The Natural Bite

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 receive a lot of comments from readers who give me far too much credit. Am I magical? Is my surgeon a miracle-worker?
Why was my swelling so minimal, and why was my recovery so neat and simple (as opposed to grotesquely bloody and torturous…)?
The answer is far simpler, and less glamorous, than you think.
I’ll even [...]

Having upper jaw surgery? Be prepared to be snottier than a cold-ridden 6-year old. What can you do about it? Read on…

Submitted on 2009/01/31 at 5:32pm
Hey..i just had upper jaw surgery monday the 26th this is the 3rd attempt to close my open bite..and i was wonderin wht can i do to get tht swelling [...]

There have been some really great questions in the Comments section from this blog. Instead of hiding them there, I’m surfacing them (and my responses) for your reading pleasure!
From Kathryn
Submitted on 2009/01/07 at 5:11pm
Hi Susan
You’ve done a wonderful job with this blog. I’m going through the whole jaw reconstruction process just behind you, and I [...]

Last week I was up in Seattle visiting my mom. She, like me, has an underdeveloped upper jaw, giving the impression of a flattened area above the lip and a slight underbite.
My parents are still married, but my dad has been spending much of his time the past few years working on his company in [...]

I commemorated by getting trashed at my company’s holiday party.
Here is a lovely photo of me from that night, trying to hide my braces and smile at the same time.
I also got a sort of drastic haircut a few weeks ago, so the difference in my former look and my present look is, to [...]

My blog posts have been very few and far between these past weeks.
Where have I been, then? Here’s a list:

Working. Work has been somewhat grueling - this is what naturally happens when you combine (1) the end of the year with (2) getting back from being out of the office for four weeks with (3) [...]