Lower Jaw Surgery

[Jawsurgery]

Hello, I just made this account so that I could ask some questions to anyone in a similar situation to me. I am 27 years old. I have been putting off getting braces my whole life. I have gone to a few different consultations as a child for braces but always chickened out. Finally in March of 2015 I got them put on. They have been on for 7 months now. It has definitely been difficult to get used to.

During my consultation with my ortho to get them on, he also suggested that I needed to have lower jaw surgery for my overbite and recessed jawline. I was completely unaware that I has this until he pointed it out. My bite has never bothered me and I have never had any pain in around my mouth. The braces in my mind were purely cosmetic. The ortho said my bite is off and was very convincing that I needed this surgery. I agreed during the appointment, trusting he knew what he was doing.

After that appointment I had to get 4 teeth removed in preparation for the surgery. 2 upper and 2 lower. That was VERY difficult. Couldn't get over the feeling that it wasn't right having perfectly healthy teeth removed. I have never had any type of surgery before so that appointment was very stressful for me. I actually cried when they removed the teeth and that is very unlike me. After that appointment I decided to do some research on removing teeth and jaw surgery. I ended up reading a whole bunch of terrible articles about teeth removal and horror stories about jaw surgery. I have a lot of people in my life that are very much into natural medicine, which I am also interested in, and after talking to them and having a lot of people tell me that surgery takes a major toll on your body and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

I decided that I was going to accept my small jawline and not get the surgery, I was feeling angry at my ortho for making get my teeth removed and was really hoping that it wouldn't make my face look weird to not get the surgery now that I am missing 4 teeth. When I told my ortho about my decision he was not happy. I asked him to tell me why I needed it besides aesthetics and he said my bite could possibly cause me problems in the future. I told him that wasn't a good enough reason for me. He also said he is a perfectionist and likes everything to look perfect. I explained that that is not my personality type and I am not looking for perfection appearance wise. Anyways I left that appointment with him still not being happy about my decision but obviously it is my decision.

Since that appointment I cancelled my consult with the jaw surgeon. After I cancelled it and since the ortho pointed out my side profile I can't stop myself from noticing how bad it actually is. From the front I don't think it looks bad, but when I look at my side profile, my chin is very small and if I move my head a certain way it's almost like my chin disappears into my neck. I have never noticed this about myself before he pointed it out. I am not sure if having the braces on has made it worse since the braces make my whole face look weird or if I have just never noticed it.

Anyways, I decided to re-think my decision and now I have my consultation for the surgery tomorrow. I would just really like some advice from people who have gone through this surgery and I would like to know if it is worth it. I am a 27 year old female and I have always been told that I am attractive. I know that I am not perfect by any means but I do like my face. This surgery for me would be purely aesthetic. I am sure there would be some other benefits to in terms of having a better bite and maybe breathing out of my nose better (although I can breath out of my nose fairly well as is), but I would only get the surgery if I knew it would be worth it appearance wise.

Does having just the lower jaw surgery really help the appearance of the jawline? What other changes can I expect in my face? Do you feel like you can't breath when you wake up from surgery and for the next few days?

P.S I am in Canada and the jaw surgery will only cost me $1000.

Thank you for reading!!!

[kim3721]

Hello!

I'm 20 and just had lower jaw surgery on August 31st 2015 here in California. I too had a massive overbite and recessed jawline from my side profile. Just like you, others couldn't tell from the front view of my face so I didn't think it was a huge deal. I also tried to avoid surgery after multiple ortho's told me it was more than necessary, I've been told i'm pretty so I didn't want to risk changing my face just for my bite. Please listen your ortho!!! Although I don't feel any prettier than before (maybe even less) the surgery was more than worth it. I never noticed that holding my lower jaw to meet my front teeth caused a 24/7 strain on my jaw before the surgery. After being unwired after 2 week my lower jaw instantly felt 'natural' in it's new position which eliminated the 24/7 strain. My side my profile does look a ton better as well!

It's true that braces for lower jaw surgery makes you look uglier until after surgery because the ortho brings your upper jaw forward to meet your new position of your lower jaw. After surgery your face will look more balanced. Having lower jaw surgery does take a toll on you. I took 2 weeks off of college to recover which was still not enough. My face is still swollen and some parts still numb. I still on a liquid diet almost after 6 weeks because my jaw is still healing. Although the recovery is tough, surgery is usually worth it!

[Zonda]

Hi, I'm 41 and had the surgery in December last year. Has it been worth it? Hell yes! Like you I had a recessed lower jaw but as was always away of it as it caused me pain which became worse hence me opting for surgery. Your ortho is correct advising you it can cause problems, mine shifted back to a point where the lower teeth were impacting the roof of my mouth and actually cutting through the nerves, that hurt! My dentist said that left unchecked the front teeth would eventually die. People comment on how my face has change for the better and looking at pictures from last year the difference is dramatic in a good way. It also has left me pain free from the teeth impacting my mouth. For me the braces have been the worst part as I could never get used to the discomfort from the hooks but this is different for everyone. I often find myself thinking would I go through it all again and for the end results the answer has to be yes, also helped by our wonderful NHS paying for the whole lot!

Feel free to ask me any questions, I can send you pictures of me the day after the op so you know what to expect but they aint pretty! but then again neither am ...

As you can probably tell from the NHS reference I'm in the UK so it might take me a while to reply.

[Jawsurgery]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for the replies!! They were definitely helpful. I will be going to the consultation tomorrow morning so I hope it all goes well. I think I am just going to book the appointment after the consultation. Then I will have a whole year to freak out about it

Definitely after hearing your stories it makes me feel much better about doing it.

[Zonda]

Having my impacted wisdom teeth extracted prior to my braces being fitted was far more painful than the jaw surgery. I was offered Morphine post op but I didn't need it.

[Jawsurgery]

Yes, I was told that I could get my wisdom teeth removed during surgery and that was the original plan, but since I was being such a baby about the surgery my ortho told me they would just leave them for now.

[snapdresser]

Welcome, Jawsurgery! I'm kind of surprised that screenname wasn't already taken I'd encourage you to register your account so you can send and receive PMs, get notifications, etc. Now that that's out of the way, I can tell you that my circumstance was very similar to yours. I had both of my jaws done a few months ago and I'm 30. I never thought I looked that bad because I rarely saw my profile and from the front I thought I looked fine. I didn't like seeing profile pictures of myself tho.

I had an excellent outcome in terms of aesthetics. People even treat me differently. But I'm a little conflicted about what I'd suggest for your case. You say you're not looking for perfection, but you got braces and are considering serious surgery for cosmetic reasons, which tells me you care a lot about how you look. My only regret about the surgery is that I didn't get it done sooner. That said, my face still isn't perfect. My nose is still crooked and the position my chin was moved to is slightly off-center. I'd almost consider that a best-case scenario, given that some people deal with tooth loss, permanent numbness, and bite issues after the surgery. People have additional issues pop up that require additional months of treatment. New spreaders. Permanent retainers. Screw removal. Even having the surgery redone in some instances (though fairly rare). Is the risk worth the aesthetic benefits? You have to decide that for yourself. I hated my profile enough that it was worth it for me, and I wouldn't change it for the world. How much does your profile bother you? Let us know what you decide!

Oh, and after the surgery I didn't have any difficulty breathing. I thought I would, what with the nasal congestion and whatnot, but my mouth was open after the surgery. I didn't get elastics on until a few days post-op. Some people have their jaws wired together, which I would assume can make breathing much more difficult post-op, but that's only used for a certain type of surgery when moving the lower jaw back, which isn't what you'd be getting.

[pantlover]

I am also very surprised that username wasn't already taken! lol

Anyway, please let us know how your consultation goes!

[mouth]

I plan to have upper and lower jaw surgery within the year. Although I know it will make me look better I am doing it for practical reasons. If teeth do not meet properly (the bite), more strain is placed on the other teeth. I also have sleep apnea because of this. A lot of folks don't know they have sleep apnea but recessed jaw is one problem that causes sleep apnea. Sleep apnea that is not treated can cause strokes and heart attack.

[JawSaw93]

You're on a jaw surgery forum and consequently you will interact most likely with people who decided to go through with surgery and not the people who didn't. I had braces and "the helmet" to fix my overbite for three years when I was 11-14. Overbite returned a few years later, I was offered surgery but turned it down. I was always a moderately confident and liked my looks, although the times I spotted my profile I didn't like it. I was on vacation when I was 19 and a lot of pictures were taken, I got obsessed with my profile and thought of all the years with braces; wasted. I never had practical issues with my bite, nothing at all, but when contacting the ortho she told me what yours did: it may cause problem in the future. I believe my overbite was 8mm which didn't make me look abnormal or anything. She was surprised I was bothered with it. The overbite also gave me a smile I loved and when simulating post jaw surgery bite, I liked my profile but not my smile. That same day she put the braces on and it started. At this point I wanted the surgery due to looks and consequently to be more attractive to women. The braces didnt hurt my confidence, they weren't bothersome, I was very comfortable with them (and still am). During those two years with braces I ended up meeting a beautiful girl and falling in love. I realized when the surgery approached I didn't really care about my profile, I liked the way I looked and didn't want to risk anything. The surgeon told me there was a "low" 5-10% chance of permanent nerve damage. I told him he should check the definition of low. For several weeks I went back and forth contemplating this surgery. I did it. I had a lot invested in it, and I saw myself having several periods of thinking about this surgery if I didn't go through with it now. I also saw myself regretting the surgery. What I'm trying to say is, especially in my and your case(which appear similar); bite not causing trouble, you didn't notice till a doctor pointed it out, you like your face. Go through with the surgery, or don't. I think what's important is to stick with the choice you make. If you decide to go through surgery, you can either find things you don't like about your new face, or embrace your new profile. You might have complications and it's important to face them straight up and regret anything. I like to think having braces and surgery are things that will change your character for the better, not because of your new aesthetics, but due to the process. If you can be confident with braces, imagine what's to come. I'm three weeks post lower jaw surgery, it wasn't a big deal to me. First 2-3 days were uncomfortable, nothing more to it, then process is slower and slower but consistent, which keeps you from being frustrated. I also removed four wisdom teeth and I can tell you (anesthesia drowsiness) aside that it was for me more uncomfortable and much more painful to have them removed than lower jaw surgery was. I decided to just go with it and I'm enjoying my new jaw emerging. I'm still numb, but it's slowly getting better. I apologize for this long and egocentric post, but hope you get something from it.

[JawSaw93]

Envision going through surgery and having to have a second surgery, permanent lower lip numbness(which can be terrible), or any other complications. If you knew you would face complications, would you still do it? I think many people on this forum would answer yes, people who struggle daily with both the function and looks of their jaws. If you do answer yes go for it. If you answer no, it all depends on if you fancy the THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.. I love the THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR., so I went for it, although I could've lived on happily without the surgery. My results are still to show! Also take all this with a grain of salt I am a crazy boy. You are beautiful now and will be after surgery.