Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi guys, just a quick question...

I'm curious as to how long people have had to wait for jaw surgery for those of you who have had lower wisdom teeth removed?

Basically i'm having my lower wisdom teeth taken out next month and following that comes my orthognathic surgery for an underbite.

My surgeon explained to me my jaw bone needs at least 6 months to heal (after the extraction) before i can have the jaw surgery.
So I was wondering if anyone had to wait much longer than 6 months or around the 6 month mark? (If that makes any sense... )

As you may have guessed i'm not the patient type! ha ha

Any comments would be much appreciated

Beth x

Hi beth

afraid i cant be much help in the timescale after having wisdom teth removed, but just a thought im actually having 3 of my wisdom teeth out at the same time as my jaw surgery as the surgon seems to think 1 big op is better than 2 slightly smaller ones. So if your really impatient than perhaps its worth asking if this is a possibility in your case?

Louise

Hi Louise thanks for replying to my qu,

Erm i think i have to have them out now in order to make room for a tooth that sits way out of line with the others.
Also it might be that cos it involves moving my lower jaw back, that once re-positioned there may not be room for those teeth and that my bite won't sit correctly??? Not really sure but it think it's along those lines anyway.

But thanks anyways, i'm not the most patient person and i like to have a clearer idea of when things are going to happen. I know thats a bit silly cos no one can predict exactly how long things will take in orthodontics

Hows things going with you? I haven't really kept up with people, been a bit lazy ...
Beth x

hey
I had my lower wisdom teeth out last july, & my surgery is in June this year... I'm the unpatient type too so I'm kind of annoyed its almost been a year, however about a month after my wisdom teeth came out my consultant said my surgery would be in December, I was given a date too, December 18th, which is only 5 months after the teeth came out but they cancelled & rescheduled for January, then easter but none of the dates they gave me could work so I've just waited till now...
Basically 6 months sounds about right, I'm also getting my lower jaw moved back

hope I've helped
victoria x

Hey Victoria,
thanks for that it helps a lot! It sounds like we are having roughly the same treatment??!!

I'm sorry to hear you've had to wait sooo long, when you were expecting to have had the surgery by now! It must be so frustrating being put off each month...
I hope i don't have such a long wait.

I see you're from the uk, are you receiving treatment with the NHS?

And i was just wondering, (i'm not sure of the correct terms) but may i ask what size the gap is for your underbite??? i.e i think i have about a 5/6 mm gap. (If that makes any sense )

Thanks,
Beth x

yeah it sounds like it, my gaps 6mm so its roughly the same although my top jaw is coming forward aswell they only told me 2 years ago about that but my bottom jaw is going back too

I'm on the nhs, Im getting my surgery in carlisle, what about you?

I think as well the fact I'm getting it in carlise is why my surgery keeps getting knocked back, I'm a student in glasgow so finding time for appointments even is difficult, so I'm sure your waiting time wouldn't be as bad

victoria x

Yeh i think my top jaw is being brought forward too, i guess it's 'double jaw surgery'.

I'm having my treatment in Essex, where i live, and it's only a 20 minute drive away so i'm quite lucky really. But you must have quite a journey each time I'm not suprised you find it difficult to always make appointments...

I luckily don't have any probs getting to my apps, i only work part-time anyways and its only up the road.

So do you have an exact date now?

Beth x

Hey beth, looks like we're sort of on the same time scale, my extraction is planned for june 27th, and i'm just as impatient and curious as you are! cmon people we need to know!

thanks for the in-depth explanation mery, apologies for my ignorance i'm really curious to ask, what does your signature timeline count down to? are you having surgery also?

Hey Mart,
So what are you having done then? My extraction is June 22nd...
and i'm hoping less than 6 months wait for jaw surgery fingers crossed!!!

Thanku Meryaten i'm hoping things will go smoothly with no complications and that surgery will be at the end of this year

Beth x

My extractions will be done on the nhs, is this the same for you? I'm going to have all four removed, they've all grown through and aren't impacted. After that they're going to perform a frenectomy to remove some gum between my two font teeth so they can close my gap . I guess my worry is that being on the nhs they will wait 6 months and then try and book my surgery which may involve a waiting list. This will only be a worry if i'm actualy ready for the surgery in 6 months though.

At times i get quite involved with this forum and thinking about the surgery and then time goes really sloooowly, i think i'll treat this extraction as a practise run and then try to forget about it and just go through the motions until they mention it at my appointments. well thats the plan...

Meryaten- congratulations! i can remember the day before i got mine on i made sure i licked my teeth for the last time in who knows how long weird thing to say but i hope you know what i mean lol.

Normally it takes 6 months for the bone to fill into the hole when the third molar has been removed. Third molars are usually removed at the onset of treatment so that the area is completely healed by the time of surgery.Surgery is normally 9-12 months into treatment and the area is completely healed by then.

The reason the teeth are removed, especially if you are Class III, underbite, it because the jaw is resectioned in that area, and retracted near the extraction site. You want the area completely healed before the surgery is performed.

It is usual and customary to have the extraction of third molars as part of you TX plan.

Hope this helped

Queen,

In your experience, is it possible that several extractions during the growing years could cause a person's jaw to develop asymmetrically? I have a crossbite and have often wondered if this was a cause. My jaw is longer on one side and has been since I was a teenager.

Thanks,

Lo

Extraction of teeth normally does not cause a jaw to grow asymetrically. (I never say never)
Crossbites usually develop because of:
1. genetics (history in family) of underdeveloped upper jaw, overdeveloped lower jaw or one side of ramus growing faster than the other.
2. breathing problems - upper jaw did not develop to fullest potentional due to a medical problem. (can't breath through your nose properly due to allergies or enlarged tonsils and adenoids during growing years)
3. Thumb sucking - cause upper arch to narrow during developmental
years creating not enough room for teeth to erupt.

A crossbite left untreated due to medical reasons, at an early age, especially if it causes a shift to one side or another when closing, often may develop into a surgical case later on.

Teeth are often extracted ( both baby and/or permanent) to make room to accommodate the size of the smaller upper jaw due to one of the above. This is why all children should see an orthodontist by age 7, as recommended by the AAO, to address possible growth problems that are not apparent to parents. It can than be corrected with a palatal expander while the child is developing and sometimes avoid surgery when they are older. Genetic problems, even if you undergo treatment at an early age, may still require surgery when you are older, since the jaws continue to grow adversely as they get older. The treatment may not be as extensive, but still may be necessary non the less.

Often, you will notice jaws growing more adversely during the pubertal growth spurt from approx ages 12-17 and then again post pubertal from 17-21 in males. This is why your problem may have become more apparent when you were a teen. The crossbite was always there, but not as noticable.

For general information. The lower jaw is the last bone in the body to grow and is normally complete for females by 18 and males 21. This is why you notice the difference in facial features in a teen as they mature into an adult.

Since I do not know your circumstances, I can only guess. But whatever the reason, you are doing the right thing by correcting the problem.

If or when you have children, and if there is a history of skeletal problems in your family, make sure your children are evaluated for treatment by age 7, by an orthodontist, not general dentist. This does not mean they will do something at age 7, only that it can be tracked properly by photographs and the orthodontist can step in and treat with correct timing. Most X-rays cannot document jaw growth. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Hope this answers your questions.

Thanks Queen,

You are very helpful! It is hard to find specifics on the Web as I know my condition is different than some. I am still trying to get a final diagnosis and specific treatment from my OS and my surgery is - supposed - to be on June 30th!

I haven't seen the problem in others in my family and (thank goodness) my daughter has great teeth and a beautiful smile. The Ortho said he would go broke if he had too many patients like her So, I guess I can be grateful it's just me with the problem. Personally, I think it's because my sister pushed me out of a window when I was a baby She says "fell."

Thanks again,

Lo