Surgery even though perfect bite?

[sojen]

I've been having a lot of problems with my jaws and I talked to my orthodontist about it. The right side of my jaw is significantly bigger and longer than the left, and when I open my mouth, my jaw shifts to the left. I also had clicking and popping and occasional cracking of my jaw, followed by a sharp pain that goes away after a few minutes. My ortho says he notices that my teeth don't align and understands my jaw problems. He told me I would need to get braces to fix the misalignment of my teeth, but I would have to get my wisdom teeth pulled out before I do. He says the cause for all my problems is my wisdom teeth. Of course I believe him, but I've actually had this problem way before my wisdoms came in. I know for sure, the wisdoms made it my jaw problemworse, but I don't want to go through with the braces if there's a bigger problem here.
What I'm trying to ask is.. is it even possible to get jaw surgery even though your bite is normal? Because when I smile, my teeth don't align and my bottom teeth shift to the right because my jaws shift. My ortho noticed this and told me to relax my jaw and bite down, which then causes my bite to look normal. When I relaxed my jaw like he asked me too, my teeth align, but then my jaw feels weird and I can't use the right side of my face muscles to smile or anything like that. I mean, I'm definitely no expert so I'm not saying my ortho is wrong because I'm sure he knows what he's talking about. But my gut feeling says that something else is probably wrong because he says the main cause of my jaw/teeth problems is my wisdom teeth. And like I said, I've had this problem before the wisdoms came in.

What should I do? Should I try and speak with an oral surgeon because I have to see him to take my wisdom teeth out anyway?

[Bullfighter]

I would do whatever you can before considering surgery, including getting your wisdom teeth pulled. Wisdom teeth can wreck a nice orthodontic result.

From your description, it sounds like there may some imbalance in your bone structure. It's probably a good idea to consult with a maxillofacial surgeon before starting orthodontia. But surgery is rough, and you may never get the sensation back that you have now, even with a skillful surgeon.

[sojen]

My ortho said that taking my wisdom teeth out and getting braces will fix everything, but I've had an abnormal jaw since I was a baby. I wish I could show you pictures, but it seems too personal posting pictures of me when I was young. Point is, over time, the asymmetry in my jaw has gotten worse.
If I could fix this without surgery, I would certainly go with that option because I don't want any part of my mouth area to be numb from nerve damage or anything like that, but my gut feeling is telling me that braces alone probably won't fix this.
I will definitely consult with a surgeon before I decide on anything, so thanks for your reply!!

[Marisama]

Don't try to fix your skeletal asymmetry with braces alone. Trust me, I've tried that. It will only mask your underlying problems and could possibly make things worse.

[sojen]

RYANvaughn, I actually sent you a pm. But I agree with you, when my ortho said it could be fixed with braces, I was afraid things would get worse, which is why I posted here for different opinions. Have you gone through with surgery?

[Marisama]

No I haven't had surgery yet. I am waiting for approval from my insurance before I start with ortho.

[joyayn]

Sojen,

I was one of those folks that an orthodontist tried to fix my facial asymmetry with braces alone... twice. Now, more than 15 years later Im still having to have the surgery that 2 orthodontists spent years trying to avoid. Not only were my problems masked, but the unveiling of the real issues has caused me more problems. Talk about having to mess up my smile to fix an underlying issue.

Good Luck

Joyayn

[sojen]

Joyayn,

I'm sorry to hear that! That's something I'm worried about happening to me because I'm no expert, so I can't positively say what is wrong with my jaws/face. How did you finally get to the point of deciding on surgery? Did the ortho notice things getting worse?