The visit to Dr. T’s office was great. I live about 100 miles south of his office, so getting there took some real effort. My dear husband offered to take a half day off to stay at home with our children. This was especially nice for them – the baby really needs her long morning nap and our toddler loved the extra time with her “Papa”.
I was terribly nervous throughout the entire visit. I arrived about 30 minutes early and flipped through the pages of People magazine. This was a terrible idea! My usual magazines are the Economist, National Review, House Beautiful and when I can find it, Southern Accents. I don’t usually read People or US. That day reminded me why. It was difficult to feel confident when it seemed like everyone in the office was examining my teeth. Seeing glamorous stars with perfect everything just made it all worse.
When Dr. T asked me what I wanted to correct, I tried to describe the complex feelings I have about my mouth. His bedside manner was delightful. He asked clarifying questions without prying. Next, he took some photographs of my teeth & jaw profile. We had to take several…it turns out I subconsciously pull my lips over my overbite. My lips don't really meet! I’ ve since read other bloggers who say they do the same things. It’s good to know I am not the only one. A special thanks are in order to all of you who have posted pics of your “before” photos. They have really encouraged me.
After much discussion, Dr. T recommended I have upper and lower surgery. Next, we discussed these two procedures in more detail. He merged my photo with the software – my “new” face stared back at me. When I kinda freaked out about the upper surgery, he said something like, “well, I think we can achieve about 90% of the results with about 60 % of the surgery…doing lower surgery only is okay.” He remarked that as my face ages, my upper lip will cover some of my upper gums. I guess this is good news? So far, my chin is okay. No need to do genio.
The most interesting thing I learned is that my panoramic x-ray revealed my jaw bones had shifted “significantly” in the past few years. It is so good to know what I see in the mirror is not just a figment of my imagination. Maybe my two pregnancies exacerbated the asymmetry? You hear how your pelvis joints relax. I also learned I have arthritis in my jaw. A few other bloggers have mentioned this too. I am eager to learn more about this aspect. Is there something specific that causes this? Does my asymmetric bite create constant friction on my joints or something? Not sure.
I am now waiting to hear back from my insurance company. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences so far. I found Stephanie’s blog especially helpful. Dr. T said my mouth should be ready for surgery in 6-9 months.
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