Thanks the warm welcome back. It was nice hearing from some familiar
names.

I don't know how long I'll be braced this time. I don't really care
as long as the braces do what the surgeons and ortho want. I have
about a 5 degree cant on my lower jaw. The arch looks like it is
going down hill from left to right. I also have arthritis in my
right condyle that was probably caused by the jaw injury I got in the
bicycle accident. The braces will adjust my bite so the teeth will
match when they fix the cant. They will also be used to hold my jaw
in place after the surgery.

The surgery may include the replacement of my right condyle. If the
condyle is replaced then the cant will be adjusted with the
prostesis. If the condyle is not replaced I will have standard
orthognathic surgery where the mandible is cut, adjusted, and held
together with plates and screws. Anyway, I think that is what they
are planning to do. Neither procedure comes with a guarantee that my
pain will go away though.

The condyle replacement is a much more complicated surgery so it is
still being considered by my surgeons. For either surgery the braces
will get my teeth properly aligned and ready.

For now an elastic that gently pulls my mandible up and to the left
seems to help. For severe attacks Percodan takes the edge off enough
so I can fall asleep (knock myself out). When I wake up the
attack is over but my jaw muscles are sore. Kind of like when you
are sore after a workout. Fortunatley, I don't get many severe
attacks.

Jack








> Jeez, Jack - three times in braces. Cant say as that i would envy
that
> record! What kind of surgery will you be having? How long will the
> braces be on this time? At least you should know all the ins and
outs
> of having them. Wish you good luck with them! I am going on my 38th
> month with mine. Hoping to be brace free by may.
>
> Mike
>
>
> --- In adultswithbraces@yahoogroups.com, "Jack" <jackkovalski@>
wrote:
> >
> > I joined this group in Jan of 2001, seven months before I got
braces
> > for the second time. I had been in a serious accident and some
of my
> > injuries included a head and jaw injury, along with incomplete
spinal
> > fractures at C6 and L1. My dentist decideded that the best way
to
> > deal with my chronic jaw pain would be to avoid surgery and try
> > orthodontics.
> >
> > I agreed to see an orthodontist because it seemed like a good way
to
> > regain the nice smile I had after my first round of braces were
> > removed in 1963. After a couple of false starts I found myself
in
> > braces again at 52.
> >
> > After almost three years in braces I was finally in retainers and
> > ready to start the next phase of my mouth reconstruction. Health
and
> > insurance issues delayed the next phase of my treatment and
> > eventually my TMJ pain returned with a vengeance.
> >
> > Now 58, I left my orthodontist's office last week in full braces
> > again in preparation for jaw surgery. So, here I am again trying
to
> > get used to braces again and an active member of this group after
> > spending the last couple of years lurking in the background.
> >
> > Most of you have probably never heard of me but I posted most of
the
> > pictures in the photo and files department under the name of
> > steel4jak or steel4jakk. My photo album is called Jax New Pix.
> > The last photo was placed shortly after I got my Hawleys and had
some
> > cosmetic work done.
> >
> > Here I am again...
> >
> > Jack
> >
>