Day 172: Goodbye Braces . . .
Of course, being able to smile without have the reflection of metal also means, somewhat regrettably., that this journey is now at an end. I am almost sad if that doesn't sound too strange. That said, here are a few facts that might be of interest to you (and if not, well, they are to me)
583:
Days since my braces were installed
171:
Days since my jaw surgery
1:
Teeth extracted in the process
18 mm:
Total movement that my lower jaw was moved forward by the surgeon. The average is 5-7mm. 18mm was almost a record for my surgeon who has decades of experience.
12 mm:
Total that my upper jaw was widened by the surgeon.
40 lbs:
Total weight loss since my surgery
1:
Nights I have snored since my surgery (my wife can attest!)
Zero:
Feeling in my chin as a result of surgery
Zero:
Regrets about have the surgery performed . . .
Quite incredible when you think about it really; although 583 days sounds like a long time I can honestly say that time has flown by. Well, perhaps with the exception of the one week following surgery :)
I have spent an inordinate amount of time today looking inside my mouth, looking at my teeth, rubbing my tongue on teeth, practicing my smile in the mirror, and overall feeling a tad happy about how everything has turned out . . .
Within the next week I will add the remaining pictures, add additional content to the FAQ, and add a final Lessons Learned post. I just wanted to get a quick post written letting you know that my braces are finally off!
It has been quite an adventure hasn’t it . . .
