My Braces Story - Overbite Overjet

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Hello, my name is Braced (username). Everyone calls me Jenn. This is my blog about my braces journey. I have previously sought orthodontic treatment since I was 7 years old. I have been denied EVERY time. I am now 19 going to be 20 on August 17 I recently have had the chance to go for another consultation. I tried Boston MA this time. I arrived at my first consultation with confidence. (not too much in my smile lol). I arrived and went in the "special chair" in the orthodontist's office. They had me first get digital photos taken from all angles, profiles fronts, smiles resting positions, in the mouths and everything. Then in came some really sweet lady who is the orthodontist. There is only one at this practice and it is privately owned by her. She started interrogating my mouth, she took a little longer than I was used to. After a while she sat me down saying she could give me some appliance that wasn't headgear but that was just as bad. She said that she thinks ideally I could have surgery done but then she thought about it and said ah nah we should just try braces and the appliance. So then she said wow well since I have you here we can take the records because it took you three hours to get here. So we did and I had impressions done and two different x rays ones panoramic and the other just a profile view. Then I was told she would study my case and re-present it to me with an actual treatment plan. She also told me I needed a dental cleaning done. My next appointment with her would be on June 30 2011 at noon.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Ok, as a child, I have been frightened of the dentist because when I was really young the x-ray cardboard you bite down on slipped to the back of my throat. I went again when I was 8 then stopped going until high school and found the coolest dentist who retired and then I stopped going. I hadn't gone in three years as of now. My Orthodontist said I should get my teeth done before she wanted to put the braces on me. Of course being obedient I made the appointment 2 days after I initially saw her. The dentist I went to was a friend of my orthodontist. This is a cosmetic dentist prosthodontist/periodontist who went to Harvard. They are also out of Boston. I felt very very scared of the dentist so I went and they were actually super friendly and nice. I very thoroughly enjoyed my cleaning which was not scary at all. They first picked at my teeth, then they scrapped every single nook and cranny. Then they washed and then brushed my teeth with this fluoride tooth paste. Then they flossed my teeth for me and poked my gums with a VERY sharp instrument to make sure my gums were healthy. Then they took x rays with this advanced impossible to swallow red ring you bite on. Then, the dentist himself came in. He flossed my teeth again and poked my gums. I asked if it was ok to get braces on and he said of course that braces would be a very good thing for me. So then they said they would send over some information to my orthodontist.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

So today I went to my final consultation.I arrived nad was half an hour early and they had these games like these arcade games one was a racing game nad the other was a game where a frog killed some bad guys. So I told who I was with I wanted to play some and was talking about asking the office for some quarters because he said that's how you do it to play and some girl in braces said Nah you press the button and can play as many times as you want. So she showed me how and I was having quite a ball playing. So then it was on minute before noon and the orthodontist called me in her office. She represented the case of mine to us. She said right out straight you need double Jaw surgery because your overbite is coming from Maxillary Excess, and the only way is to have surgery with braces. I said oh, is there any other options, ya know just curious. So she said yes, braces and some appliance to bring your lower Jaw forward. I said Oh you mean the Herbst appliance? She was SHOCKED I knew what that was. I told her I knew a lot of things because in the 9th grade I wanted to be an orthodontist and I like to know technical terms for things. She said I was scary because I know too much But she said she didn't mind it though, she thinks its actually really awesome. So I made sure to make a point to asking if the braces/surgery will affect my Opera Singing. Yes I am a soprano. She was shocked and said she would really love to hear me singing sometime before my surgery. She said I was a really cool person. So She explained the surgery and gave me a bunch of numbers to call to set up consultations for double jaw-Orthognathic Surgery. She said if there is ABSOLUTELY NO way that I could get the surgery because the insurance wont accept it they wont do it for a teaching case and I had no money for it (which I don't), then she would do braces and the Herbst appliance (to bring my lower jaw forward). She said that is a last resort because the results are unpredictable and might not work since it is not really the teeth that are the culprit it IS SOME teeth but mainly the Maxillary Excess. So she said to try the Surgeons she works with and to let her know so I can get my braces on and when she should but the braces on.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Orthognathic Surgery is used to correct many bite problems. In my case it is to correct Maxillary Excess AND Overbite as well as anatomically incorrect steep chin. In this surgery it would take approximately 8 hours. They would cut the top jaw out of my mouth and cut off the top jaw to make it short and to put it back so that when I smile, you do not get the gummy effect. Then they would cut the bottom jaw and bring it out. To reattach these jaws they would place 8 metal plates in my face. I would have to have my braces on before this surgery so they could wire my jaw shut for six weeks. I would eat a liquid diet via a GIANT syringe. By three months I could start eating soft foods at least then later on move to hard foods. I am thinking about getting a No MRI Medical Alert Bracelet because say for instance I'm in an accident and I'm knocked out and they go to do an MRI of my brain, they could end up ruining the surgery and killing me.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

So, the next day I called for an appointment and I registered at Mass General as a patient and they said its under medical so I was alls et (aside from my normal co pay of 20$). I have the appointment for July 14 th, 2011 at 10AM. So this tuseday I am going to call my orthodontist to let her know my appointment and what they told me she has to send over to them, and we should be all set. I am kind of freaking out. I should talk to my pastor about it, he helped me last time I freaked out abbout my Wisdom Teeth. Which i might add are ALL out, so my teeth wont move back into original positions. I had those out by another oral Surgeon back where I live who does not apprently do this type of surgery. Because I called to ask. So all I have to do is wait patiently. In the meantime I get to have a sleepover with my Pastor's daughter Which takes my mind off this whole "I-get-my-face-broken-in-two-places-and-get-8-metal-plates-in-my-face" Surgery. My Pastor himself is my mentor and he is fully on board with my orthodontic stuff. He actually brought it up that I go and get it checked out the least they could do was say no. And I agreed 100% I havent thought about braces since 4 years ago when I got denied. Idk, maybe if I talk to him about the surgery and explain it to him he could help me make a decision I kinda want it cause I know the outcome will be greater than the latter. I shall post an update as soon as possible as well as well before pictures. Although my teeth are really straight and fit well together in the back there is for sure 100% as she said work going to be done on me. Either option I choose the treatment time total will be 30 months.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Hey everyone I wanted to update you about my journey. So, I have my appointment with the Dr. tomorrow at Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. They called two days ago and asked if I could come in at a different time but my parents already scheduled for 10 AM, so they gave me 9 AM instead of 2:30 PM. So I shall be at Mass General Tomorrow at 9 AM. My orthodontist has been on vacation so getting the files is not really able to be done since she was shocked and her office was shocked I got a consult so soon. Which I don't play around when people ask me things. However; she gave me her originals along with (my copy) of her notes and pictures, they've already emailed the panoramic X Rays over as well. So I shall be letting the Surgeon know that I need those back and that if he wanted his own copies he could ask my Orthodontist when she gets back and when I return them whenever she wants which will probably be at my next appointment. I shall be calling her, the orthodontist's office next week to talk to her ad her office about how I made out and what the Surgeon said. Then she can have me come in to either get spacers or braces. I also read the informed consent and is ok with it and got it all signed, well my part.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

This is before.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

More Before

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

More Before.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

The last of the Before.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

So my mom and dad brought me to see the surgeon, and we got there a little early, I arrived and filled out the paperwork and they put a purple and white Hospital Bracelet on me and I sat with my mom and dad to fill out the paperwork, my dad was sooo kind enough to pay my co pay. Thanks awesome daddy. So they called me in and I gave them the models and they printed out the information in which my Orthodontists office sent them. A few moments later the surgeon comes in and rudely says to me " You're a minor! where are your parents?" Uhm, I am clearly going to be twenty in August. The 17th to be exact. But I was not about to be rude so I sat there quieter than a mouse. So my parents came in and he told us, more so them. We need to brake both of her jaws, take the top one and push it up and out and the bottom one out. OK, first off, the to one being SOOOOOO far out is the whole REASON why I need surgery so it could be pushed up and back, or at least just up and the lower one forward. Then he totally contradicted my Orthodontist's treatment regiment with the surgery. He was all talking about making my overbite worse with pulling out two bottom teeth which she never even had in mind. He said I had Posterior Vertical Maxillary Excess and Madibular Hypoplasia. Then he said I would need to pay money even if he messed up my face to get it approved by the insurance company. He was very rude in his manners. He kept telling me oh how you gonna afford braces if you don't have dental insurance. I kept telling him that my Orthodontist was going to do it for free Pro Bono. So then his office sent me over to a nice lady named Debbie who really liked me and she went over everything and she was actually nice and she really liked me. She said even if my insurance did cover the $20,000 surgery, I would still need to cough up $3,000 which my orthodontist knew I don't not have, she was trying to help me find someone who could help us either pro bono or with a good payment plan. So I honestly think him messing up her treatment plan that she spent a whole month figuring out is just wrong and I can't do that to her. I still do not have my braces on, I know. Braces come on after we've exhausted all our options and see if we can get the Surgery. Because the way the braces are put on is dependent upon whether I can get the surgery or not. I think I need a Second Opinion, which the orthodontist said this other Doctor would probably be better.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

So, I've thought it over and talked to my dad and explained to him I have done more than thoroughly extensive research on this Orthognathic Double Jaw Surgery, and I disagree with some random Dr changing my orthodontist's treatment regiment and the way he described the surgery is WRONG, something about the way he was explaining it doesn't seem right. No offense, but I could actually sense something evil about him I feel a bit conformable. He wasn't even willing to negotiate price with me. So today I made another Appointment on August 11th 2011 at 8am. Now when my orthodontist gave me this doctor's contact information I felt soooo good about trying this Dr. So I have a very good feeling about it, a MUCH better feeling than the feeling I had about the last surgeon. I am very confident that this would be better, it is at another hospital which I am fine with.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

Ok, so today I called up the other contact my orthodontist gave me. The staff there was very nice over the phone. They already have my contact information because I have had kidney surgery and eye surgery there before. So my new appointment is for August 11, 2011 at 8AM.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

So my parents and I went to Waltham MA to the Children's Hospital. The reason why I was able to go being in almost twenty is that I been going there since I was born for various things. A while back my orthodontist had lunch with her friend who is an oral surgeon. She told her about me and the oral surgeon said she'd take a look at me. So as you know my appointment was on August 11th 2011 at 8am. I woke up at 4am and left at 5am since I live pretty far from Waltham. We arrived early and I went and took photos of the pretty scenery and ducks by the end of the Charles River. It was time to go and we arrived early to the surgeons office to fill things out. Then I paid my copay via my card with money on it. I sat down and filled it out got my receipt and handed in the papers. They called me in and this time I thought it would be very nice to have my parents in the room since they already came in the room at the last one and I wanted them to see what this one had to say, they did not need to be in the room but i invited them. Already this was a much nicer atmosphere. Of course I love horses and the room I was in had horses so I took pictures and dad told me to take a picture of my x ray and of course I did the panoramic one. So I sat back in the chair and this really nice young woman is wearing this yellow sterile gown and her mask is on her ears but tucked under her chin. So she takes a look at my files and actually reads not just one but both of them and the other one didn't even acknowledge that I had stuff from my orthodontist. She took out the study models and looked at them and said asked if my insurance covered it and I said yes. She said ok well lets take a look inside of your mouth and how your teeth line up and jaws work and she very very methodical in her examination. She told me all the risks of how I could die on the table or have a really horrible infection, or not have any feeling in my entire face due to this surgery. She said she honestly could only see my jaw being moved only 3mm. She also said she didn't want to hurt me more in the long run, and she didn't feel comfortable only moving it 3mm, that she herself would rather have the overbite made more obvious and prominent. I asked if that could be achieved without the need for extractions. She said no. Now my opinion here is my luck with health insurance is terrible. I mean seriously, to make my overbite so bad the ONLY way it can be fixed is with surgery and I lose the health insurance I'm stuck with a horrible overbite. I psychologically cannot deal with that. She said this could be achieved with braces so I took her word for it and said yeah You don't have to take to my orthodontist because I decided I'll just call and make an appointment for my braces, because what you said is true and I don't think I could go through all of that for surgery, its just not worth it. she said good I'm glad. I think you could really benefit from the braces. I said thanks sooo very much for seeing me. My dad is soooooo obsessed he wants to send her a thank you card. We probably will give it to the ortho (oh she's getting one too) to give to the oral surgeon. So it's off to calling my Orthodontist's office.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

So I got home on August 11th. So I called asking for the orthodontist, not really sure why but I said to the receptionist: Is the orthodontist available? If not that's ok maybe you could help me. She said no she's not but what can I do you for? I stated how I got may opinions on the surgery and me and the current surgeon feel its best that I just go ahead with the braces. She asked so are we still doing the appliance? I said yup, herbst appliance it is. She said ok that gets installed in four visits. So she looked in her book and said September the 6th I said can I have a pretty late one so that I can leave class and actually attend class that day? she said yup not a problem hows 4pm? I said yup that's good and what's going to be happening at that appointment? She said: Well the one is spacers will be put in, now you will need to come back on the 8th at 10 am....... for banding. I said Ok, She said now you're going to need to come in on the 20th for more spacing and then again on the 22nd for the rest of the appliance to be installed and that's about it. I said Oh would that be at 4pm and 10am again? She said Yes. I said, So I'm guessing I'd have that in for a year and do you know about the braces? She said I'm not really sure about anything I just know you're getting your appliance and not rally sure for how long we haven't discussed that yet. I said ok thank you very much and have a great day. Then we hung up.