Guest guest Posted April 21, 2005 Report Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi M - everyone recovers differently, so it's hard to predict whether you'll feel well enough after 2 weeks or not. I felt well enough after 2 weeks, but my stamina was low and it still is after 3 weeks. I get tired quickly at which point I become more irritable than I already am from all the work in feeding myself and the 24/7 discomfort. You should ask your OS how long you'll need to wear the splint. 2 weeks is short, but it depends on what you're getting done. A lot of people seem to be wearing it for at least 4 weeks, including myself. Talking with a splint is not like talking with clenched teeth - it's more difficult and you're less understood. Plus the saliva keeps working it's way forward when you talk, so you find yourself sucking it back mid-sentence. Talking annoys me, and I get a lot of " what? huh? " which irritates me even more! I'm getting better with pronunciations and clarity after 3 weeks, but it still sounds like I have a huge chunk of plastic in my mouth. That's just my experience though. I do wonder what speaking will be like once the splint is out and I'm faced with a much larger mouth... Yann > > May be A silly question, I need to ask you all that have been through > this. I have been asked to be a guess speaker the date is 2 weeks post > op. Will I be able to do this? Feel well enough? Be understood? I have > been practicing talking with my teeth clenched. > > Any words of wisdom? > > Thanks > " M " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2005 Report Share Posted April 21, 2005 > > > > May be A silly question, I need to ask you all that have been through > > this. I have been asked to be a guess speaker the date is 2 weeks > post > > op. Will I be able to do this? Feel well enough? Be understood? I > have > > been practicing talking with my teeth clenched. > > > > Any words of wisdom? > > > > Thanks > > " M " Yann Thank you for filling me in. I have another question. For easy math if the splint is 1 inch wide how much of that inch is inside your teeth. I know it goes on like a horse shoe fits on a horse. Is is flush on the front side of your teeth. I hope you undersstand my question. " M " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2005 Report Share Posted April 21, 2005 I think I understand your question... Yes, it fits on like a horse shoe on the top teeth. There's also a bar joining the 2 back ends, going across the roof of the mouth. That arch makes consonants such as " k " sound like you're about to spit, even though it's flush with the roof of your mouth. The rest is flush with the tops of your teeth and curls up to cover about 3/4 of the backs of your teeth (covers the back of the front teeth completely though). It doesn't cover the front side of the teeth as much - it goes up to where the braces are cemented, so about halfway. There are also metal hooks near the gumline and the sharp ends of the cut archwire jabbing into your cheeks, which can get in the way when trying to smile. Thankfully wax can save the day. Then of course, you'll likely be wearing elastics either on each side or in the front like in my case which makes it harder to open wide. I hope that made sense Y > > Yann > > Thank you for filling me in. I have another question. For easy math if > the splint is 1 inch wide how much of that inch is inside your teeth. > I know it goes on like a horse shoe fits on a horse. Is is flush on > the front side of your teeth. I hope you undersstand my question. > > " M " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2005 Report Share Posted April 21, 2005 Let me be very FRANK- NO!!! I too practiced talking with clenched teeth and then post op I realized I wasn't just wired shut BUT had a splint in my mouth too!!! This splint will do wonders for making you in comprehensible to people!! The whole time I was wired with a splint 90% of my coworkers smiled and nodded and didn't have a clue what I was saying. Just look at my pics 3 weeks postop. I look like a crazy person with all the swelling and look of suffering. I admit I felt better around week 2 but it was better as in I could get out of bed and maybe wear a bra and pants! Before that I was bed ridden. Sigh...I admit it is different for everyone but the post op awkward swelling is a big adjustment and makes you self conscience as it is. Someone came over 2 weeks post op to bring me a casserole and they were my first visitor...they thought I was someone else I wasn't even recognizable!! Its all funny now but it was miserable then. Take healing time don't jump too far back into things unless you are guest speaking on jaw surgery! I had a hard time saying " credit " to the casier two weeks post op! Jane > > May be A silly question, I need to ask you all that have been through > this. I have been asked to be a guess speaker the date is 2 weeks post > op. Will I be able to do this? Feel well enough? Be understood? I have > been practicing talking with my teeth clenched. > > Any words of wisdom? > > Thanks > " M " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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