Thanks angelgarcia for your input. I might try to investigate those docs.
Ohmyjaw, thanks again. Well BC is not exactly next door, but it’s still Canada
Meryaten has already answered your question. Yes, impaction of the upper jaw means shortening it to correct a gummy smile.
4beauty4symmetry, it seems like more and more people go to Costa Rica for oral and cosmetic surgery procedures. Indeed it is a lot cheaper (and the country is beautiful) but I would consider it too risky in my case. Anyway, congrats for your SARPE and good luck for the upcoming LeFort, BSSO and genioplasty.
SleazyG,
Your story is appalling, how rude and inconsiderate these professionals are sometimes ! I am sorry to hear that you have lost so much time and money in the process, this is outrageous. Hang in there ! Anyway, you are right and société is HighandLo, week-end have to take charge of our own treatments, now I am definitely convinced of that !
Lemartines
It’s nice to hear that a professional reads this and understands. I wish more of your colleagues did. Yes I am sure there are skilled oral surgeons in Canada. The crazy thing is I have to do almost a police investigation to find one, or ask my fellow Archwired members, instead of being referred by a professional.
Okay, so here is the follow-up on my story. Yesterday I had another appointment with oral surgeon #4, who had asked to see me again after he has thought about my case (the first time, he saw me kind of quickly at the hospital, as a courtesy to my ortho). His conclusions are :
- Impaction of the upper jaw (LeFort 1) : I am definitely too old for the surgery, I might lose my upper molars because the blood flow would be impaired for some time after surgery.
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- For the lower jaw (BTW, he thinks the Alabama oral surgeon is crazy to call for a 4 millimeters impaction without BSSO. He says that beyond 1 or 2 millimeters of impaction, if there is no BSSO, there will be too much discrepancy between both jaws). Anyway, due to my age, I might have long-lasting or permanent loss of feeling in the chin and lower lip, leading to difficulty putting lipstick on, drinking from a glass, etc.
- Genioplasty would be okay in my case, when all orthodontic work is complete. In his words, « the icing on the cake ».
I would like to say that although I am 47, I don’t smoke, exercise regularly, eat healthy, I am thin, no history of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or heart problems. But he sure made me feel as if I was 100 years old ?(
So here is his « plan B » : lessening the gum tissue on the upper jaw by further lenghtening the teeth (which are already too big) vertically, then re-creating a less gummy smile with veneers.
Needless to say this procedure doesn’t sound good to me at all, and far more invasive than LeFort. If he is already worried about my losing teeth, how healthy is it to remove some of the gum tissue that attaches them to the jaw and bearing more of the bone which in his own opinion is already too thin ?
Bottom line : this is not the route to go. Anyway, your answers have all convinced me that I should keep looking. The good news is, since my ortho thinks I am not ready yet for surgery, it gives me some time to keep looking.
BTW, I have a good friend in Atlanta, I could stay with her after surgery and save on hotel costs. Any referrals would be welcome. Thanks again to you all, thanks to your support I am not totally going insane.
