My dreaded gap has finally closed!

I went for my regular adjustment appointment on Monday and as usual I had my power chains replaced.  Now I love it when I get my power chains replaced, mostly because they are fresh and white and everything looks a lot nicer.  Then, this morning when I woke (only two days later) I noticed that the gap in between my front teeth has completely closed.  The fresh power chains had done their job to pull that remaining 0.25mm gap together!

That's a total of 478 days (or 1 year, 3 months and 22 days) from when I stopped expanding on April 8th 2013 to the gap being finally closed.  Phew!  Of course this is still not the end - I still have my big surgery to go, but it's a milestone nonetheless.

Here's a photo of my now gapless smile.

Living with braces - dispelling some myths and my top tips

Braces - those magical things that move your teeth and can sometimes be a complete pain in the butt.  But what is it really like to live with braces?

Before I got my braces I heard all sorts of advice from different people.  Some who had braces themselves many years ago when the technology was not as advanced and others who have braces or know someone who has braces now.  After living with braces for more than a year, I have come to realise that there is a lot of mis-information about them.  So in my own experience, here are the biggest myths about living with braces:

"It's really difficult to eat and you will lose weight"
Oh how I wish this one was true.  Eating can certainly be annoying because of the food constantly getting stuck all around your mouth and there are certain foods to avoid, but I would not say it is difficult.  And unfortunately the weight loss part did not happen for me.

"You cannot eat anything crunchy or chewy"
With braces you do need to be aware of what you eat.  However as long as you are not chewing down on lead pipes, imitating jaws from the James Bond movies or eating raw steaks - you will be fine.  Cut any large or crunchy items such as apples and carrots into small bite size pieces, take your time to chew your food carefully and you will soon figure out what you shouldn't eat and what is just a pain in the ass.

"Wait until you get them tightened - that's really painful"
When I heard this I dreaded my first adjustment appointment.  I imagined that the wires would be wrapped around the brackets tighter and tighter causing me immense pain.  In reality, braces are not actually 'tightened'.  At each appointment (usually every 4-6 weeks depending on your treatment plan) the o-rings are removed allowing your brackets to open, the wire is then removed and usually replaced by a thicker/stronger wire.  While this can be a little uncomfortable, I personally never experienced any pain.

"Don't consume curries, coffee or red wine - you will stain your braces"
As if!  But seriously - this is a complete myth because your braces can not and will not stain.  When you consume these types of food its the o-rings and power chains which discolour, but these are replaced at every adjustment appointment.  Some people find that by using grey coloured o-rings instead of white, they stain less easily.  Personally I like the nice clean look of white/clear o-rings when they are replaced.  And if like me you drink a lot of coffee - use a straw!

My top tips for living with braces

So, there are some myths dispelled.  Now for my top tips on living with braces and how to make the journey as comfortable as possible.

• Follow the advice of your orthodontist and dentist.  This may sound self explanatory but I have constantly read on online forums - 'Well they told me to do this, but I don't think I need to'.  Seriously, they are professionals and know what they are talking about.


• Have a top-notch dental hygiene regime.  I cannot stress how important this is.  When you have braces it is even more difficult to clean and floss, so regular visits to the dentist for cleans are imperative.  I go for a clean every 2-3 months and use my Waterpik at home every day (see below).


• Buy a Waterpik.  This is a device which is also known as a water flosser.  It uses high powered air and water and helps clean between your teeth, between your braces and everywhere in between.  I use this religiously twice a day and it has been one of my greatest investments.


• Get lots of orthodontic wax - and I mean lots.  Braces rub against the inside of your mouth and can cause ulcers and soreness.  Orthodontic wax is a pliable wax which you can use to coat brackets and wires which rub - reducing discomfort greatly.


• Invest in pixsters.  These are mini flossing tools which you can conveniently carry around with you.  Make sure you take them everywhere - especially when dining out as food will collect around your braces very easily.  I usually make a discreet bathroom visit as soon as I have finished eating.


• Be positive!  While braces can sometimes make you dislike your appearance, just remember why you have them and think of the end results.  Positive thinking can go a long way in terms of healing and how you deal with the reactions of others.

That's all for this update and for all you horror movie fans out there, enjoy the related YouTube video below!

It's been too long - here's an update to my journey

A blog is a big commitment and sometimes it can be really easy to think 'I'll update it next week'.  I've been super busy with work, travelling quite a lot for both work and pleasure and I also moved to a new apartment.  Then I realised that almost a year has passed by since my last post.  I am still very much on my journey and the biggest step is yet to come, so I thought I would finally give an update and will commit to keeping this blog up to date.

So what has happened in the last year?  

To start with the expansion device had to stay in my mouth for a good 3-4 months after the braces were on so my jaw could stabilise.  It was a bit awkward having both in my mouth so you can imagine my joy when it was finally removed - I could touch the top of my mouth with my tongue again!

Since then it has been braces all the way - and my face has changed a lot.  I knew that it would take a while to close the huge gap that was between my front teeth - I just didn't realise it would take so long, but now I am really happy to say that the gap has almost closed.  In fact, there is only a 0.25mm gap right now thanks to orthodontic power chains.  You can see the result for yourself in the photo below - needless to say I am extremely happy with the result.  When I used to smile wide, there used to be huge gaps at each side of my upper jaw due to how extremely narrow it was.  Now my teeth are as wide as my smile.

When you look at yourself in the mirror every day you do not always notice the changes.  Looking at my upper jaw here though - it's amazing to see the changes.  And yes, it's another stupid pose!

I mentioned power chains - but what are they?

Well they are definitely not as scary as they sound.  At first when I heard about power chains I expected metal chains to be placed in my mouth and across the braces.  In reality, a power chain is just a plastic set of links similar to the o-rings that hold the brackets closed on your braces.  They go over the top of your regular o-rings and are quite tight, and that tension pulls the teeth together which in turn closes any gaps you may have.  There are different types of power chains and as the gaps get smaller, so do the links between each o-ring on the power chain.  In the image below, you would start with the power chains at the bottom of the image and slowly move to the ones at the top. 

Other results of the braces

Aside from the closing of the gap, the braces have also greatly reduced the over-jet of my front teeth. I didn't expect the result to be so dramatic because reducing the over-jet has in turn reduced the appearance of the overbite.  I still need double jaw surgery to fully correct everything, but I am well on my way to having a functional jaw.

This side profile shows the reduction of the over-jet

Of course the main function of braces is to straighten teeth and while my upper teeth were always nice and straight, my lower teeth were a mess.  I had a fang on each side of my lower jaw and these were not in line with the other teeth - but the braces soon worked their magic and straightened these teeth out.  In fact this only took a couple of months before there was a big change.

And that's it for now!  I will be posting a couple more updates soon on how to live with braces and the next steps in my treatment leading up to surgery.  Until then, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and comment - your support means a lot and your questions are always welcome. 

Tax time and medical expenses

For those of you in Australia and keeping up to date with tax laws, you will know that as of today - 1st July 2013, the Australian government has done away with the net medical expenses tax offset.  The tax offset helped people who spent a large amount of money on medical expenses during the tax year, by providing a rebate of either 20% or 10% over a set threshold - depending on your income.  The offset had been declining over the years, so I guess it was inevitable it would go - however this will affect a lot of people, especially pensioners who spend a lot of money on medical services.

What a lot of people don't know (and I only just found this out myself) is that while as of this year it has been scrapped, if you claimed the offset in the 2012-2013 tax year, you can also claim it in 2013-2014. And if (and only if) you also claim it in 2013-2014, you will be able to claim for one final year in 2014-2015.  This is great news for people like myself who are due to spend another $20-$30K or so.  It won't stop the government further raising the threshold and lowering the rebate, but at least it's something for the next couple of years.

That's it - just a quick post really, but useful information for those who need it.  And remember, if you did claim it in 2012-2013, ensure you continue to keep good track of your medical expenses.

The braces are on!

Hello again bloggerland!

A major event occurred a few weeks ago - I finally got my braces fitted.  Of course I wanted to update my blog straight away, but life has been super busy since then. With a work trip to Melbourne, then my own trip to Melbourne and a busy schedule, I've hardly had enough time to think.  Forgive my tardiness, I will make up for it I promise :)  Long blog post - beware!

So on Monday 27th May I had an appointment with my orthodontist to first remove my palatal/maxillary expander (my torture device) and then have upper and lower ceramic braces fitted (my new torture devices).  Having the expansion device removed was quite an ordeal because the metal bands of the device are glued to the teeth, so there was lots of pulling and quite strenuous physical labour (on the orthodontists part) to remove it from the jaw.  I usually have quite a high threshold for pain, but I must admit I winced a couple of times during the removal.  Now as you know I'm not going to shy away from the gory details in this blog - the smell was awful!  I couldn't believe that something that smelled so bad could be in my mouth.  My orthodontist explained that food gets stuck around the expander and some of it is almost impossible to floss/clean, so the devices are usually smelly once they have been removed.  Lovely.

Now for the braces - and for all the fuss made by many people that I know who have had them, I have to say that getting them fitted was not uncomfortable or painful and I actually almost fell asleep at one point.  Hats off to the amazing orthodontic team at Sydney Smile Specialists.  While I'm here, I may as well give them a plug - if you are looking for an orthodontist in Sydney, I really don't think you could find a more professional, friendly and caring team of people.  You can view their Facebook page by clicking their name above.

The ceramic brackets that will be adhered to my teeth, made by 3M.

The first step in getting the braces on is for the teeth to be prepared.  This involves popping a plastic device into the mouth to stop the lips touching the teeth, giving the teeth a thorough clean and then gluing each bracket to the surface of each tooth.  The majority of the brackets are clear ceramic, while a couple towards the back of my mouth are metal.  Having the lips away from the teeth ensures they are completely dry otherwise the glue will not adhere.

Ready to get the braces on

Once the brackets are on the wires are threaded (kind of) through the brackets.  One wire for the upper jaw and one for the lower jaw.  O-rings are then placed around each bracket (a little uncomfortable) which close the opening of the bracket and hold the wire in place!  Phew!  The wires are very flexible, but also have a tendency to want to retain their shape.  It is these characterises that apply tension to the brackets and so the teeth, and eventually move them into the original shape of the wire.  My orthodontist advised that I have a 'super-cable' on the lower teeth which is a stronger type of wire to move misaligned teeth a little faster.  That's a nice way of saying my lower teeth need a lot of work!

The whole process including the removing of the expansion device and the fitting of the braces took around 1 hour and 30 mins, with the braces taking up about an hour.  Not bad at all really.  And once my braces were fitted I couldn't stop looking at myself in the mirror - I'm so happy to finally have them on.  I was given cleaning and care tips and was on my merry way.

Here I am with my braces on

And you know how I love these beautiful close up shots

Over the next 4-5 days a couple of my lower teeth did get very sore, but I was told this was to be expected.  I took painkillers, ate lots of yoghurt and other soft foods and after a few more days the pain was gone.  Happy days.

One week later I had to visit the orthodontist again because even though I had my expansion device removed, I had to get a new metal arch fitted in the roof of my mouth.  This one is called a Trans-Palatal Arch (TPA) and it is designed to keep the expansion of the jaw stable and to stop the molars moving back inwards.  Yes, it's another metal device in my mouth but much smaller than the expansion device - in fact I hardly notice it's there.

Now to the downside.  Eating.  It's not painful or sore - just very inconvenient.  My upper and lower front teeth have never met, but before the jaw expansion the majority of my side teeth did.  Due to the massive expansion I have now undergone, only a couple of my teeth meet on each side.  This along with the gap in the front teeth (yes I know it will eventually close) and food getting stuck all around my braces make eating rather tiresome.  It's not due to the braces - they are just another obstacle in the way of me doing some serious chow down.  Eventually the braces will rotate my lower teeth outwards to meet my upper teeth, and of course there will be the main surgery next year, so until then it's a waiting game.  And the result will be worth it.

And that's all for now!  Hopefully you are still reading and enjoyed this post.  Feel free to leave me a comment or ask away if you have any questions.

Pass that paper bag

It's been a strange few days.  Last weekend I suddenly became extremely self-conscious and aware of the stares I get in public due to the gap in between my front teeth, and a Facebook post where I vented my frustration prompted an interesting conversation with a very good friend.

Why am I worried about people staring at me, when I have this blog which is showing my jaw (and journey) for all to see?

I thought that was a very good question because my blog if anything, is quite explicit in the descriptions I give and the photographs I share.  To me, it comes down to control and context.  When I post an update to my blog I am putting my face right out there for all to see.  And while I have no control in who reads the blog, the reactions of people who read it are not displayed to me right away.  If someone is reading my blog, they know I am going through surgery and so for my readers, things are put into context.  This is quite different to what happens in public.

When I am out and about in public, people stare.  They can't help it but they just do.  I have had people stare so much that I turn around and they are still looking.  On one occasion the stares have led to all out laughing which was very obviously directed at me.  The issue is this - they do not know I am having jaw surgery, they do not know this is all part of a larger plan and they do not know that I haven't been in a fight and had my teeth knocked out (because after all, I am quite butch).  Of course I don't blame people for looking because unlike my blog there is no context, however after a while the stares make me uncomfortable.  Of course the laughing to me is another matter and just plain rude, and prompted my Facebook frustration.

So there is a bit of an insight into how I am feeling and why stares in public are very different to someone reading my blog!  It has definitely highlighted my coping (or lack of) mechanisms and this is something I will be working on.  On a more positive note, this situation has prompted me to contact my orthodontist who has said they can put some temporary composite (the same material fillings are made from) across my front teeth which will disguise the gap.  It won't look like a tooth, but I won't have a huge gaping hole either so in the short term I can get back to looking fairly normal.

Now all I need to do is wait until the upper braces are fitted and the gap starts to close...

SARME Surgery post-op day 33 - mind the gap!

It's been a few weeks since I posted to my blog, because to be honest nothing much has been happening apart from the gap getting bigger and bigger!  I've become quite self conscious (although not  enough to stop me from posting this) because the wider the gap has become, the more you notice the slant in my jaw.  This has led me to covering my mouth a great deal while out in public and I have become quite sensitive, even dare I say, high maintenance.  Of course I always knew that my jaw had grown downwards at a slant - the gap just exaggrates it greatly and I'm looking more and more like Cletus from The Simpsons.  The slant in my jaw will be fixed up though through a combination of the braces and my jaw re-alignment surgery next year.

The exciting news is that I went to see my orthodontist on Monday and they instructed me to stop turning the expander as the upper jaw has now been widened enough.  So that's a total of 25 days expanding twice a day, and I'm quite glad that stage is over.  While expanding never caused me any pain as such, I did feel a lot of pressure on my jaw after each expansion.  As each expansion was only 12 hours apart - the pressure was almost constant all day, every day.

Anyhow they do not call it a rapid maxillary expansion for nothing, and the photo's below show my expansion progress since my last blog post.

Post-op day eight (six days turning the device)

Post-op day twelve (ten days turning the device)

Post-op day 20 (18 days turning the device)

Post-op day 28 (26 days and the turning has stopped!)

In five weeks time I will be getting my lower braces on - I'm quite looking forward to that.  The upper braces will not be able to go on for a further four weeks though as my upper jaw needs time to heal in the new position.  This does mean the gap will remain for at least nine more weeks until the braces can start closing the gap, and the expansion device will need to remain in my mouth for that length of time, but at least things are moving along.  I still have virtually no feeling in my upper jaw or gums, but now the jaw has started healing the feeling should start to come back.  I have been advised though that it could be a number of months for the feeling to fully return.

Eating is still a chore and while I can eat semi-solid food, I still cannot eat anything too chewy or crunchy.  I've been making up for it with the soft foods though and have been eating so much yoghurt that I've put on a couple of kilos!

As a last note, I had a really strange dream last night (which was partly red wine fuelled) where my front teeth fell out and new ones instantly grew in their place.  I think this highlights the anxiety I have been feeling, but I'm still in good spirits.

Over and out.

SARME surgery post-op day seven - Look at my gap!

It has now been seven days since my SARME surgery and I'm glad to say that everything is going pretty well.

I went to see my Maxillofacial Surgeon for the first time since the procedure and he has commented that my gums are nice and pink and that I look like I am healing fast.  I still have no feeling in my upper teeth and my gums are completely numb, but he has said it can take months for the feeling to come back!  I mentioned to him my concern over one side of my jaw sitting slightly lower than the other, but he assures me this is normal and that it will be fixed up during both orthodontics and my bi-maxillary surgery next year.

I'm really surprised with how quick my upper jaw is widening.  I know I said before that it would widen by 0.25mm with each turn and yes I know it's called a 'rapid' maxillary expansion, but I didn't realise how quickly it would become a large gap.  After four days of turning the gap is extremely noticeable and I am able to do all sorts of tricks with my gap such as whistle or direct a stream of water through it.

Anyway that's all for now - enjoy the photos below and check out my sexy (not) gap!

I'm sexy and I know it

I can almost fit a straw through the middle

SARME surgery post-op day three - I've started turning!

Three days after my SARME surgery and I am still feeling no pain, however I have been extremely exhausted and sleeping loads.

Today I went for an appointment with my orthodontist to start the adjustments/turns on my expansion device.  I freaked out a little inside when he put the mini spanner into my mouth and shook (quite visibly) as he made the very first turn.  I was so convinced that it was going to hurt, but to my surprise it didn't.  My orthodontist gave me instructions on adjusting my expander and within five minutes I was finished.

The SARME surgery on Monday split the jaw bone which allows the upper jaw to move and now by turning the device I am making my upper jaw wider.  This is not a slow process (theres a reason they call it 'rapid' maxillary expansion) as my jaw is widening by 0.25mm with each turn.  After the first turn by the orthodontist I could already notice a gap (however this did not come out in the photo below) so it's reasonable to say that I will be looking like Cletus from The Simpsons in no time.  

That's all for now - just a quick post.  I will update more in the days to come.

How much will it all cost?

When I started enquiring about 'fixing' my jaw I first did a lot of research on pricing.  While the costs have worked out to a little more than I originally expected (well OK around 40% more), I still had a fair idea of what I was letting myself in for.

So for those of you out there who are looking into SARME/SARPE, orthodontics and bi-max surgery - here is the cost for each stage along with a breakdown of what fees make up the total.  All prices are in Australian dollars before any rebates from my private health fund or Medicare.

Stage 1 SARME = $6,250

Surgical fee = $3,000

Teeth removed x 5 = $550 (total)

Day surgery fees = $1,800

Anaesthetist fees = $900

Stage 2 Orthodontics = $10,800

Braces, adjustments and all appointment fees = $10,800 ($3750 initial deposit then $470 per month for 15 months).

While the orthodontics sound expensive this also includes consultations for two years after orthodontic work is completed.

Stage 3 Bi-maxillary (double jaw) surgery = $23,000 (approx.)

Pre-op surgical appointment = $1,500 (approx)
Surgical fees = $17,000

Hospital and anaesthetist fees including 1 night high dependency unit and five night stay total = $4,000 (approx.)

Other fees for x-rays, consults, veneers, cleaning and general dental = $3,000 (approx.)

Grand total for entire treatment = $40,000 (before any rebates)

Expensive?  Well yes it is - but remember these fees are before any health fund or Medicare rebates.  I can expect to receive about $8,000 in total from these rebates.  Then there are the tax refunds on top of that - the Australian government will give 20% back on all medical expenses over $2,200 in any tax year (after rebates from health funds and Medicare).  The cost of these procedures will be spread over two years, but I can still expect to receive another $5,000 or so back, which brings the grand total out of pocket to around $27,000 which is much more manageable.

If you are still reading but unsure of the prices I think its a matter of putting things into perspective.  Some people would not think twice about spending this much money on a brand new car.  Some people will easily spend $10K on an overseas holiday.  This is something that will last me for the rest of my life, so I definitely think it is a wise investment.

Well that's all for now - it's late here in Sydney and time for bed.  If you have any questions feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment.

The journey begins

What is this blog about?  Well, it is an honest account about my face and how I am planning to change it.

I have been unhappy with my smile for a very long time due to having an extremely prominent overbite (13mm), an overjet of my upper teeth, a narrow upper jaw and a gummy smile.  In fact this unhappiness has been with me since I was a very young child and teased for my looks.  I was called everything from 'buck-teeth' to 'goofy' and this has stayed with me throughout my life.  And so I thought rather than wallow in shoulda-woulda-couldas any more, I would do something about it.

If you are reading this blog, chances are you are doing so because we are kindred spirits, you are a family member/friend of mine or you were randomly redirected here while watching videos of cute kittens on YouTube.  Whatever your reason for reading this, I will attempt and explain what some of the issues with my jaw mean:

• Overbite - the official definition of overbite is 'a malocclusion of the teeth in which the front upper incisor and canine teeth project over the lower'.  That's a mouthful in itself (pardon the pun) but in layman's terms - my upper jaw is set much further forward than my lower and the jaws do not meet correctly.
• Overjet - not only is my upper jaw set much more forward than my lower, my upper teeth have also grown out at an angle instead of vertically.  Thank you Mother Nature.
• Narrow jaw - it is simply that, narrow.  When I smile my teeth do not go across the width of my smile as my jaw is too narrow.  Instead you see gaps (aka the Grand Canyon) in each side of my mouth between my jaw and the sides of my mouth.
• Gummy smile - not only did my upper jaw grow much further forward than my lower, it also grew down too much meaning that I show too much gum-line below my upper lip.

It all adds up for a smile that is pretty out of whack, or 'unharmonised' as my Maxillofacial Surgeon much more eloquently puts it.

So finally after years of wishing I had done something about this, I decided to start the ball rolling on my way to facial harmony.  Now this journey actually started about a year ago, but before I could think about moving towards a better face I needed some major restorative dental work.

You see, I had a pretty bad addiction when I was younger.  I was addicted to Coke.  Now before you start calling me a 'crack whore' (I should be so lucky), I am of course talking about Coca-Cola.  I couldn't get enough of the stuff!  Now as a much more mature person I hardly touch sugary drinks, but the damage was done.  Three fillings, two root canals and multiple cleans later, not to mention three teeth that will need to be extracted (ok so it could have been worse) and I am finally on my way.

So why am I starting this blog now?  Well after a move from the west coast of Australia to the east, I have found a great dentist, orthodontist and Maxillofacial Surgeon.  My treatment plan has been put in place, and I signed my first lot of paperwork today!  This treatment plan will be in three main stages (with the first stage in March 2013) and will consist of:

1. SARME (Surgically Assisted Rapid Maxillary Expansion) otherwise known as SARPE where the 'P' stands for 'palatal' instead of 'maxillary'.  This is a surgical procedure where I am put under general anaesthetic, an incision is made through my upper palette (yes it's split in half) and my jaw is widened.  I'll write more about this closer the time, but in the grand scheme of things this is the easiest stage of my treatment plan!
2. Orthodontics - Oh the joy of having braces.  I will have upper and lower braces fitted around 6 months after the SARME surgery which will bring my teeth in and close the gap between my front teeth that the SARME will create, as well as realign some other teeth.
3. Bi-maxillary surgery - this is by far the most major part of the plan and is double jaw surgery where both jaws are broken, various bits of jaw bone are removed, my lower jaw is extended forward and my upper jaw set back.  This surgery will be undertaken around 9 months after the braces go on.  Again, more about this later.

Still reading?  I'm impressed!  Well hopefully by now you are intrigued, impressed, interested or even infatuated.  Let's be honest though, even if you are totally bored and wanting to gouge your eyes out with safety teaspoons (is there such a thing?) to avoid reading any further, I still appreciate you looking.  Can anyone say attention whore? 

Of course you may have gathered by now that I love to talk, or type, or both - but my first blog post is now coming to an end.  

On a serious note, this will be a life changing journey for me (and my bank balance) and I am writing this blog to educate and entertain.  I hope you will follow me on my journey, and feel free to subscribe using the button within the 'Followers' section on the right hand side of the page.  Or simply comment, share and do whatever else with me that you will.

Ciao