I have a lot of jaw pain going on, nothing out of the usual.
It just makes me feel like doing nothing all the time.
The headaches, the neck pain, the jaw pain, I just want to stay in bed all day.
Now the weather is changing and I feel less and less motivated to move.
I feel my bite change all the time, somedays my jaws line up better, some days they look like they're in a crossbite. I don't know whats going on but I know that the muscles in my face are sooooo tense right now and it hurts. I love having cold drinks like smoothies and just sitting with it at the side of my cheek because it sort of numbs these muscles and gets rid of the pain for a little bit.
I have a very busy term coming up next year and I am hoping I get a lot of rest when I'm done this term, which will be post Dec 17th.
I have an orthodontist appointment on Dec 7th, which is this coming wednesday, and I hope that I get a surgery date. I just hope that he looks at my teeth and says "yes they are ready!!"
We will see.
I hate waiting!!
I also hate power chains, they get so dirty and collect everything I eat.
I have made it a habit to make a solution of mouthwash and water in my waterpik, and rinse my braces after I brush them to help clean the power chain and brackets, I notice this helps a bit.
I'll update in a couple days when I have my next adjustment. Wish me luck!!
Hi Terra, I'm the same with my bite seemingly changing from day to day. Sometimes all my back teeth seem to meet, and then the next day only a few teeth at the back on one side will be touching! I see from your picture that your midlines don't line up. Do you know if it's your top jaw or bottom that's off centre? My top jaw is slightly off to the right so they will move it to the left slightly. Good luck with your appointment! Hope you get your surgery date!
ReplyDeleteHi Terra, I have an open bite to :( In the summer I have to get my wisdom teeth out and hoping they say I need jaw surgery lol. I had braces like you did when I was a freshman in High School but backed down on surgery because you just can't tell a 14 year old they need JAW SURGERY! But anyways Im excited to see your progress after your surgery! Your blog has really helped me think down the road I might go ahead with jaw surgery to. My teeth are straight but my bite gets worse each day, so weird and I don't know why my bite has shifted so badly. Anyways hope you get a date!
ReplyDeleteHey Terra! You're almost there! Hang in there! I'm sorry to hear you have so much pain. I will be watching your blog to see when you get your surgery date!!
ReplyDeleteTara
@ Sarah: My midlines are off on both the top and bottom, the top is to the right and the bottom is to the left. I haven't really gotten to talk to my surgeon about it but I was told they will probably move both a little to align them. This process is so confusing with the constantly shifting bites lol
ReplyDelete@Jeanette: That sounds a lot like what I had happen to me. After highschool my bite started to change a lot, the last few years have been the worst but I notice that before that my bite stayed pretty closed. You'll have to let me know how it goes for you and if you'll need jaw surgery. I used to be really bothered by the idea of it, but the more I read blogs and looked at peoples results the more ready I felt to commit to it.
@Tara: Thanks so much, I'm so excited for you! Your surgery is sooooo soon :) Can't wait to read all your updates
Hi Terra! Thank you so much for all you have shared on your blog!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if your doctor told you why or how your bite changed so much since high school...my underbite has increased by several millimeters since I was 18 years old (I'm now 21)...people keep telling me that jaws finish growing when the rest of you finishes growing, which for girls is around 16. So now I'm wondering if my bite changes are a result of growth (unlikely, since the rest of me didn't grow), or something else - and wondering if that something else means something bad.
@ MK: Yeah my jaws and their continuing movement has been really weird. I've heard a combination of things.
ReplyDelete-My dentist said I probabky had a growth spurt in my jaws during my late teens or early twenties. He said this does happen.
-I have a tongue thrust, but my poor tongue posture is probably more of a cause. I rest my tongue pushing on my bottom teeth and not at the roof of my mouth which can cause the bones to move over time due to the constant pressure.
-I did have and open bite and underbite prior to my first braces which was compensated for through braces, this probably relapsed.
Hope that helps :)
Ah, that was so helpful!
ReplyDeleteEven though I've had an underbite my whole life despite rigorous orthodontic efforts, I haven't had a doctor to ask these questions to, because my parents haven't been taking my jaw issues seriously - until a few days ago, when they finally agreed to make me an OS consultation appointment when I get home from study abroad, because of my breathing/sinus issues. Still, it's been frustrating watching my jaw continue to move...
As I sit here, I realize that my tongue is pushing against my bottom teeth, too!
Did you start getting frequent ear infections as your jaw moved? I never had a single one as a child, but suddenly I'm getting them all the time - hoping I can use that to make a case for jaw surgery.
Wishing you all the best for getting your surgery date!!!! Hang in there!!!
Sounds like you're going through a lot of the same thing as me. I get a lot of ear pain and ringing in my ears from the jaw issue. Are you getting headaches and neck pain too? You might be damaging your TMJ if your jaws aren't aligning.
ReplyDeleteIt was really hard to get my family to take my jaw issue seriously but they started to listen when i got a new orthodontist and surgeon and they heard for themselves the actual issues I'm having with my jaw. Once you see a surgeon hopefully your parents will get a professionals perspective and realize all the issues associated with jaw alignment.
I found out that my open bite is causing me to grind my molars down and I'm pretty sure my tmj is getting damaged because of the bite alignment, I feel something like bone grinding when I open and close my mouth, so its good to have the situation looked at as young as possible instead of causing damage and fixing it when you're older.
Thanks so much :)
I don't have full-on headaches and neck pain, thank goodness, but lately I often find myself massaging my jaws because they feel tense or sore. Just in the past two months my jaw has started making the occasional pop/crack sound. For a while now, I've had the habit of periodically doing an over-exaggerated yawn to stretch out the muscles in my cheeks.
ReplyDeleteMy symptoms aren't even close to being as bad as what you're describing in your personal experience, but since some of my little issues have developed in the last couple of years, I'm afraid that I might be headed towards worse problems in the future.
Like you said: best to deal with this sooner rather than later! And plus, then we'll have more years of enjoying a healthy jaw and a confident smile! (I've been waiting SO long - my underbite makes it look like I'm not genuinely smiling and happy when I take a picture, and I've had people tell me that I look angry when I'm just sitting in the corner, calmly reading a book!)