Are 24 hour repositioning splints good or bad?
When you have a TMJ disorder that is due to an internal derangement (the most common type), you must wear the repositioning splint 24/7 so ignore what you have read. Think of the TMJ splint as a cast for a broken jaw. Unless the cast is worn 24/7, healing will not take place. The splint will change your bite but that's the whole point - your bite is not good to begin with because your lower jaw is too far back. The changed bite will be closer to where the final or corrected bite will be after your TMJ treatment anyway. In order to correct your TMJ disorder, the bite MUST be changed and this change is usually an increased vertical dimension (bite opening) and advancement of the mandible. Braces must be used to make sure the proper tooth to tooth relationships are re-established after these changes have been made. And YES, TMJ treatment is expensive. The repositioning splint only stabilizes the articular disk by stopping it from dislocating and will only work when it is worn (this is why 24/7 wear is necessary). The splint will not correct or fix anything permanently. That will be done during Phase 2 treatment which will involve functional appliances and braces. Phase 2 is the permanent correction part of treatment. Splint therapy is a Phase 1 treatment and consists of reversible procedures, meaning that when the splint is not worn, you will be back to Square 1. Dentists who do not know how to treat TMJ and try to do so by having their patients only wear a splint will find that after several months of 24/7 wear, the back teeth will not come together anymore. I think this is the "make the bite worse" part of your post. However, this is perfectly normal and is a good sign because it denotes healing and a lower jaw moving to where it wants to be. Seeing this often scares the pants off of dentists who do not know how to treat TMJ but everything will work out in the end and the teeth, bite, and lower jaw will all be made right so that splint wear will no longer be needed. A dentist with a functional orthodontic background will be the best one to handle this.
My cat just got neutered today and he keeps taking off his cone. The vet is closed for the night. What is the best thing to do?
If your cat just got neutered, hopefully he still a little groggy. You can replace the cone, tighten it a little better so that it cannot come off. Or you can simply place them in a small dog carrier or large cat crate and keep them restricted and confined for the night. I seldom send cats home with cones on routine castrations. If your cat was cryptorchid (meaning it had one retained testicle) it may have an abdominal incision as well as a scrotal incision. If this is the case I highly recommend putting the cone back on. If this is not possible, I recommend keeping your cat can find. If you do not have a dog crate that will fit a small litter box some food and water then I recommend restraining it to a bathroom or small laundry room, something that doesn't have a place to jump, escape outside or hide where you cannot get him. Usually males are back to normal in just a day or so. And generally cats don't need cones as often as dogs do.Good luck, there are generally no sutures for cats after castration, unless like I said he was a cryptorchid. Good luck with your kitty!
How long does it take a cat to recover from anaesthesia?
Depends on the cat, depends on the type of anesthesia used. The two most widely used gas anesthesias are isoflurane and sevoflurane. If only a gas anesthesia is used then most cats can be up and around with no lasting effects within an hour (and most significantly less than an hour). There are injectable anesthetics, one of them is domitor that is reversed with another injection. This one made my cat a little 'off' for the rest of the day but he was fully recovered within 5 hours. There are some analgesic properties of domitor as well which may be part of the reason my cat was a little off for so long. There are others like telazol or xylazine or ketamine that are often used in conjunction with gas anesthesia to provide more comprehensive sedation and pain relief. Depending on the cat they are usually recovered by the evening of their anesthetic experience but I have known cats that take 48 hours and one I can think of off the top of my head took about 72 hours to be totally back to normal. Sometimes separate pain meds are also used (buprenorphine is one) which can affect how long it takes to recover. There are things like subcutaneous or IV fluids that can help flush anesthetics out of the system faster (also keeping the cat hydrated!). If a cat is not fully recovered in the 48-60 hour mark after the anesthetic I would be a little concerned and be calling the vet back to ask what the next steps are.
How long is the recovery time after wisdom teeth removal?
After wisdom teeth removal there will be some bleeding and discomfort. Do not dislodge the blood clot or irritate your traumatized gums while they are healing. Stay away from solid foods, hot beverages, coffee, soda and alcohol for several days after wisdom tooth extraction. Don’t even brush your teeth on the first day following surgery. Wisdom teeth recovery time can vary from three days to a whole week. It is determinant on how the teeth erupted and the severity of the impaction.Wisdom teeth recoveryThere are a few steps you can take to help make recovery time less miserable. Relax and rest for several days. Most of the time patients can get back to their normal routines by the next day following wisdom tooth extraction. However, it is best to avoid any activities that may force the blood clot to dislodge. This clot develops in the areas where teeth are removed. Pain can be managed with non-prescription pain medications. To reduce swelling after wisdom teeth removal, hold an ice pack on your jaw. The ice will reduce inflammation and ease discomfort.You will be given care instructions by your oral surgeon or dentist regarding wisdom teeth recovery. Brushing, flossing, spitting, and rinsing should be avoided within the first 24 hours after wisdom tooth removal. After that initial period, brush your teeth very gently. Use rinse of warm water and salt to ward off infection. Stick to a diet of soft foods for a couple of days. Yogurt, applesauce, meal replacement shakes and cottage cheese are good, healthy choices. Gradually re-introduce semi-soft items as you can tolerate them.Visit Affordable Dentist Sydney | Dr Paulo Pinho
When will I be able to fully open my mouth after having my wisdom teeth taken out?
You will have full opening capabilities if you stretch your jaws and chew food. By stretching and using your jaw muscles, you prevent muscle trismus. This is a locking and pain in the muscles that may be worse than the pain of surgery.If you don’t move your jaws for three days, you won’t be able to open at all. This is probably the greatest contributor to delayed healing. If you don’t open, you can’t open, if you can’t open, you can’t eat a proper diet. If you don’t eat, your body can’t heal.