I'm back!! Better late than never....right? Again, I'm still working on catching up my blog to meet where I actually am now in the course of my treatment--SO, this information is a little old :) As always, I've linked my video below where you can follow me to my appointments and get updates on how everything is going. Full post below as well!
After getting my TADs installed on the buccal sides of my jawbone, I was told to immediately start wearing elastics connecting the TAD to my lower teeth. The objective of this was to start correcting my underbite by pulling the lower arch backwards. However, it was hardly a day before I started feeling a lot of sensitivity and sharp pain around the area where the TAD was installed. I had stayed away from any hard or sticky foods, and brushed very carefully so I know I didn't 'traumatize' the TAD and shake it loose myself. Initially I brushed it off thinking this was normal and just part of the healing process. However it got to a point where the pain was making me physically uncomfortable, so I reached out to my orthodontist to schedule an emergency appointment.
At the appointment, my orthodontist took a look and saw that one of my TADs indeed had come very loose, so she removed it and reinstalled it a bit higher. This time she drove it in even further so it was super flush with the gums. We were hoping that this time, the TADs would osseo-integrate more successfully. By that, I mean that the screw would nestle into the bone and lock itself in. Also, this time we would wait two weeks before starting the elastics, in order to give my bone some extra time to heal before loading it with weight. My orthodontist explained to me that genetics often plays a big role in bone density and strength - unfortunately it is pretty common for people of my ethnic background (Southeast Asian), to have weaker bone. This means that the TADs are at risk for never becoming as strong an anchor as we hoped. However, I still had faith it would work to a certain extent. After all, my MARPE was secured to the roof of my mouth using TADs as well and they have lasted me 6-7 months already without any trouble! When it comes to orthodontics, especially experimental treatments like mine, you have to be really open to trial and error to find what works for you. Every method is definitely NOT tried and true. You will run into lots and lots of bumps in the road but that's part of the process. These were my last appointment before my MARPE was scheduled to be removed!!! I was really looking forward to having more freedom in my mouth. Stay tuned for that next--there will be a video of the procedure! :)
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