A quick post to say that I went into it for purely functional reasons - and now, five months post op, I realise that while I looked normal face on, at any other angle, I looked weird and slightly off because of my smaller, shorter lower jaw. Post surgery, I look normal. So yes, that is a very big bonus from the surgery and makes me even happier for doing it.
And while it's not quite like sticking your fingers into an electrical socket, (because even only lower jaw surgery is an ordeal over at least a week) it does come quite close and not something you decide to do on a whim.
why do people usually get attractive after surgery
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10 Mar 2008: Braced - upper and lower
12 Jan 2010: BSSO (Advancement)
?? Jun 2010: 6th post-op appointment
30 Jun 2010: 6th post-op ortho appointment - debanding!!!
07 Jul 2010: Retainer day!
10 Mar 2008: Braced - upper and lower
12 Jan 2010: BSSO (Advancement)
?? Jun 2010: 6th post-op appointment
30 Jun 2010: 6th post-op ortho appointment - debanding!!!
07 Jul 2010: Retainer day!
My OS told me I won't look very different post-surgery. I have an open bite and it's not fun. I always knew there was something "off" about my bite but I didn't know what it was. (Maybe it's my imagine, but my bite seemed to get weirder after I got my wisdom teeth extracted.) I think that, sometimes, when you grow up with some kind of significant malocclusion, you might not even be totally aware of the functional issues going on in your mouth. Before braces, my open bite was not as pronounced as it is now, and my jaw learned how to chew with my open bite by compensating--my molars did the heavy work, and my tongue pushed food against my front teeth to cut through things like spaghetti.
I became more conscious of these things one day when my dentist pointed out that I had an open bite and that I might want to consider braces to try and fix this because eventually my molars would wear down. I remember thinking, "Oh so THAT'S what's going on in there." As I said, I suspected something was off about my mouth, but I thought it was just a few crooked teeth. I never cared strongly about a 'perfect smile' to pursue braces before, but after my dentist pointed it out, I decided to go for it because I had health insurance that would cover 1/2 the cost of braces. Plus, at least for me, once you become aware of a problem, my instinct is to try to fix it. For over a year, my orthodontist tried to fix my open bite without surgery. He was going to use rubberbands to close my bite. But as my teeth began to really straighten out, the open bite got much bigger and I was told I would need surgery. I was very disappointed to hear this as I was just starting grad school at the time and I didn't have full health coverage. At that point I remember thinking that I had already invested more than a year in fixing my bite, and I may as well go for surgery and get it right.
So fast-forward almost four years (yes, I have worn braces for quite a while now!) and I'm finally ready for surgery. As I said, my surgeon said I won't look very different. I generally like the way I look, so that sounds good to me. But one big change is that I should be able to bite into sandwiches! YAY. So after years of reading blogs, looking at pictures, reading articles, etc., it seems to me that function and aesthetics are often inextricably intertwined--improving one will probably improve the other. I bet that, post-surgery, I will be able to smile with a 'closed' mouth, and that is certainly a nice aesthetic touch. I do feel a little uncomfortable comparing this surgery with popular cosmetic procedures like breast enhancements because (to follow the logic of this comparison) breast size will not normally affect everyday functionality, while I think any kind of significant malocclusion (under/over/open bites) may interfere (in varying degrees, of course) with daily activities like eating and breathing.
Personally, for me, it all comes down to keeping my teeth healthy, and just keeping them in general.
I have seen my father, now in his sixties, struggle with dental problems because he never had a good bite and proper care when he was younger. He has literally spent thousands in the past few years on dental treatments. I think it is a lot easier to maintain healthy oral hygiene and keep your teeth when you have 'straight jaws.' I would really like to avoid dental implants, periodontal disease, etc, and I think this surgery will make it much easier to keep my mouth healthy in the long run.
[/b]
I became more conscious of these things one day when my dentist pointed out that I had an open bite and that I might want to consider braces to try and fix this because eventually my molars would wear down. I remember thinking, "Oh so THAT'S what's going on in there." As I said, I suspected something was off about my mouth, but I thought it was just a few crooked teeth. I never cared strongly about a 'perfect smile' to pursue braces before, but after my dentist pointed it out, I decided to go for it because I had health insurance that would cover 1/2 the cost of braces. Plus, at least for me, once you become aware of a problem, my instinct is to try to fix it. For over a year, my orthodontist tried to fix my open bite without surgery. He was going to use rubberbands to close my bite. But as my teeth began to really straighten out, the open bite got much bigger and I was told I would need surgery. I was very disappointed to hear this as I was just starting grad school at the time and I didn't have full health coverage. At that point I remember thinking that I had already invested more than a year in fixing my bite, and I may as well go for surgery and get it right.
So fast-forward almost four years (yes, I have worn braces for quite a while now!) and I'm finally ready for surgery. As I said, my surgeon said I won't look very different. I generally like the way I look, so that sounds good to me. But one big change is that I should be able to bite into sandwiches! YAY. So after years of reading blogs, looking at pictures, reading articles, etc., it seems to me that function and aesthetics are often inextricably intertwined--improving one will probably improve the other. I bet that, post-surgery, I will be able to smile with a 'closed' mouth, and that is certainly a nice aesthetic touch. I do feel a little uncomfortable comparing this surgery with popular cosmetic procedures like breast enhancements because (to follow the logic of this comparison) breast size will not normally affect everyday functionality, while I think any kind of significant malocclusion (under/over/open bites) may interfere (in varying degrees, of course) with daily activities like eating and breathing.
Personally, for me, it all comes down to keeping my teeth healthy, and just keeping them in general.
I have seen my father, now in his sixties, struggle with dental problems because he never had a good bite and proper care when he was younger. He has literally spent thousands in the past few years on dental treatments. I think it is a lot easier to maintain healthy oral hygiene and keep your teeth when you have 'straight jaws.' I would really like to avoid dental implants, periodontal disease, etc, and I think this surgery will make it much easier to keep my mouth healthy in the long run. [/b]
Again, I didn't say that nobody ever went for jaw surgery from purely functional reasons, I just say it's not common.
When I was ~18 years old I've been made aware for the first time that I have a bad bite (the doctor didn't even tell me I have an underbite) and that this might wear down my teeth down the road. The doctor said he thinks insurance will cover fixing it since the bite is bad enough. At that time I didn't think these functional problems are enough for me to do anything, and wasn't aware of the aesthetic shortcomings of this bad bite [I new my lower lip protruded and didn't like it, but didn't connect it at that time to what he said about my bad bite] (I got my underbite from my mother and she was told the same thing when she was young, but in reality nothing happened and she got great teeth now at age 55 without doing anything) .
8 years later, at age 26, I went to get my teeth straight and the orthodontist told me I have an underbite and that fixing it will do much more for my appearance than just getting my teeth straight. I was interested. When he told me what they do in jaw surgery I said no way. He told me to go home and think about it.
I thought about it for 4 years, and at age 30, decided I'm going for it, and the only motivation was the aesthetic one. If I'm going to do something as drastic as this it better have some real immediate positive results, and not just some vague promise my teeth won't ware down in the distant future (while I know they didn't wear down for my mother).
I think that the motivation for most (not all) people is the aesthetic one. As evidence, you should simply acknowledge how difficult it is to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Insurance companies simply know that for most people the functional problem is not so bad, and that the main motivation of the patient is the aesthetic one, and this is why it's so hard to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Some insurance companies simply labeled this surgery as "cosmetic" and refuse to pay for it no matter how bad the functional reasons are.
When I was ~18 years old I've been made aware for the first time that I have a bad bite (the doctor didn't even tell me I have an underbite) and that this might wear down my teeth down the road. The doctor said he thinks insurance will cover fixing it since the bite is bad enough. At that time I didn't think these functional problems are enough for me to do anything, and wasn't aware of the aesthetic shortcomings of this bad bite [I new my lower lip protruded and didn't like it, but didn't connect it at that time to what he said about my bad bite] (I got my underbite from my mother and she was told the same thing when she was young, but in reality nothing happened and she got great teeth now at age 55 without doing anything) .
8 years later, at age 26, I went to get my teeth straight and the orthodontist told me I have an underbite and that fixing it will do much more for my appearance than just getting my teeth straight. I was interested. When he told me what they do in jaw surgery I said no way. He told me to go home and think about it.
I thought about it for 4 years, and at age 30, decided I'm going for it, and the only motivation was the aesthetic one. If I'm going to do something as drastic as this it better have some real immediate positive results, and not just some vague promise my teeth won't ware down in the distant future (while I know they didn't wear down for my mother).
I think that the motivation for most (not all) people is the aesthetic one. As evidence, you should simply acknowledge how difficult it is to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Insurance companies simply know that for most people the functional problem is not so bad, and that the main motivation of the patient is the aesthetic one, and this is why it's so hard to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Some insurance companies simply labeled this surgery as "cosmetic" and refuse to pay for it no matter how bad the functional reasons are.
Noam.
And regarding why someone will go through jaw surgery just for aesthetic reasons: I can tell you that in my situation, the orthodontist told me if I want to straighten my teeth (without fixing underbite) it will take about 1.5 years in braces. He also said that if I want to straighten my teeth AND fix my underbite, it will take about 1.5 years in braces + surgery + 2-3 months is braces post surgery.
At that time I thought being in braces for 1.5 years at age 30 is much much worse then going through surgery (especially since I teach a class of students at the university), and that If I'm doing this to myself, I might as well go for surgery.
From all the stories I've read, I saw that surgery causes about 2-4 weeks of very bad discomfort, but I thought to myself, what are 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort in comparison to the rest of my life ?, having an underbite is an aesthetic discomfort I have to take with me for the rest of my life, and I can solve it by 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort. I really didn't see an option here.
As long as things will succeed aesthetically and I won't suffer from severe, permanent functional/sensorial problems from this surgery, I'm ready to pay those 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort, in order to relieve myself from underbite for the rest of my life. I believe that in those 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort I won't think the same, but I hope that afterwards I will again (sort of what happened to Audra).
At that time I thought being in braces for 1.5 years at age 30 is much much worse then going through surgery (especially since I teach a class of students at the university), and that If I'm doing this to myself, I might as well go for surgery.
From all the stories I've read, I saw that surgery causes about 2-4 weeks of very bad discomfort, but I thought to myself, what are 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort in comparison to the rest of my life ?, having an underbite is an aesthetic discomfort I have to take with me for the rest of my life, and I can solve it by 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort. I really didn't see an option here.
As long as things will succeed aesthetically and I won't suffer from severe, permanent functional/sensorial problems from this surgery, I'm ready to pay those 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort, in order to relieve myself from underbite for the rest of my life. I believe that in those 2-4 weeks of bad discomfort I won't think the same, but I hope that afterwards I will again (sort of what happened to Audra).
Noam.
Regarding the aesthetic outcomes of fixing underbite, the results posted in youtube simply seems mind-boggling:
Take a look at Ben's story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJFlgn96 ... re=related
Or Kristian's story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pb2QLQWQ-k
Both guys have an underbite more-or-less as severe as mine. Their aesthetic results are simply phenomenal. They simply went from ugly to beautiful. I can't imagine why someone will not want to spend 2-4 weeks of discomfort in order to obtain a potential for such a change.
Member Revolutionary in this forum (who had an underbite) also obtained a radical positive aesthetic change in my opinion.
I'm still searching for someone who had an underbite with about 8-10mm of malocclusion which didn't achieve drastic positive aesthetic results. Haven't found one yet, and this gives me hope I've done the right decision.
Take a look at Ben's story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJFlgn96 ... re=related
Or Kristian's story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pb2QLQWQ-k
Both guys have an underbite more-or-less as severe as mine. Their aesthetic results are simply phenomenal. They simply went from ugly to beautiful. I can't imagine why someone will not want to spend 2-4 weeks of discomfort in order to obtain a potential for such a change.
Member Revolutionary in this forum (who had an underbite) also obtained a radical positive aesthetic change in my opinion.
I'm still searching for someone who had an underbite with about 8-10mm of malocclusion which didn't achieve drastic positive aesthetic results. Haven't found one yet, and this gives me hope I've done the right decision.
Noam.
And I forgot Descantus (also a memeber in this forum). She had an overall 6mm of movement to fix her underbite (less than what I'm going to go through). She was a good looking girl before (Blond hair, blue eyes, nice skin, high cheeckbones), but still, something was not right. That damn underbite really hurt her face's proportions and gave her an average look, in my eyes.
But now, holy cow, she is so good looking. Simply Hollywood class beautiful. Aesthetically her face is in a different league than how she was prior surgery. All her potential suddenly came out.
But now, holy cow, she is so good looking. Simply Hollywood class beautiful. Aesthetically her face is in a different league than how she was prior surgery. All her potential suddenly came out.
Noam.
Ah yes, I feel, I experience, and I do; ergo, everyone must be like me.Kirish wrote:Again, I didn't say that nobody ever went for jaw surgery from purely functional reasons, I just say it's not common.
I think that the motivation for most (not all) people is the aesthetic one. As evidence, you should simply acknowledge how difficult it is to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Insurance companies simply know that for most people the functional problem is not so bad, and that the main motivation of the patient is the aesthetic one, and this is why it's so hard to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Some insurance companies simply labeled this surgery as "cosmetic" and refuse to pay for it no matter how bad the functional reasons are.
Ok, I'll play along. I had a 100% overbite and an 8mm overjet. My insurance company approved the surgery without a single objection on the first submittal request. In fact, although I only had lower jaw surgery, they approved upper as well - just in case. My appearance hasn't change much at all - evidenced by the fact that no one, aside from the few people who knew I had the surgery, has made one mention of it.
So, taking a page from your book, everyone - except a rare few - has the surgery strictly for functional reasons.
Or perhaps, the answer to the reason why people have the surgery is as varied as the the multiple conditions that necessitate the procedure(s).
My insurance didn't put up a fight for my surgery, they approved me twice, because while I am not in pain my teeth don't touch besides a few back ones. I don't want to wear down my teeth, and I am sick of trying to bite into something and not being able to do it, I have to bite at a side angle. I accepted the surgery as soon as they told me I would need it, both my orthodonist and surgeon. I accepted this when I was 18, I never had a real problem with how I looked. My concerns has always been with my bite. But after my surgeon showed how my top lip is inwards and not normal, I figured it was a bonus.
Zero problems with insurance company; Zero people who recognized you did something (although a not-small 8mm movement)... your case is indeed not common, my friend.theKurp wrote:Ah yes, I feel, I experience, and I do; ergo, everyone must be like me.Kirish wrote:Again, I didn't say that nobody ever went for jaw surgery from purely functional reasons, I just say it's not common.
I think that the motivation for most (not all) people is the aesthetic one. As evidence, you should simply acknowledge how difficult it is to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Insurance companies simply know that for most people the functional problem is not so bad, and that the main motivation of the patient is the aesthetic one, and this is why it's so hard to get insurance to pay for this surgery. Some insurance companies simply labeled this surgery as "cosmetic" and refuse to pay for it no matter how bad the functional reasons are.
Ok, I'll play along. I had a 100% overbite and an 8mm overjet. My insurance company approved the surgery without a single objection on the first submittal request. In fact, although I only had lower jaw surgery, they approved upper as well - just in case. My appearance hasn't change much at all - evidenced by the fact that no one, aside from the few people who knew I had the surgery, has made one mention of it.
So, taking a page from your book, everyone - except a rare few - has the surgery strictly for functional reasons.
Or perhaps, the answer to the reason why people have the surgery is as varied as the the multiple conditions that necessitate the procedure(s).
Btw, just because people didn't say anything, doesn't mean they didn't notice. Maybe they did notice your face look better but weren't sure about the cause so didn't say anything. I think a more appropriate place to check this will be at the bar with the ladies
, but you're probably married.I don't know, I mainly look at underbites and you have to be blind not to notice a difference after an 8-10mm movement (again, I'm looking for the first case where before/after pic of an 8-10mm underbite doesn't show a huge difference). Maybe our brain is more sensitive to underbite than overbite.
Noam.
If you have a bad bite it will almost always go along with at least a few functional problems. In the past, it was those functional problems which made people go seek help in the form of jaw surgery, simply because most people were unaware of the impact their bite had on their facial appearance.
Today, with hundreds if not thousands of before/after videos and pictures of different bite problems posted all over the net in all languages, people are becoming aware of the drastic impact a bad bite can have on their face aesthetics. Together with the wish of most people to look their best, it was only a matter of time before a flood of people will rush to clinics to have cosmetic facial bone surgeries (whether it's LefortI/BSSO/SARPE/Genioplasty etc.).
Today, with hundreds if not thousands of before/after videos and pictures of different bite problems posted all over the net in all languages, people are becoming aware of the drastic impact a bad bite can have on their face aesthetics. Together with the wish of most people to look their best, it was only a matter of time before a flood of people will rush to clinics to have cosmetic facial bone surgeries (whether it's LefortI/BSSO/SARPE/Genioplasty etc.).
Noam.
Some of us made the decision to go ahead with this type of treatment based on our functional issues before we saw any Youtube videos or websites with before/after photos.
You can try and try Kirish, but you are not going to convince people who made this decision for functional reasons that they indeed made it for the reasons you are trying to stress.
You can try and try Kirish, but you are not going to convince people who made this decision for functional reasons that they indeed made it for the reasons you are trying to stress.
But I didn't try to do this. I never doubted that you or theKurp did this for functional reasons.Audra wrote:Some of us made the decision to go ahead with this type of treatment based on our functional issues before we saw any Youtube videos or websites with before/after photos.
You can try and try Kirish, but you are not going to convince people who made this decision for functional reasons that they indeed made it for the reasons you are trying to stress.
I did doubt your claim that once you decided to go with this surgery, you didn't care how you'll look afterwards.
Noam.