Smiling Bella

Jaw surgery articles

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:04:00 +0000

I haven't been writing here as much lately, as I don't have any real updates for you, but I have been doing some writing about jaw surgery over at Braces Info. It's kind of like my Ask Bella feature here at Smiling Bella, but to a wider audience. I thought you might be interested in some of the...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Happy Second Jawiversary!

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:49:00 +0000

Friday was my two-year jawiversary (jaw surgery anniversary date) and today, Valentine's Day, marks two years since I came home from surgery with my jaw wired shut. It's hard to believe, because it feels so long ago, like it never actually happened. A few weeks ago, I was absentmindedly running my...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Website Review: BracesInfo.com

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:26:00 +0000

Please note: this is a sponsored review. I have another new site sponsor, www.bracesinfo.com, (the link is in my sidebar as well); here is a review of the website and how it can be helpful to those of us going through braces and jaw surgery. Heads up: this site has a fair amount of ads, so...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Zip-n-Squeeze Update

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:11:00 +0000

Q: I am getting upper and lower jaw surgery on January 28. I was planning on buying some Zip-n-Squeeze bags to help with eating but after I found this blog I am a little concerned about their customer service and the legitimacy of the company. One, did you need them and two, did you have problems...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Talking after unwiring

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:09:00 +0000

Q: I just had jaw surgery 3 1/2 weeks ago and I'm going to get the wires out next week. I'm pretty concerned with my speech 'cause I'm still in school and I have to practice on my public speaking skills. I know you can't exactly talk perfectly right away or open your mouth but I want to know how...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Website review: BracesReview.com

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:10:00 +0000

Please note: this is a sponsored review. I just got a new sponsor for my blog, a site called www.bracesreview.com (the link is in my sidebar as well.) They asked me to review their site, and I thought it might be useful for my readers if I took a spin and reported on what the site has to offer us...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Navigating jaw surgery: top topics

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Thank you everyone who has written me to say that my site has helped you through your own jaw surgery decisions and experiences. Even though it's been almost two years since my surgery, I still get a fair number of emails and questions from people doing research. I thought I would give you some...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ortho-don't-ist

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:04:00 +0000

Last week, I went to the orthodontist only to find the door locked and a sign saying that all appointments were cancelled due to "sterilization issues." Being involved in animal rescue, I immediately thought this meant my orthodontist was being neutered. He couldn't keep his appointments because...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Zip-N-Squeeze debacle

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Just wanted to warn all the jaw surgery buddies who are having surgery over the next few months that something seems to be up with Zip-N-Squeeze. According to Carrie at The Winnipeg Teeth/Lower Jaw Surgery Transformation, the company has been accepting orders online but hasn't been sending them...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Sleeping after jaw surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Q: I have a question for you that I don't recall any mention of in your blog - How exactly did you manage to sleep through the first few weeks of recovery? I'm reading a lot of comments from people about the necessity of sleeping in an almost upright position. I've been on the hunt for some kind...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Don't count your brackets before they've been removed

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:07:00 +0000

Remember when I said my braces were supposed to come off on August 8? Well, scratch that. One of my brackets came loose before my last appointment and a gap opened up big enough that food was getting impacted in it every time I ate. Fun!! Also, there are some other gaps that need to be closed as...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

One month?

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:32:00 +0000

I went to my orthodontist yesterday and got some good news: the braces will come off on August 8! I'm a bit paranoid about getting them off, as last time they were removed (July 2008), large spaces opened up within a few months, and I had to get them put back on in October. Even though I was...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Mind the gaps

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:33:00 +0000

We're slowly inching toward the day when my braces will come off (again). My orthodontist sent me to a dentist to see if the gaps in between my teeth can be filled, as he is unable to close them this time around. The dentist said that because my teeth seem to be moving around and that the retainer...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Calling all jaw surgery bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:48:00 +0000

I've been updating my links and have realized that many of the people I link to have now gone through the surgery, are moving on with their lives and have stopped blogging. I would like to keep my blogroll as up-to-date as possible, so if you're reading this and you have a blog about your jaw...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Numbness and nerve damage

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Q: During my meeting with the surgeon last week, he warned me about the small possibility of damaging the nerves. I kind of knew the risks that exist with these types of surgeries, but as I sat there listening to him, I really had this overwhelming fear that I will lose feeling on some parts of...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Free at last...kinda

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:21:00 +0000

I went to The Big City to see my surgeon for my one-year post-surgery appointment the other week and he said that my bite looks great and I don't have to go back to him anymore! Yay!! The only reason I would have to go see him is if the screws in my jaw get infected and have to be taken out,...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Happy Jawiversary

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:54:00 +0000

February 12 marked my 12 month jawiversary, one full year after my face was sawed open and screwed and wired together. Wow. It's hard to believe. It feels both like forever ago and like it was just yesterday. Things have finally started settling down for me. I still have the braces on my top teeth...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Medical claims

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 06:47:00 +0000

So, last year was quite the year for medical expenses for me. Fortunately, I do live in Canada, where my surgery and hospital stay were completely covered by our health care system. But that doesn't mean that there weren't major costs associated with this surgery for me. The surgical splint was...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Bite post-surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Q: Hi Bella. I'm having the exact same surgery in a month or so and your blog has helped me so much to prepare myself. Thank you so much for sharing your procedure! I've got a couple of questions (if you don't mind answering). Immediately after surgery, do you have a normal bite? - Do your back...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Fatigue and depression

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Q: I appreciate your discussion of fatigue and depression post surgery, and hope you will continue to raise this concern in your forthcoming blog updates. Depression and fatigue are two matters that I am worried about because I already struggle with these difficulties. I would appreciate learning...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Update on "Changes in appearance"

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:20:00 +0000

There was a strong response from my blog readers on this Ask Bella post a few months ago, so I'm sure you'll be happy to hear this update: Kerry Rose has left a new comment on your post "Ask Bella: Changes in appearance": I just wanted to email an update about this particular post. I am the gal...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

10 months post-surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:24:00 +0000

It's 10 months since my jaw surgery. WTF? In good news, The Jaw Master Grand Pouba of Physiotherapy with Thumbs of Steel has signed off on me, meaning that I don't have to go every week to get my jaw stretched anymore. My range of motion is somewhere between 42-46 mm now (depending on the day),...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

And the heavens opened and there was much rejoicing

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:09:00 +0000

Yesterday, I went on an epic quest in search of the elusive orthodontic wax. I was positive that I had seen it on a particular shelf in a drug store the last time I was there. I went to a different location of the same chain, only to find they didn't carry it. I then drove all the way across town...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Damn you, Four Months Ago Bella!

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:20:00 +0000

One of my new brackets is rubbing against the inside of my upper lip, creating a very raw bump that catches on the metal every time I talk, smile, eat and...do just about everything. Last night, I tore apart my purse, bathroom, bedroom searching for that little magical box of orthodontic wax. The...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]

Ask Bella: Fuzzy teeth

noreply@blogger.com (Bella) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:03:00 +0000

Q: I have having trouble with oral health. Did your mouth feel nasty after your surgery??? My tongue is white and I am trying to drink water but my mouth feels gross. I had surgery on my top jaw and a huge metal splint put in my mouth that has to stay there for six weeks until the next surgery. I...

[More jaw surgery fun over at my blog. Come say 'hi' - I get lonely over there.]