Hey guys,
I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for about a week now, but I just haven’t gotten around to it—until now.
For those of you who don’t know what I’ve been through over the past few years, here’s a quick summary. I was born with a severe underbite, but it never really affected me much, so we didn’t do anything about it at the time. When I was around 15 or 16, I got braces because my teeth were coming in all different directions.
We were always told that I would eventually need jaw surgery to correct my bite. However, after about a year with braces, my underbite seemed to be gone. My teeth were straight, everything looked good, and we thought that was the end of it… but we were wrong.
Not long after, I started experiencing severe jaw pain. It became difficult to eat, sleep, and function normally because I was constantly sore. We went from doctor to doctor—dentists, a GP, a chiropractor, physio, even laser therapy—but nothing worked. Most of them diagnosed me with TMJ and said surgery was the only real solution, which we wanted to avoid unless absolutely necessary.
Eventually, my neurologist suggested Botox injections as a muscle relaxant. I had them every few months, and while they helped for a while, they weren’t a permanent solution.
Things finally started to change when my parents took me to a specialist dentist. He diagnosed me with Myofascial Pain Dysfunction Syndrome, which was more complex than TMJ. From there, I was referred to an orthodontist, and that’s when the real journey began.
I had to get braces again—this time to properly position my teeth in preparation for surgery. Every two weeks, I went in for adjustments and changes to my elastics. It was a long and demanding process, but it was all leading to something important.
In October last year, I was finally told I was ready for surgery. After meeting with the surgeon and understanding the procedure, we set the date: 30 October.
After the operation, I spent two days in high care for pain management and monitoring. Recovery was honestly one of the toughest things I’ve ever been through. The pain was on a level I didn’t even know existed. My parents took turns sleeping in my room because I struggled to get through the nights.
At first, I had to eat using a syringe because I couldn’t open my mouth wide enough for a spoon, and my jaw muscles weren’t strong enough to use a straw. When I could finally use a spoon, I had to relearn how to chew—it felt like my jaw had completely forgotten how to work. It was incredibly challenging.
But slowly, things improved. After just under two months, I was able to return to dancing and padel, and life started to feel normal again.
Then, on 22 April at 11am, I finally got my braces removed. I was nervous going into the appointment, worried they might say I needed more time—but they didn’t. My orthodontist said everything looked “textbook perfect,” and just like that, it was over.
After everything—the pain, the appointments, the uncertainty—I had finally reached the end of my journey.
I’m so incredibly grateful to all the Dentists, Doctors, Nurses, and my Surgeon all of whom supported me through this life-changing experience. It was a long road, but I can now say I’m completely pain-free. It was all worth it.
This journey has shaped me in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve grown so much, and I now know I’m stronger than I ever realized.
I hope you enjoyed reading this.
Bye xx
Kelly's Daily Blog 