September 2012

Day 172: Goodbye Braces . . .

Before I wax lyrical, let me just say that I am now the proud owner of a mouth WITHOUT braces! Yup, you read correctly, my teeth are now freed from their mechanical prison, I no longer have to worry about what foods will get stuck in my braces, I no longer have to position my mouth so as not to rub the wires against the arch wires and hooks, I no longer have to do a whole lot of things. I am free from braces!!!

Of course, being able to smile without have the reflection of metal also means, somewhat regrettably., that this journey is now at an end. I am almost sad if that doesn't sound too strange. That said, here are a few facts that might be of interest to you (and if not, well, they are to me)

  583: Days since my braces were installed
  171: Days since my jaw surgery
  1: Teeth extracted in the process
  18 mm: Total movement that my lower jaw was moved forward by the surgeon. The average is 5-7mm. 18mm was almost a record for my surgeon who has decades of experience.
  12 mm: Total that my upper jaw was widened by the surgeon.
  40 lbs: Total weight loss since my surgery
  1: Nights I have snored since my surgery (my wife can attest!)
  Zero: Feeling in my chin as a result of surgery
  Zero: Regrets about have the surgery performed . . .


Quite incredible when you think about it really; although 583 days sounds like a long time I can honestly say that time has flown by. Well, perhaps with the exception of the one week following surgery :)

I have spent an inordinate amount of time today looking inside my mouth, looking at my teeth, rubbing my tongue on teeth, practicing my smile in the mirror, and overall feeling a tad happy about how everything has turned out . . .

Within the next week I will add the remaining pictures, add additional content to the FAQ, and add a final Lessons Learned post. I just wanted to get a quick post written letting you know that my braces are finally off!

It has been quite an adventure hasn’t it . . .

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