Re: Surgery update and hooks

[Guest guest]

Well, I think they're used during the operation so that the OS can

use them to align your jaws correctly when you are knocked out.

My hooks are currently being used for my bands (I am 1 week post op)

but the ortho is going to remove the hooks in a week or so.

> > >

> > > Hi all! I've been trying Trying TRYING to keep up with the e-

> > mails - which I get in digest - but this group is SO active!!!

> > That's awesome, but now I'm behind... behind in school, because I

> > couldn't stop reading my e-mails, behind in e-mails, because I

> > realized I needed to get my butt in gear at school.... LOL

> > >

> > > Anywho, today I received my copy of the pre-auth request my OS

> sent

> > in to insurance. *GASP* I am to have a Leforte 2-piece, on an

> > OUTPATIENT basis. Is this normal? Is this right? Not only

that,

> he

> > informed them that my recovery period would be one week. Um,

> somehow

> > I'm not so comfortable with that. Now, mind you, I have seen him

> for

> > a total of ONCE, for maybe 15 minutes. All his records came

> straight

> > from my OD's office so I wouldn't have to waste time or money

> getting

> > them done again. God love my OD, he went ahead with braces the

> > following week on good faith of my report back to him, because as

> of

> > yesterday - one MONTH later - he still has not heard hide nor

hair

> > from my OS. I go back to my OD Monday for my first adjustment

and

> > rubber bands, and my teeth STILL hurt from day 1. I can't

believe

> > how much things have moved already, though! My front teeth have

> been

> > loose and very sore since last weekend, when my dog bashed me in

> the

> > face with his big head! I can't go back to

> > > school and do clinical rotations one week after surgery... if

> it's

> > not another dog's head, it could be a horse's or a cow's!

> > >

> > > So, another question - everyone here is mentioning hooks. Can

> you

> > describe them to me, or better yet, post a picture of said

surgery

> > hooks? The reason I ask is I have hooks on pretty much ALL of

my

> > brackets except incisors, and those have funky things on the

> inside.

> > I don't know if my OD went ahead and put hooks on already, or if

> > those are just " little " ones for the rubber bands. I have

already

> > managed to impale myself numerous times on these little guys -

> heaven

> > help me if I have to get anything larger!

> > >

> > > I'm really stressing out over the lack of communication /

> > information my OS has provided. He wasn't the first choice of my

> OD,

> > but he's the only one that has experience with and can accept my

> > student health insurance, so changing OS's isn't really an

> option. I

> > already have a laundry list of questions for the next time I see

> him,

> > which he said isn't until my teeth are all completely straight!

> > >

> > > ok, enough babbling for now... I need to study, then hopefully

> I

> > can get to the next chapter of my " E-Book " - the one where Jane

> gets

> > her splint off! I hope everything is going well!

> > >

> > > Kate

> > >

> > >

> > >

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > > Katrina M. Hissam

> > > OSU College of Veterinary Medicine

> > > Class of 2007

> > >

> > > ~my karma ran over my dogma

> > > __________________________________________________

> > >

[Guest guest]

Tak,

well, you have just described to a " T " the little thingys attached to - count

them - 16 of my brackets. That's not including the hook-like jobbers on the

insides of my lower incisors. My tongue is one solid callous, and my lips and

cheeks are getting there! I seriously did puncture the inside of my right cheek

early on, and the hook got stuck inside! I ended up ripping it out before I was

able to get to the mirror to see exactly what happened! Ow.

, I did actually get to those e-mails where you had explained what

happened! That's an awful nightmare! I know this sounds horrible, but my OS

gave me a very mild case of the heeby-jeebies. It was more of a personal

feeling that a professional one, but needless to say I am less than impressed

with the lack of communication thus far and his blase' attitude about the

procedure. He all but boasted of his latest accomplishments of being able to

get his patients in and out in one day. I am, however, one of those

high-maintenance people, so maybe I'm expecting too much! I just know that when

I had my tonsils out, they kept me in the hospital for 3 days because I have a

clotting disorder they wanted to keep an eye on. He's not so concerned about

that, either... but then again, I'm so used to the vonWillebrand's issue by now

that I tend to brush it off, too... until I cut myself shaving or get stressed,

that is!

thanks!

Kate

>

Hi Kate:

I had the same problem with my first 0S...He did not communicate with

the OD or me. He accepted my insurance which was why I went with him

in the first place. After 4 months of no communication I ended up

switching surgeons. There has to be an open line of communication

between the OS and OD for this surgery. It ended up that he wrote me

a letter stating that with my dental history he felt that the surgery

was to complex for him to handle. It would of been nice if he would

of said this in the first place instead of wasting 4 months of my

time. Anyway, I hope that the line of communication improves and you

don't go through what I did.

I can't help you as far as the hooks go because mine will be put on

May 12th. The OD told me that the are tiny little hooks attached to

the surgical wires and are used to hold the jaw in place after

surgery with bands or wires. Hopefully someone who has experience

with this can describe them in better detail.

Best of Luck,

From: TK_Family

Subject: Re: Surgery update and hooks

Hi Kate,

The hooks are usually soldered onto your wires about 2 weeks pre-op.

They're pretty small, and not really noticeable by other people. I

thought that they would be bad, but they're fine. To describe them,

they are like 2mm bits of wire, with a small round ball to prevent

them scratching your mouth. When you first get them in, it will feel

as though you have food stuck in your teeth, but you get used to it.

Tak

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katrina M. Hissam

OSU College of Veterinary Medicine

Class of 2007

~my karma ran over my dogma

__________________________________________________