6 wks post op and about to get splint out....I'm nervous

[Guest guest]

I've been reading and posting a few questions- mainly in the first 3

weeks, now I'm feeling fine, eating lots of different foods but I get

the splint out next Tuesday and I'm getting nervous about what could

happen then.

I had upper/lower surgery but was not wired or banded. After reading

many posts, it seems like quite a few of you have been wired and/or

banded. I'm wondering if my surgeon did not do enough? My surgeon

said my teeth look great, aligned right into the splint and they have

not moved at all as far as a relapse..........but.........I'm worried

about what will happen after they take the splint out. I asked him how

he knows if it's all healed and he said, " well, I just guess!- bones

take about 6 weeks to heal. " He has taken a few xrays -- should I

expect him to take one before they take the splint out?

I go to the orthodontist the next day after the splint comes out. I

guess I'm afraid of what may happen at the orthodontist - like my jaw

will fall apart - or relapse and then may need the surgery again.

For those of you who have already had the splint out - how was it?

Does it hurt? My doc told me they just have to unwire it. I've read a

few cases of people w/relapses but I guess I want to hear some success

stories on the splint coming out. What will it be like as far as

eating? Do you have to ease into biting down? I've sort of tried to

gently bite down, no pain but it feels sort of weird.

any feedback will help me out!

Waiting til Tuesday -

[Guest guest]

I had the same concerns because of the insane alterations he had to

make, so I asked my OS on my splint removal appointment. He said

that the splint has to come off at some point anyway and that 5

weeks (in my case) is already more than the average 2-3 weeks.

Secondly, the reason the splint is there is because there's a lot of

tension trying to pull your bones back to their original place. They

remove the splint when they believe that tension has been

minimized. During surgery, your OS fills new gaps with stripped

bone grafts from other parts of your jaw to help accelerate healing,

so you shouldn't worry about bones moving much after 6 weeks, let

alone suddenly falling apart. By this time, gaps are now filled

with cartilage-like material strong enough to tolerate very light

punches... not that you'd want to test it.

He also told me that things would certainly start moving and

shifting as soon as the splint was off but that it's normal. A bit

of relapse is also normal. In the end, he politely told me to let

the professionals worry about it and to just relax. Easier said

than done of course.

I didn't feel any pain at all when he removed the splint. I've been

without my splint for 3 weeks and have had a bit of relapse in the

width of my upper arch, but the OS didn't seem too concerned.

Braces can fix that as long as it's minimal, so I'm not too worried

about it yet.

You'll likely be allowed to chew on anything when you go home that

day, but whether you'll want to is a different story. It comes down

to weighing pain against your favourite foods.

Yann

> I've been reading and posting a few questions- mainly in the first

3

> weeks, now I'm feeling fine, eating lots of different foods but I

get

> the splint out next Tuesday and I'm getting nervous about what

could

> happen then.

>

> I had upper/lower surgery but was not wired or banded. After

reading

> many posts, it seems like quite a few of you have been wired and/or

> banded. I'm wondering if my surgeon did not do enough? My surgeon

> said my teeth look great, aligned right into the splint and they

have

> not moved at all as far as a relapse..........but.........I'm

worried

> about what will happen after they take the splint out. I asked him

how

> he knows if it's all healed and he said, " well, I just guess!-

bones

> take about 6 weeks to heal. " He has taken a few xrays -- should I

> expect him to take one before they take the splint out?

>

> I go to the orthodontist the next day after the splint comes out.

I

> guess I'm afraid of what may happen at the orthodontist - like my

jaw

> will fall apart - or relapse and then may need the surgery again.

>

> For those of you who have already had the splint out - how was it?

> Does it hurt? My doc told me they just have to unwire it. I've

read a

> few cases of people w/relapses but I guess I want to hear some

success

> stories on the splint coming out. What will it be like as far as

> eating? Do you have to ease into biting down? I've sort of tried to

> gently bite down, no pain but it feels sort of weird.

>

> any feedback will help me out!

>

> Waiting til Tuesday -

>