MSE Removal Update: It's not fully removed :(

Of course, there's always a hurdle because I'm so narrow.
This was yesterday 7-13-2020 & the MSE was installed on 7-30-2019.

Per their instructions, I call from the parking lot when I arrive since only so many people are allowed in at a time. I get the OK to come in with a mask on. My just-in-case-I-can't-drive-home-ride has to wait outside and isn't allowed in the lobby.

Everyone is in full surgical scrubs, gowns, cute hat, mask, face shields, etc. There's air purifiers going, sanitizer everywhere, Plexiglas around the desks, I feel safe enough. This is the first time I had to take off my mask in public since March/April when Covid-19 stated. (I will again today at the orthodontists office too, I haven't seen her in 3+ months.)

Doc comes in, takes some photos, I get another scan, she's super impressed. I opened up like an ideal case, my healing is A+, we're all happy let's get this baby out!

I get numbing gel, then a large shot on each side, not as bad as the install shots though. Then I get a few little shots around each side. 10 seconds of pressure total, totally OK, no anxiety attack! (Remember, she cut the sides off in November and she got them so perfectly flush with my palate that I now have 4 little fish hooks in the sides of my palate because the MSE perforated into me. I anticipate bleeding and these areas being the worst part when the actual expander part comes out.)

Anyways, the back 2 screws come out easy peasy. Don't feel a thing. The front 2 are still in -_-
See the pic below. The screws are now angled, to where the sides of my palate are in the way. Her tool was a dental version of a socket wrench and she couldn't engage the screw because my freaking bone is the the way. She tried a few other tools and over a half hour really tried, but we decided to not strip the screws and stop for the day. They pulled up the website for her supplier and found the wrench has an extender; they think this is the answer and once it comes in from California the screws will come right out. She said she's super booked but will call me ASAP and get me done on her lunch the day it comes in.So, hopefully in the next week?

The other option, which I passed on, is that she could cut everything out, including the tops of the screws, and the screw posts can just stay in there forever, which would get gown over. I definitely passed on that because snipping titanium and drilling and sawing and all that in my mouth seems very unpleasant. I woke up half way through the SFOT procedure and remember vague bits of her cutting the sides off and I remember sparks flying. NO THANKS, ORDER THE EXTENDER PLEASE. Getting the shots again is way better than that thought.



Also, she did try a few other tools but they didn't work. One was basically needle nose pliers and they seemed to help for a minute but again, we didn't want to strip the screw heads. Also, the MSE is broken. She thought she could turn it back a few twists but it's a 10 mm MSE and I opened that bad boy 11.8 mm. Hence, I got perf'ed. But, last August/Sept. the ortho told me to keep cranking, that I had 75 turns. She was incorrect. I broke the wrench trying to open this up further and when I went in to the perio for a check in she went NOPE, NO MORE TURNS FOR YOU! You can see the bent middle pieces on either side of the bolt that gets turned her in this picture too.

So, more to come on the MSE removal.
And I will post some before photos with a photo from today so you can see my face and smile comparisons.

Stay Tuned & stay safe!