page one day and saw that my site had gotten 599 hits in one day, I was more than a little surprised.

I did some digging to see where all of these new readers were coming from, and the same website popped up for all of them. It appeared to be a forum for people with braces. When I tried to click on the link, it wouldn't let me in without a user name and password. So, I created one, expecting admission to the site would be immediate.

Not so much.

My membership had to be approved by the site administrator first.

Umm...okay.

As I waited for the approval, I watched my stat counter reach more than 500 hits again the next day. What on earth was going on?

When I finally received my Willkommen email (that should have been my first hint), I began clicking around to see what the site was about and why I was suddenly so popular. While nothing on the site is overtly stated, it quickly became clear to me that it isn't a support group for people with braces, as I had assumed by its name.

It is...

what I can only presume to be...

wait for it...

a German orthodontic fetish website.

If you are choking on a retainer or a loose wire right now, I'll give you a moment to regain your composure.

[pause]

Alright then.

The page where my URL is posted is titled, "erwachsene frauen" or "adult women" and all it contains are links and links and links to pictures of women with braces. The pictures aren't dirty or provocative, just photos of unsuspecting women smiling with braces on their teeth, likely lifted from websites, forums and blogs like mine.

If this isn't a fetish site, I don't know what else it could be. Because otherwise, what's the point?

I imagine that part of the thrill is the fact that the women don't know their pictures are being used in this way; they are unknowing participants or even victims of this fetish.

And while part of me is a little disturbed by this development, I do have to note that after my URL were not one, but two exclamation points.

Yup, braces or not, I've still got it.

The funny thing is, the 1,500 alleged German orthodontic fetishists who flooded my site for three days in April actually did me a big favour. After the Germans came, my site traffic jumped from 15-30 hits per day to 75-100 hits per day, and it has stayed that way. My stats tell me these new visitors are the result of legitimate searches for jaw surgery-related terms, not more hits from the same site.

From what I understand, because of the huge spike in hits, Google's crawlers took note of my website and prioritized it in their searches. Now, when people who are looking for information on jaw surgery and recovery, they find my site. So in a weird way, the fetishists helped me help other people going through the same thing.

How thoughtful of them! How am I ever to repay their kindness or thank them for what they have contributed to the jaw surgery community?

I considered taking some pictures of sauerkraut stuck in my arch wires, or maybe a big German sausage against my brackets. But that was too much work. The post-surgery anemia makes me tired, don't you know.

In the end, I decided to devote my final braces colours to my legions of German fans. The bracket ties are bands of black, red and gold - the colours of the German flag. See?

Genießen Sie, meine Freunde.