Dental Part 13
Only this is not a fairytale, its Wilckodontics. Wilcko surgery was May 16, today is August 9 and I am on tray 31 of 38. Below are scans of my original snaggle teeth and approximate progress to date. Remarkable isn’t it?
After tray 38, another scan will be done and new trays prepared to bring a couple of slowpokes into line. My bite (which is key to future dental health) should be corrected sometime in October.
As a reminder Wilcko creates more bone around the root so teeth have room to move. Plus during the 4-5 month period when new bone grafts to old, everything softens up and teeth move very quickly.
Notice the lateral movement in the images below. Lateral movement provides the space needed to straighten crowded teeth thereby avoiding the need to yank a tooth out. That alone is a great reason to do Wilcko.
Plus the collapsed arch is almost fixed. This is important. Did you know they have discovered that a collapsed arch has a direct impact on the quality of your breathing and can cause sleep apnea? It does not take a rocket scientist to realize proper breathing is integral to good health.
OK let’s ask this again, how come most people, including many in the dental profession, are unaware of Wilckodontics?
I love mineral baths and was delighted to discover this journey would include hours of soaking time. The hotel is pleasing, in a gorgeous setting, comfortable and well off the American tourist route so prices are quite moderate.
It is a good thing the wine has a lower alcohol content because happy hour starts at the normal time but dinner is very late, typically already in bed late. The second day I joined a couple of Susan’s friends and Susan for a hair appointment in the nearby small town of Oliveto. We had lunch in a lovely spot and because I was starving and had no idea when my next meal would be, ordered the carne mista without any consideration of how it would actually get into my stomach. 
Friday the bride and groom took the group to a gorgeous winery. I loved every second of this trip including the bus ride with wheels a foot from the cliff. We wine tasted to our hearts content while enjoying stunning views and noshing on cured meats and cheeses. 
I desperately wanted to load my plate but good manners dictated otherwise . We returned to the hotel late afternoon and met on the gorgeous patio for yes more wine and yet another superb sunset. New friends invited me to join them at a nearby seafood restaurant and we arrived at 9:30. The restaurant was empty so I assumed perhaps not everyone eats late but to our amazement the place was full by 10:30.
Maybe I wasn’t so great after all. Worse, she crouched down just before impact. I yelled don’t bend down but it was too late, she came in fast and low. I was propelled into the air, landed flat out leaving my skis exactly where they were. What a great photo that would have been.
So I am attempting to force the tray on my lower teeth and my finger slips and digs into my tender, Frankenstein gums. Yes, the F bomb came out of my mouth, vigorously you might say. It was not my finest moment. Of course I stood in the no longer serene room and apologized to all the young moms.
Soooo, let’s get to the question you have been dying to ask. How do you look after surgery? Not bad at first but the swelling kicked in on Wednesday and peaked Friday. 
Fair warning, these photos do not grasp the extent of the swelling but perhaps this story will paint an accurate picture. Earl was away for the weekend and when he returned on Sunday the swelling was almost gone. 
He duly noted that and then told me that I had looked like an old lady who lost her teeth. Hot.
Peak blackness was Sunday but those babies lingered through the following weekend. Come up with a good story. People either stare or ask. I like the “askers”. What I needed was some black lipstick to complete the look but alas my black lipstick was in Key West where such things are needed.
braces/invisalign by more than half. The first selfie above was the day after surgery, the second was 3 days after and the selfie with the zombie base makeup was at 6 days. And for comparison, the nonselfie photo was taken just before all this started. My vanity demanded inclusion of a normal photo.
I soon discovered that my teeth had been weaponized. The attachments on the lower front teeth ate holes in the inside of my lip while I was engaged in some much needed retail therapy. As soon as I got home, I rushed to put the trays in but the damage had been done and now the edge of the tray was having its way in the same area. I should have called the orthodontist for suggestions but instead made the first of many trips to the dental and first aid aisle trying one thing after the other to alleviate the pain. I ended up tearing off a bit of napkin and shoving it in there at dinner and it was blessed relief. I didn’t even care that I looked like I had a chew in. 
It would be a lie to say the first few days were easy. They were unpleasant at best but everything turned around by day 4 and I struck an uneasy alliance with the trays. By the day before surgery, the inside of my lip was healed and the trays were easy to put in and out. Good thing too because no dental wax was allowed after surgery…
To begin, the orthodontist completed a 3D scan of my teeth. Invisalign uses this scan to produce clear plastic aligners or trays which when worn sequentially will shift the teeth into the proper position. For me, 41 trays were produced. Consider this process a real life flipbook. 
s of food get stuck in them. Really attractive. And let’s not forget cavities.
Earl calls it “the press”. It is a relentless cascade of questions designed to skillfully penetrate or as the case may be, ruthlessly jackhammer through the chaff to uncover the truth or essence of a thing. Once found, the big picture and the way forward magically appear. Like all magic however, it can be used for ill-advised purposes such as searching for the answer I want. After initial research on the pros and cons of orthodontics at my age, I figured my dentist was an idiot. Hmmm.
A friend from the gym is the root canal guy of Annapolis and when I suggested I needed a new dentist, he recommended another local with a great reputation. The sign on the door said she was a Prosthodontist. I had absolutely no idea what that meant but visions of excruciating pain and suffering bubbled up.
And guess what, it is impossible to have a good bite with snaggle teeth. I don’t care how many times the dentist has me smash that blue paper between my teeth and he grinds away some offensive spot, the bite is wrong. For me, the term is subclinical periodontal disease. Everything looks fine on the surface but when you open the closet door, things start tumbling out.
Happily the path forward has been revealed. I am taking it. Invisalign and Wilkodonics may not have been the answer I wanted but they are the comprehensive solution I needed. The money has been paid, appointments confirmed and frankly, anxiety sky high. Next step is kicking off the Invisalign process…