Anyone ever have oral surgery?

[x-g.o.p.er]

I have the first of two procedures March 12. They're surgically removing my upper palate, cutting it in two, and then re-attaching it. I already have the palate expander in my mouth to make sure it fits correctly (so whenever I talk I sound like a moron). The palate expander will move my upper teeth out, and then when they are set, they'll do the other procedure, which will surgically break my jaw and reset it to align my teeth.

Anyone else ever have this done, and what the hell can I expect? The doctor has explained it to me, but I'm letting my imagination run wild. Anyone with firsthand experience/knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

[Another Bill C.]

1. Ohmigawsh!

I've had oral surgery but nothing this complicated. Good luck.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

2. ive had a similar thing done

except mine was a one-time surgery. your face is sore for a while, and quite swollen. but boy does the alignment help - especially because the new fit allows you to relax your jaw in ways you never thought possible - to say nothing of being able to chew more comfortably. i've had a friend get a similar thing done as well (though i think she had both the upper and lower worked on), and she says the same thing. it does wonders for the old smile, too. the actual surgery was nothing - unless your adverse to being anesthetized - and awaking was nothing - unless your adverse to massive amounts of painkilling drugs (morphine, anyone?). Of course its kind of tramautic first looking at your face and it appears to have been hit by a mack truck. but the initial swelling goes away I'd say in a month, then theres another 2 or three months before the residual swelling and soreness subside. You have nothing to worry about, though. All of it is well worth it. Good luck. I can't think of any downsides, really, except the recovery period.

[x-g.o.p.er]

3. Thanks for the encouraging words...one more question..

how long was the palate expander in, and di you ever speak normally while you had it, or did you just accept the fact that you sounded like a goof ball? Thanks!!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

7. uh

i didn't have a palate extender. this is probably just the difference of the gap they have to make up for. sorry, i don't know about the palate extender.

[radwriter0555]

4. I think copious amounts of really really good pain medcation will

be in order following, for a day or so.

Sounds rough, but the outcome will be fantastic, I'm sure.

[afraid_of_the_dark]

5. Didn't have the oral surgery, but I had the palate extender.

It was either that, or pull a bunch of permanent teeth to make room for the rest of them! Hurt like crazy, especially when I had to crank it wider (up to 2x/day). After about a week of that, I had such a big gap between my two front teeth, I looked like Madonna. I couldn't eat much of anything, because my mouth was so sore and all of my teeth were loose... and everything I did eat got stuck between the palate extender and the roof of my mouth. But after all that, and the braces to realign everything, I am happy with the results. Especially now that I can eat apples again. :)

[Chovexani]

6. I did but nothing like that

Yowza! I only had four teeth removed (two on the top and two on the bottom) before I got braces, because my mouth was too crowded. I was dosed to the eyeballs with painkillers and was knocked the hell out for the procedure. Doc stuck a needle in my arm and then I remember waking up in a nice, dimly lit room with my mouth stuffed full of cotton.

No pain or anything afterwards, except watching all the mouth- watering food commercials on tv. :(