The Z Team

As I finished my post last night, I realized there is so much I want to talk about or a lot I want to tell.  There are two long posts just about the history behind why I am doing this, but I guess when there is 24 years of history even two long posts may not even do it justice.  Anywhoodle...

So, like I said, I was finally at a point in my life where I am ready for this...mentally, physically, financially.  In September of 2012, I went to Dr. Sink's office for my regular 6 month cleaning and check up.  (Have I mentioned how much I love Dr. Sink?  He's been my dentist practically all of my life, with the exception of the 4 years I lived in Atlanta.  Even though I live an hour away, I still drive to Clinton to see him.)  Every time I go for an appointment, he checks my bite and this time was no different.  For a while we didn't really talk about the surgery because after that last stint, everyone pretty much thought that ship had sailed and I wasn't going to do it.  But the thoughts of the surgery never really left my mind, so I brought it up.  Dr. Sink talked about the process:  Get braces (again), surgery, post surgery bands and healing, remove braces.  He also mentioned how far technology had come in the past eleven years and that if this was something I wanted to pursue, Dr. Timothy Turvey of UNC - Chapel Hill would probably be the one to do it.  However, I first needed to see an orthodontist to really kick start this process.

Choosing an orthodontist really wasn't that difficult of a decision for me.  It's not like this was my first rodeo.  I could try someone different or I go back to Dr. Henry's office (I've learned that Henry Zaytoun Sr. is THE Dr. Zaytoun.  Henry Zaytoun Jr. is Dr. Henry.  Don't get them confused.). 

Dr. Henry:

Dr. Zaytoun:

Dr. Henry was my orthodontist during my 2001-2003 stint with braces.  He knows my case, he knows my teeth, and he knows my apprehensions.  It really was a no brainer.  Plus, he is super nice.  All of his staff are super nice.  And oddly enough a lot of people I know go to that office (though most of them see Dr. Mary Paula, Dr. Henry's sister.  Wow...a family full of orthodontists.  Interesting, right?).



Even though I knew exactly who would be my orthodontist, I didn't make that call right away.  I deliberated more, and then something...clicked.  I called Dr. Henry's office immediately and set up an appointment for a consultation.

Where to begin - Part 2

Here I sit in 2013, with braces...again.  Why again, you ask; well, allow me to tell you.  I think everyone has that one thing about their appearance that they just HATE.  I have a few, but my smile is kind of at the top of my list.  As I mentioned yesterday I have a bulldog smile -- see for yourself:

Aren't I lovely?  Look at that mug!  Haha, I kid!  Is it weird that I found this picture on a website for braces?  I think so.

In all seriousness, I do have a bulldog smile:

Please excuse the hair and rather tragic appearance...this is from my trip to Africa (July 2012) and it was the first day...and it was hot...and I wasn't about to dry my hair or really care that much of what I looked like.  But I digress...If you look closely at my smile, you will see how my front teeth sit behind my bottom and I.  Hate.  It.

I realize having a "unique" smile is a very vain reason to put yourself through the torture and agony of jaw surgery (or maxillofacial surgery, if you want to get technical), but it was/is one of the driving factors.  However, it isn't the only factor.

My top jaw, in actuality, isn't that much shorter than my bottom.  In fact, it may only be 1/100th of an inch shorter.  You wouldn't think this would cause a lot of problems, but it does.  It has become second nature to me so I don't really notice it, but I force my front teeth to sit behind my bottom teeth.  It's the only way teeth other than the two front top and bottom touch, and is the only way I am able to chew (which may not be a bad thing.  I could stand to lose a few L Bs).

While this forcing of my teeth to close together is essential to my life it also causes:

(1)  My top and bottom front teeth graze each other every time I close my teeth together.  This is wearing the enamel down and if not stopped I will require false teeth.
(2)  My jaw joints are under some serious pressure causing terrible headaches and the potential for TMJ.
(3)  I can't bite all the way through things.  Eating a sandwich in front of people is rather embarrassing.  Close your eyes (just do it), imagine your top teeth behind your bottom and then imagine yourself biting into a sandwich...see what I mean?

With all this going on, I've been asked why I didn't go through with this before, and the answer is quite simple:  it wasn't the right time.  After getting my second set of braces off, I didn't want to set foot in my orthodontist's office for a while (no offence Dr. Z!), I had just graduated college and was poor, and I was scared.  But over the course of the last eleven years, things started to change; I changed.  I found a pretty stable, "adult" job with great insurance.  I am still scared, but my "want" and my "need" out weighs the fear.  Technology has come a very long way too.  Right now I am being told that only my top jaw will have to be broken, which is a gajillion times better than both.  And they don't wire you shut anymore.  They place these pretty tight bands on your braces to keep things together while you heal.  And last but certainly not least, I am ready and it's the right time.

Where do I begin... Part 1

I've been toying around with the idea of starting a blog about my jaw surgery for a while (it seems to be a popular thing among us so *lucky* to go through this).  I've never been one to really write much and I wasn't really sure if my surgery would be approved so I just didn't do it.  Well, today all of that changed... 

But first, I feel like I need to back this bus up.  My story starts in 1989 -- so I guess we are backing this bus waaaaaaaaaay up.  I start here because I was 8 years old when I was *blessed* with my first set of braces.  I don't remember much from back then...it was a long time ago (yes, I am old-ish as compared to some of you young folk traipsing around out there).  But I do remember a few other people I knew had braces or some form.  My older sister had one of those palate expanders.  I thought she was pretty cool (still do) and anything to be like her was A-ok in my book.  So, much to almost everyone's surprise I was pretty excited to get braces.  I don't remember what my teeth looked like before those braces nor do I really remember what they looked like after, but obviously something wasn't quite right.  

Let's drive this bus to 2001.  By this time I was 20 and finally reached a point where I wasn't growing any more (thank goodness...being 6ft tall is hard on a girl, but only when I go shopping for pants).  My bite was horrendous so my parents and dentist (shout out to Dr. Robert Sink, DDS) decided it was time for me to try this braces thing out again.   I was in college at North Carolina State University (go WOLFPACK!) and not terribly excited about getting braces for a 2nd time....alas.

After having this set of braces on for about a year, year and a half, my orthodontist (Dr. Henry Zaytoun, Jr.) thought I should see an oral surgeon because I have an under bite that braces would never correct.  My consultation with the oral surgeon was pretty grim:  Break both jaws, be wired shut for 6+ weeks, lose feeling in my face, and on top of all that insurance would consider this cosmetic and not cover a dime.

My Mom decided that this was not a process she wanted to go through, so I finished up my orthodontic treatment and kept my bulldog smile for the next 11 years.  This brings us to present day...but I've had enough writing and I am sure you've had enough reading (if you've made it this far...not sure I would have).  The EPIC saga will continue tomorrow...