(Helpful tip) Went to get orthodontic treatment

Since my eldest was born, I've heard a lot that his face is small. Is it really small? I'm not sure. Because all babies are small. And he grew up well, his teeth started to come in quickly. I thought his permanent teeth would come out fast too, and by third grade, all his permanent teeth had come out. Since then, whenever we went to the dentist, they kept saying we should get braces. They said we need to do orthodontics. I wondered if I should do it because one of his front teeth was slightly behind, but as he grew, his upper teeth moved too far back and his lower front teeth became uneven. I thought about doing it in fourth grade, so I had him checked, but he was still growing, and they said he would need another orthodontic device in middle school, so I just left. It's an orthodontic treatment that isn't necessary if done in middle school, but to have to do it twice over a long period doesn't seem right. So, I watched and, when he was in seventh grade, his teeth moved back a lot again, so we visited a specialized orthodontic clinic. The examination alone took an hour. They took various X-rays, including his face from different angles. After everything, he was tired and was dozing off while I was listening to the explanation next to him, haha.

Doctor, after looking closely at the X-ray you took, you said there is an extra tooth.. What is an extra tooth?? I’ve never heard of it before..

Overcrowding refers to teeth that are excessively formed and considered useless, mainly located inside the gums. I found a tooth perfectly positioned in the philtrum.ㅜㅜ It needs to be removed before orthodontic treatment can begin.. but I was told I can't do it here and should go to a university hospital. When I went to make an appointment at the university hospital, I was told I need to be re-examined.ㅜㅜ After re-examination, I found another one in the cheekbone area. This is dangerous, so it must be removed. I scheduled the surgery for Saturday, December 4th, and was admitted on the 3rd at lunchtime. Since it was during the peak of COVID-19 (when people kept quiet even if they caught it), I took a COVID test and was admitted.

The surgery was scheduled for 9 a.m., but it was a bit delayed. Suddenly, they came in and said to start the surgery, so we were flustered... The operating room was on the same floor. I didn't even think it was next to the patient’s room, but my mother was in the room. They said they would take her after the surgery. It was sudden, so I couldn't properly tell my son that everything was okay and to stay calm, which made me upset. They said it would take about an hour, but it actually took around 1 hour and 40 minutes. It took longer than expected, but I heard the surgery went well.

Seeing my swollen son's face made me feel heartbroken and upset... I wondered if I could discharge him tomorrow... Still, I was very grateful that my son endured it well. After the anesthesia wore off and by evening, he was hungry and eating well. I kept the ice packs given after the surgery on all day, and the swelling gradually subsided. I continued applying cold compresses until the next morning. However, in the early morning, I had placed a thick cotton pad and bandage on his upper lip and philtrum to press firmly, but he said it hurt and was uncomfortable, and he asked if he could take it off, which made him struggle. ㅜㅜ

Even though I told him to take a nap in the morning, he couldn't sleep, so I asked the teacher and had him take a nap. After he took a nap, he slept soundly. After being discharged in the morning and returning home, he couldn't brush his teeth, so I had to rinse his mouth three times. But he has a device in his mouth. This device is a plastic mold made before surgery to replicate the roof of his mouth. Since the palate was incised, it shouldn't be touched, so he needs to keep it in. After eating a quick meal, he needs to rinse his mouth and keep the device in all day, which he finds very uncomfortable. Since it was during the school term, he also had to wear it to school. Additionally, he has to eat porridge for a week, so I had to prepare a lunchbox for him. ㅜㅜ

He ate alone in the classroom. But because of COVID-19, the homeroom teacher told us that masks cannot be removed outside the cafeteria. So I asked where our child would eat, and they said to open the window in the classroom and eat, then close the window. Yes, please do that. I understand because of the COVID-19 situation (two years ago), but I thought the teacher was a bit inflexible. Still, he endured a week well, diligently gargled, and went to get his stitches removed. It hurts to get the stitches removed. It's a prickly pain, but since it's his gums, it was painful. After the stitches were removed, he was happy because he said everything was over.

I patted your buttocks to say you've done well ^^

I was so exhausted from the surgery that I don't want to do any correction work. 😢

It's a waste of money for the test, but my son didn't want to do it, and since an excess tooth was found and removed, that's enough, haha.

Before surgery