What are your reasons for having this surgery?

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#1 Post by **skittley80** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:34 am

Hey all, I was just wondering for the people who are having jaw surgery, what are you reasons? I'm going to be having it next summer and today my boss was asking me about it. And one of his questions was: Is this surgery necessary or is it for cosmetic purposes? I was kind of stumped as to how to answer. Yes, I am doing it for cosmetic purposes, but insurance covers it so obviously it is a medically necessary surgery.. So.. I was just wondering what are all of your reasons for having this surgery.

#2 Post by **jadeli** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:36 pm

I'm getting this surgery just simply to improve my quality of life. For as long as I can remember, I've struggled with eating because of my open bite. Let's just say it's not a pretty sight to watch me eat corn on the cob or a hamburger. I've also struggled with speaking, to a point. There's even the possibility that the reason I have such a horrible gag reflex is because of the way my jaws are lined up right now. A lot of people have passed judgment on me, believing that the reason I'm getting this surgery is solely cosmetic. Some of them even have the nerve to say "so you don't really need it." But most of these people just don't understand the struggles I go through literally everytime I try and eat something. I think that I definietly need this surgery. Admittedly, I won't deny that it has crossed my mind that I could potentially be more attractive after my surgery/braces. I hope I don't sound too conceited in saying this, but after going through hell with both double jaw surgery and braces, I think I deserve to look at least a little better than I did before.

#3 Post by **smile2006** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:06 pm

I had an open bite as well. My reasons for going ahead with the surgery were because with an open bite I was wearing down my molars. My chewing was done basically with the back teeth (the only ones that made contact). Also, I couldn't bite into anything like a sandwich or pizza or corn on the cob at all. Because of my open bite my face was very long which had always bothered me. So my reasons were medical (surgery was covered as medical necessity) but I've had a really nice cosmetic benefit as well. I had upper/lower and went ahead with genioplasty too. I'm thrilled with the increase in function I have and I am also pleased with the subtle changes in appearance. So I guess I got what I hoped for which is both function and a better look. I also can breath through my nose with my mouth closed which is something I didn't do before and have much less nasal stuffiness.

#4 Post by **thefuture** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:08 pm

I'm a young male and I am admititley proudly vain and concernced with aesthetics. I don't give a sh*t that other people frown upon going through this type of surgery for cosmetic reasons as I am. I frown on them for being ugly and doing nothing about it. I really I had no functional problems with my slight open bite and my jaw which was shifted to one side. In fact, there is extra bone on the one side which I will be having shaved off in a few months for aesthetic reasons only. By nature I am slighlty mean and agressive and the next time someone starts with this "so you don't really need it stuff" I will begin to pick apart their big nose, funny ears, bad complexion or weight problem. : )

#5 Post by **freerideuk** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:17 pm

why doo that though! i am doing it for purely cosmetic reasons

and i get asked the same question 'why doo it if you don't need it?'

and my answer is that really i doo need it because without my operation i will be shy and witdrawin am scared what people think of me and get very nervous and unconfortable when people see me from the side

(all of this is due from people picking apart how i look and making fun of it)

if this operation can help me get over this it will surely give me a better life

so why when someone asks a simple question does this make you feel the need to put other people down about they flaws and faults its just cruel

xxxxxxxxxx

#6 Post by **hippyhippo** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:09 am

I'm getting the surgery to fix my bite. My teeth really were never that bad cosmetically, and quite frankly I was content with them the way they were. Just last night someone I hadn't seen in months asked me "Why on earth did you get braces, didn't you have perfect teeth before?". Well, I didn't have perfect teeth before, but obviously they weren't bad enough for most people to notice.

But my bite is really off, mostly thanks to a 10mm overjet. It's causing excessive wear on the enamel of my teeth, and jaw problems are starting to pop up. Jaw surgery was the recommended way of fixing my bite, so here I am!

#7 Post by **tofino** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:20 pm

Hi.

I've quietly assumed, and seen confirmed in a few articles, that improved appearance is a (often unspoken or understated) primary reason for orthognathic surgery (e.g., Kayak, 1981). I've noticed that most people on this board first point to functional reasons for the surgery - enamel wear, TMJ, and the like. If you are dancing around a boss or an insurance company, then the ortho and surgeon can say the right things, and no doubt that for some people the improved functioning is a major goal, but my guess is that appearance is just as important in a lot of those cases. And what's wrong with that? Why go out of one's way to downplay the improved aesthetics? I've never felt shame at spending six months in the gym and feeling good about the results. I've read many articles that report improved psychological functioning two years after orthognathic surgery. It doesn't mean that there was anything wrong with such people before, only that many people have experienced a healthy psychic shift in these cases. I hated my mouth and jaw before, and it's nice to see some physical things getting better with age!

Cheers

Glen

#8 Post by **acrobat** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:23 pm

i told most of my friends now that i will wear braces soon and have jawsurgery and nobody said anything bad about it, but a few days back a good friend said, if you start with that, where will it end. He sees this as cosmetic surgery.
But i think...what's the difference with all those kids wearing braces!
Most of my friends had braces when they were younger and have good teeth now, i didn't get a chance to wear (good) braces, so i'm gonna do it now. Unfortunatly to correct it perfectly i need surgery as well, but i don't see the difference with all those kids wearing braces.

#9 Post by **hippyhippo** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:30 pm

Tofino is right, there is definitely nothing wrong with getting orthognathic surgery for cosmetic reasons! If it improves the way you feel about your profile and your smile, all while improving your bite, then good on you. No one should make you feel guilty for improving yourself!

But I'm a bit hesitant to agree that most people on here who claim they are doing it for functional reasons are also doing it for cosmetic reasons. This is mainly because I'm one of those people who aren't doing to for cosmetic reasons

My guess as to why there are so many people on this board who are doing it for functional reasons (and not cosmetic) is because, well, when you're told by a medical professional that you have a problem that *requires* surgery to fix, you are very likely going to turn to the internet for information and support. This message board provides fantastic support for those who have orthognathic surgery kind of "thurst upon them" not so much by choice, but by necessity. These type of people are more likely to stick around on these message boards long term as they go on their journey.

On the other hand, my feeling is that those who are mainly trying to improve appearance would be more readily accept the suggestion for surgery as an option, and therefore be less likely to try to research their way out of it (and less likely to find this board as a result!). They also tend to need less support from online forums like this because they are much happier with the decision of having surgery, and are happily anticipating the final results. So even if they end up here, they may not stick around as long.

Of course these are just HUGE generalities, and don't apply to everyone. The point is that the percentage of people in the general population who are having orthognathic surgery for cosmetic reasons is likely not going to be the same as on an online forum.

Just my 2 cents

#10 Post by **tofino** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 11:04 pm

Hi.

It turns out that there are marked differences, psychologically, between cosmetic surgery patients and orthognathic surgery patients. For an excellent read, click yet again on this invaluable article:
http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514269934/html/x133.html

hippyhippo writes

Of course these are just HUGE generalities, and don't apply to everyone. The point is that the percentage of people in the general population who are having orthognathic surgery for cosmetic reasons is likely not going to be the same as on an online forum.

Yes, in fact the above psychological results suggests that cosmetic cases are more likely to need the type of psychological support that is offered by on-line forums. (And as an aside, it seems obvious that online forums are also more likely to be frequented by people who have had the surgery and whose experiences have not been quite smooth, rather than by those who have done their research, asked a few questions, had the surgery, and then went on with their lives). With those two factors mixed in, it seems impossible to make a good overall guess about the on-line issue.

I joined this board in 2005 and, bold as brass, challenged the (then) resident orthodontist, with an article, regarding what appeared to be a non-surgical correction for retruded/deficient mandible (see for example: http://www.truaxcorrectors.com/). I very much fought the surgical option, but in the end I went for it, motivated by improved appearance and improved function. But since orthognathic surgery, by definition, fixes functional problems regardless of aesthetic improvements, I'll let the taxpayers pick up their part of the tab *lol*.

Cheers

Glen

#11 Post by **Laurence** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 6:26 am

For me it was slightly different.

I was only unhappy with my appearance and bite before my op. The braces made my teeth and bite look so good that I ended up not wanting the operation. The only reason I went through with it is because my ortho said that my teeth would return to an unaligned state if I didn't have the op, because they would be in an unstable position and therefore I would always have a retainer 24 hours, for life.

So in the end, I went through with the op purely to get my braces off - which I guess is cosmetic. Now I'm 15 days post op, and even happier with my surgery because I now have a straight chin too - which looks even better than I expected. Apparently symetrical faces have a lot of social benifits such as being more easily trusted than people with unsymetrical faces, so have a straight chin has really pleased me.

That article is really interesting btw.

So, overall I would say:
Started treatment for mainly function.
Finished treatment for mainly cosmetic.

#12 Post by **science teacher** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:37 pm

my reasons for having SARPE were totally functional. There will be no change in appearance to speak of. My top Jaw was widened about 8 mm.

Kim

#13 Post by **flgrl2004** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:41 pm

My SX was not covered but I had it done to help with my sinuses, to correct a slight speech impedement and to correct some slight deformities. I really did it for myself. I know after all of this I will feel better and look better. Also, there is an added bonus of weight loss. Since on some level my reasonings are shallow, I add that as fringe benefit. I have lost 55 pounds in the last year and only had 35 left to go. (to reach my prekids weight.)But now since my sx I only have 15! So I will take the pain now to have noone else point out that I talk funny, and to have my lips close whan I am relaxed (read no more drooling at night!LOL) and less sinus infections. Kim

#14 Post by **katmpet** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:56 pm

I am struggling with the answer to this question myself as I am still "in the thick of it". One of the reasons I chose my OS(I shopped around) was he had me see a psychologist prior to committing to the surgery and once post op. It was an interesting process-the questions were centered around motivation. Initially I would have told you for corrective reasons-in addition to having upper and lower jaw, I also had my "hinge" replaced with a plastic one. However the benefits of having my appearance improved and losing weight, has made me wonder if on a more conscious level I wanted to change my appearance? All part of the journey for me and others. Happy are we who are willing to explore it

#15 Post by **Delag** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 10:34 am

The more I think about this the more I seem to change my opinion. My first answer to this was that my motivation behind this was 100% functional. To that end I still say that if I did not NEED this surgery for functional reasons I would NOT go through with the procedure. I do seem to be holding on to the cosmetic changes for both my fear and motication. I liked my face and before all of this came up I had never considered surgery for cosmetic improvement, however I really do like the idea of having a nice wide smile and fewer wrinkle lines. Much of my anxiety comes from my worry that I will not like the changes to my face, and much of my motivation comes from the idea of seeing improvments - a terrible conflict in my mind. So, to answer the question....my motivation is fear. I would not do this if it were not for fear of having major problems down the road with my teeth and TMJ. A lovely side benefit would be cosmetic.

Metal Mouth Message Board

What are your reasons for having this surgery?

What are your reasons for having this surgery?

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