Do I HAVE to get surgery?

[Mdoodm1000]

Ok, so I've been unhappy with my teeth since I was very young. I have a very impacted canine, and overall crowding. My parents were never able to afford braces for me. Now that I'm 19, I figured I would go ahead and get the braces on, and everything would be great! Not exactly the way things are turning out. I had a consultation with an orthodontist today and I was told that I would absolutely have to have lower jaw surgery before they would begin treatment. This was not something that I was even considering. First off, I cannot even come close to affording it. Second, I'm not willing to take the risk of surgery. I'm actually not that unhappy with my bite. The ortho said I have a slight open bite, underbite and crossbites. I made a consultation with a different orthodontist for next week, but have any of you ever heard of an orthodontist requiring someone to have jaw surgery? Am I doomed to either surgery or crooked teeth? Thanks for any answers!

[Bullfighter]

Ok, so I've been unhappy with my teeth since I was very young. I have a very impacted canine, and overall crowding. My parents were never able to afford braces for me. Now that I'm 19, I figured I would go ahead and get the braces on, and everything would be great! Not exactly the way things are turning out. I had a consultation with an orthodontist today and I was told that I would absolutely have to have lower jaw surgery before they would begin treatment. This was not something that I was even considering. First off, I cannot even come close to affording it. Second, I'm not willing to take the risk of surgery. I'm actually not that unhappy with my bite. The ortho said I have a slight open bite, underbite and crossbites. I made a consultation with a different orthodontist for next week, but have any of you ever heard of an orthodontist requiring someone to have jaw surgery? Am I doomed to either surgery or crooked teeth? Thanks for any answers!

1. You might consult with a couple of other orthodontists -- usually this is free. Sounds like you're starting to do this, so that's a good move IMO.
2. If your teeth aren't straight, various things can cause that -- including incorrect bite geometry. That is, the way you bite, chew and swallow can knock your teeth out of alignment. A good ortho probably wouldn't put you in braces if all that work is going to be ruined a few years down the road. You won't be happy, and it's a waste of $5000 or more.
3. Surgery very often is covered if it is medically necessary -- i.e., if diagnosed by a specialist surgeon (maxillofacial, in my case).
4. Orthognathic surgery isn't experimental or high risk. Frankly I found the year and a half in braces to be more of a hassle than the surgery. If you really need it, don't consider yourself "doomed". It's a chance to get a stable, proper bite instead of a temporary fix. It's not fun by any means, but not going through it may mean you will lose teeth as you get older, or develop other symptoms with your jaw/bite.
5. Talk with a maxillofacial surgeon. This is often NOT free -- I think it was $400-$500 for a thorough consultation with x-rays, models, etc. A good surgeon will happily send you away without recommending surgery if that's the right answer. There are always optional cosmetic procedures that they CAN do, but they can diagnose whether it's essential, for physiological reasons, that you have some kind of jaw surgery.

Good luck.

[Mdoodm1000]

Thank you very much for the reply! Something that I forgot to mention is that I do not have insurance, and I am no longer covered under my parents'. I was told surgery could be around 20,000, which is definitely not doable for me :/

[Bullfighter]

Thank you very much for the reply! Something that I forgot to mention is that I do not have insurance, and I am no longer covered under my parents'. I was told surgery could be around 20,000, which is definitely not doable for me :/

Surgery will probably be more than double what you were told, in US dollars.

I would say ... get insurance.

[IHeartUnionJ]

You don't HAVE to do anything. Get another opinion.

[yorkslad]

Only do what you are happy with

You have to live with the treatment and the results

[prairiehouse]

Wow, is that price without insurance or with?

[CaliforniaKid]

surgery w/o insurance can range from 20,00-100,000.