The Natural Bite

I took these pictures while I was riding the Caltrain using the Photobooth application on my Mac a few weeks ago. It’s been almost 9 months since my upper jaw advancement surgery, and I think I look a lot more like I used to look - except that I have perfect teeth and no puffy [...]

I want to feature your stories about jaw surgery!

Lots of people have different stories, and your narratives can be of immense help to others who are just beginning this process.
If you’d like to share your unique story of jaw surgery and recovery with other readers going through (or interested in) the same thing, please leave [...]

I recently received this comment from a reader:

Everyone’s situation is going to be custom. That said, there are a few things you can do to increase the likelihood that your insurance company will provide maximum.
What to Know About Insurance Companies (and How To Deal)

1. The person who answers the phone at the call center most [...]

For the past week and a half, I’ve been visiting Seattle, the city where I grew up and where my mom still lives.
Though it’s the biggest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest outside of Vancouver, BC, it sure feels like a small town.
In my short stay, as during all my previous visits, I’ve bumped into [...]

My video overview of my decision to undergo adult braces and jaw surgery over the past year:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPF-1hdoqz8&hl=en&fs=1]

Susan Got Her Braces Off!, originally uploaded by susanfsu.
I got my braces off TODAY!
It’s been a long process of research, decision-making, insurance, braces, jaw surgery, recovery, and still more braces.
Throughout, the braces were always the hardest part. They were so visible, so constant, and so physically annoying.
BUT… IT WAS SO WORTH IT.
Hooray!!

4.5 Months Post Jaw Surgery - Face, originally uploaded by susanfsu.
And here I am! No smile, so you can see the general structure of my face… no more swelling whatsoever, and a much more narrow lower face overall (eg, no chronic swelling / TMJ from chewing!).
For comparison, remember this photo of me from 3 weeks [...]

4.5 Months Post Jaw Surgery - Teeth, originally uploaded by susanfsu.
Can you tell my teeth are rubber-banded shut?
They are! Completely.

Rubber bands on every tooth, originally uploaded by susanfsu.
For the second-to-last week of braces hell, I’m supposed to wear rubber bands hooked onto every tooth, thus closing my jaw together.
This helps top and bottom teeth to ’seat’ together perfectly.
Though VERY inconvenient, ugly, and painful, I noticed an improvement in the fit of my teeth by [...]

I mentioned in my last post that that my wires would be ’sectioned’ as part of the end of braces.
This means that the back sections of my wires were clipped and taken off of the brackets (and removed from my mouth). What’s remaining is the section of wire attached to my top four teeth, and [...]