Receding Lower Jaw

[kylesoccer7]

This is pretty much a common set-up, even in private practice. Look at it this way - everyone else there is going through treatment too, so nobody really has any edge over anyone else. Plus, you'll probably not see these people again anyway. Please try to dismiss this consideration from your mind.

Really? I had no idea this was a common set-up, and yea I guess you could look at it that way, I remember every time I went I would very rarely encounter meeting the same person twice, and it's not like I know them anyway.

Now I think you raise a great idea. Sit down and discuss with your mother that you are concerned about these issues - especially the functional - and that you'd like to discuss these with the orthodontist to see what can be done. Then yes, do schedule a consultation appointement with your orthodontist to discuss your concerns and see what he feels your options are.

Yea, I guess thats just what I am going to have to do. I'll talk it over with my mother so that we can set up a meeting with my ortho.

Thanks.

Kyle

[kylesoccer7]

Kyle, It's been suggested here to have a consult with an oral surgeon about this, but truly, in my office, we prefer that the patient see the ortho, have him take impressions for study models, xrays, etc and then send the patient to us, with the models, xrays, and any other info the ortho might want to send. Good luck!!!

Alright, thanks for clearing that up. I was thinking that the oral surgeon would want to see x-rays etc to just get the patient on the right track, so hopefully there is some good data that my orthodontist provides when suggesting/sending me to an oral surgeon.

Thanks again.

Kyle

[kylesoccer7]

My ortho was more than happy to provide copies of my records for my consultation, and also (as the timeline was somewhat tight) let me hand-carry my models.

You're best going through your ortho too in that he will now which oral surgeons in the area have the experience in this type of procedure - many oral surgeons rarely/never perform this type of surgery, and you'd want someone who is well-trained and experienced at this sort of work.

Yes, I would most definitely want a well-trained oral surgeon doing this surgery, and come to think of it maybe my orthodontist had hinted on oral surgery in the past.. I remember when I first had my braces on he had asked me about TMJ and said he could hear the noise but I did not know anything about it at the time. He also asked me if I slept with my mouth open, and of course I knew nothing about mouth breathing and its effects on the jaw, etc at the time! Anyways, I do think that he will be able to find a experienced oral surgeon for me.

Thanks

Kyle

[chillin-in-grilz]

Hey, thanks for posting that first link Kyle,

I am 19 and experiancing the same problem. i have a receding lower chin, which gives me a horrible profile. Even worse it makes my nose look bigger Almost like a witch profile hehe.

So I been trying to find pics that would give me an idea what it will look like if i had the surgery done. by viewing Dennis's case, I saw how i might look like and im impressed.

Makes me even more geared for to get it fixerd, i hated my profile for the past 4 years.

To give you an idea

[kylesoccer7]

Hey, thanks for posting that first link Kyle,

I am 19 and experiancing the same problem. i have a receding lower chin, which gives me a horrible profile. Even worse it makes my nose look bigger Almost like a witch profile hehe.

So I been trying to find pics that would give me an idea what it will look like if i had the surgery done. by viewing Dennis's case, I saw how i might look like and im impressed.

Makes me even more geared for to get it fixerd, i hated my profile for the past 4 years.

To give you an idea

I have actually seen those other two pictures to the right that you posted, but I have no idea who this Dennis person is that your talking about lol. And yeah, I know exactly what you mean about the side profile, and making it look as if your nose is bigger. I mean from the front profile I see no problems, I would just really like the jaw surgery in order to get a more balanced facial profile altogether. I am definitely going to have a talk with my mom sometime soon, since I get out of school tomorrow and I will hopefully be able to get the surgery this summer, even if that means sacrificing hanging out with friends, etc. I have a question to ask you, have you been in braces before and this is your second set, or is it your first time in them? Because also by looking at the site that I posted, the doctor said that with orthodontic surgery, the orthodontist should not use headgear in order to push the top teeth back, and I had to use the nighttime headgear, so I think that may have a small part to do with the receding lower jaw, but I guess most of this is just from mouth breathing.

Thanks for replying,

Kyle.

[chillin-in-grilz]

I am 16/18 months of braces for the first time. Previously obver the past 2 years i had 8 teeth removed as well. That profile pic I posted is my most recent profile. And it never changed since day 1. Im hoping elastics might fix it, if not Im going with a jaw surgery.

[kylesoccer7]

I am 16/18 months of braces for the first time. Previously obver the past 2 years i had 8 teeth removed as well. That profile pic I posted is my most recent profile. And it never changed since day 1. Im hoping elastics might fix it, if not Im going with a jaw surgery.

Well, I think of it as you may be better off than me in a few ways. For one, I have already had braces, I have the bonded lower retainer on the back of my lower teeth, and have to wear the removable retainer on my upper teeth (not sure what its called), and this ensures that my teeth will not shift. However, I noticed a small shift in the front two teeth and I have the small "black triangle" on the upper part between the teeth, so I'll ask my orthodontist how to fix this or something next visit. Also, since I have already had braces the first time, (I think it was around 2 years or so), even if I got jaw surgery, then my smile wouldn't be good since my teeth wouldn't line up as they do now. Also, I did some more research on the surgery and I found that not only would I need about three weeks off of not doing anything, but about three months of no physical contact sports, so I would not be able to do this (I play soccer for my high school and it starts in August), so I figure even if I got everything down with my orthodontist about the surgery I would not be able to get it this summer like I previously wanted. I figure that my orthodontist is going to tell me that I will need braces again for 6-18 months to move my teeth for the surgery, then have the surgery and of course have braces after the surgery for about 6 months. This would be quite costly because my braces for the first time were around $2,500, I figure that they will be around the same cost the second time, and the surgery will realistically cost around ~$3,000 or upwards depending on insurance issues. I guess I should apply for that summer job I told myself I would do and start working hard for that money, so I guess instead of saving for a car, I will have to save for the surgery, etc. I'll definitely talk to my parents about the surgery soon because I have realized all of this, and will provide them with websites and images regarding the surgery and mouth breathing, etc. Sorry, I realized that I just got really sidetracked. Anyways, regarding the elastics fixing your profile, I don't think that the change would be very noticeable, if any. I had elastics (if your talking about the kind that go from the bottom brackets to the top) and although I wasn't aware of my receding lower jaw before, I imagine that they did not help that much. Since you only have two months left for the braces, wouldn't that mean that your teeth should be almost ready for the surgery? Because they have to be moved into the proper places before the surgery I believe.

Thanks.

Kyle

[ohmyjaw]

Yes, I would say two weeks is more accurate, but it's important to know that recovery time varies a lot from person to person. It could be longer or shorter, but there's no way to know for certain.

It sounds like you have a lot of issues to work through before you get this surgery. Good luck and keep us posted. I admire your courage and commitment. I knew I needed jaw surgery when I was 19, but I wouldn't even consider it then. It was just too scary. Finally I got it done 10 years later.

I wish you all the best.

[kylesoccer7]

I found that not only would I need about three weeks off of not doing anything, but about three months of no physical contact sports

You're right about contact sports, but where did you hear three weeks of doing nothing? Smile2006 was back to mowing her lawn after a week (granted that's at the extreme!) and many of us have returned to full time work after two weeks. Moderate activity is generally encouraged post-op.

I do agree with you about elastics and profile - since elastics effect dental, not skeletal changes, they do not generally make much difference to the profile, unless they are doing something like bringing back very protrusive anterior teeth to close extraction gaps.

Sorry, was just generalizing on the three weeks. I based it off of some website I found yesterday and some people on this site said 2-3 weeks of not going back to work and for swelling, etc. Personally, if my swelling didn't subside to an aesthetically pleasing profile, then I would not want to go out with friends, but I would still do everyday activities.

Thanks

Kyle

[kylesoccer7]

Yes, I would say two weeks is more accurate, but it's important to know that recovery time varies a lot from person to person. It could be longer or shorter, but there's no way to know for certain.

It sounds like you have a lot of issues to work through before you get this surgery. Good luck and keep us posted. I admire your courage and commitment. I knew I needed jaw surgery when I was 19, but I wouldn't even consider it then. It was just too scary. Finally I got it done 10 years later.

I wish you all the best.

Yeah, two weeks is probably a more reasonable amount of time to expect. I know that its different for everybody, but I guess 2 weeks is the average. Thanks for the encouragement and support! I guess I do have a lot of things I should worry about and do before the surgery, but I would rather get it done sooner than later. My main goal is to get all of this done before my senior year of high school, and seeing as I am going to be a junior next year, this is probably not possible, but hopefully I would get it done before senior year is over at the very least.

Thanks again.

Kyle

[kylesoccer7]

Well, a few days ago I had my occasional visit to the orthodontist (every 6 months after braces are off in order to tell me if teeth shifted/check up if I am wearing my retainer). Everything was going as it usually does and I planned on telling him about how I may be interested in orthognathic surgery. Out of nowhere he takes out pictures from about 6 months or 1 year ago (didn't really see the pictures), keep in mind I have had my braces off for 1 and a half years, and from what I did see in the pictures I did not have a mis-aligned jaw. My orthodontist said that although my teeth had not shifted at all and my retainer fits perfectly, my upper jaw moved forward more causing more of an overbite, and that my lower jaw had not moved since the last visit (6 months). This is what really impressed me, he then told me that jaw surgery (obviously orthognathic surgery) would fix this and asked me if I would be interested in the near future (he said that I would be too young to do it now and that my lower jaw may still grow), and obviously I said yes. I was pretty happy because I didn't even have to ask about orthognathic surgery, and he suggested it meaning that he is obviously somewhat experienced in this. Oh yea, I forgot to mention that he had me move my lower jaw forward a few millimeters to see if my teeth lined up, and he said they did so I may not even have to wear braces again! If all goes to plan, I will hopefully get the surgery next summer or possibly earlier. Oh and after I got out of the orthodontist office I told my mother about the jaw surgery and how he recommended it, so I guess the first bump in the road has been crossed.

Kyle

[kylesoccer7]

Wow. Well that went easier than expected!!

Haha yes, most definitely.

Kyle

[chillin-in-grilz]

yeah, i would say that being 16 is a little early for jaw surgery, you are not fully grown yet, and if u have it now, it may reverse in the future