Ever since April of this year, I have been bracing for Winter, when I would have oral surgery. Braces were installed on my teeth in April and the journey began to correct my lower crossbite issue.

I entered into this journey knowing full well that braces would not solve my TMJ issues and that my Oral Surgeon had suggested Double-Jaw surgery; taking a hacksaw to the roof of my mouth to move my upper teeth forward just a bit and then sustain the position with titanium screws. This procedure would leave me with a more perfect “bite” position and a more perfect bite may help lessen my TMJ symptoms, that include chronic pain in the face, neck, & shoulders, and 7-day migraines. It’s also good for yielding a limited ability to open your mouth for food or otherwise.

After doing extensive research and traveling the states looking for a TMJ resolve, I found that there is none. Not even surgery is a fool-proof way to halt the pain associated with involuntary teeth-grinding. Still, I was willing to give it a go, knowing full well there would be an 8-week recovery that includes no solid food for about 4 of those weeks. Which is precisely why I went all in on Halloween and Thanksgiving. I knew Christmas would catch my mouth wired and the pounds melting off, as my body will decide to eat its own fat because my mouth will be pizza deprived.

I’ve had plenty of time to think about surgery. If not in April when they installed my brace, then how about in September when I started to get this lovely underbite? It’s quite noticeable.

A few weeks ago I woke up and didn’t want to have surgery anymore. It just dawned on me that TMJ has a whole host of pains associated with it including 7-day migraine sessions. Why then would I add to my pains the 8-weeks of healing from major a surgery that still may not resolve the TMJ?  Post-Double-Jaw surgery its very common to start having “seasonal pains” where the screws are bolted.  Seasonal pains!? I researched the cons of wearing titanium and I don’t feel the pros outweigh the cons for me. I do not want to add to my pain bank during my sincere effort to lessen it by having surgery. What can be done at this point? I began to wish that I had more teeth on the upper row to override my new protruding underbite. I wished hard.

No manifestation.

I took my ideas to my Orthodontist a week ago and shared my regenerative wish with one of her assistants who replied, “That’s easy to do; to make your top teeth fit slightly over the bottom teeth. But it’s a cosmetic procedure, and not comparable to surgery.” The Orthodontist came in and clarified that by removing two of my molars from the right and left side of my lower teeth would resolve the underbite situation cosmetically but won’t heal me of TMJ.

“NEWS FLASH,” I yelled out! “That’s exactly what my surgeon said:  “Surgery may or may not heal me of the TMJ issue.””

So what’s the difference?” The Orthodontist left the decision completely up to me.

Life is about choices. There will be blood – one way or another, but it doesn’t have to be by hacksaw.

Eureka!

So I had mouth surgery the other day.
I forwent the hacksaw for a two-tooth parlay.

Call me cosmetic, call me simple, but I won’t be crappy.
Not succumbing to titanium screws is what’s making me happy.

Now, I will have to wear these braces for another year.
But at least my skull will be originally intact; ear-to-ear.

Now I just have to do something about all of that Halloween candy and Thanksgiving dressing that I ate.
Good thing I’m feeling Invictus; I can control my calories. I can control my fate.

I’m exercising today. It’s a beautiful morning, I’ll start with brushing my teeth,
I’m Qui
Dealing with TMJ; braces yield fewer migraines and there’ll be no hacksaw for me.

Oui-Oui!!!