Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi guys,

I've been needing jaw surgery since i was a teenager, i'm now nearly 29 and trying to build as much strength as i can (mentally) about going for this surgery.

I have read lots of posts on this forum and they've been very helpful and quite positive. some lovely people here.

After everything i read, i'm 90% sure i want to go for the surgery, until i came across these posts on another forum.

(Toothsmith claims he/she is a dentist)

Toothsmith :- I wouldn't worry about an osteotomy unless you've been specifically told one will be necessary. The sort of problem that proceedure corrects won't come about by not wearing a brace. And, osteotomies aren't done lightly. It is quite dangerous surgery and needs VERY informed consent.

Flutter:- Really?

I have read that these surgeries are relatively safe and straight foward procedures these day

Toothsmith:- That would probably come from a plastic surgeon!!

Just because operations are becoming more common, and maybe pain control is getting a bit better, doesn't mean that they are getting easier.

Osteotomies require breaking and repositioning one or both jaws.

Whilst the jaws reset, they need to be wired together for 3 months +.

It's like electing to have a bad car accident!

The surgery is only one part of the danger.

Can you imagine having your jaws wired together and picking up a tummy bug??

People have died because they couldn't find the wire cutters in time!

Osteotomies should not be undertaken lightly.

They are never done until patients are into their 20s though.

Car25:- I had an osteotomy on my lower jaw when I was 18 which failed shortly after. I had another two osteotomies one each on both top and lower jaw when I was 25.

Toothsmith is right, it is major surgery and the effect is just like being in a major car accident, and I would NEVER EVER EVER have it done again.

My bite is still not correct and I have no feeling in my bottom lip since surgery. I have had nothing but problems with my teeth ever since.

Link:- http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sho ... 86&page=16


I know it's serious surgery, but....well, i'm a baby i suppose.

I just wish that someone would say to me, look, you HAVE to have this surgery or you will die. I hate that its MY descision.

Thanks for reading, i'm just looking for reassurance i suppose.

What????

First of all, I've never heard of anyone nowdays being wired shut for 3 months, no matter HOW extensive. The norm is NOT wired shut, from what I can tell. Is this "Osteotomy" some special super big jaw surgery thing different than a BSSO or upper jaw procedure???

I think most of us would agree that there is a danger involved and it is a major surgery, and we've seen an assortment of side effects and problems post op even here on the board, but this isn't exactly unknown territory for the most part. It's not like an experimental brain surgery that may or may not work.

Second, WTF about his "never done on patients until their 20s"???? Seriously?? I was offered surgery at 16, refused, but they would have done it. There are tons of people here in their late teens, 20s, 30s, and on up. I don't think he knows what he is talking about, frankly.

The only thing I can think of is that he's referencing "osteotomy" meaning just for joints/TMJ, NOT all jaw surgery procedures?? Otherwise, I have no idea and I think you should take anything you learn from an "internet dentist" with a huge grain of salt; call your own surgeon and discuss, don't let this guy freak you out.

Arvensis, Thankyou for your reply, it's very heplful.

Believe it or not, you've made me feel better already.

As soon as i read it, i just knew i had to post it here, to see what you guys had to say about it.

Osteotomy means the surgical cutting of bone.

My understanding is that the procedure known as midline osteotomy is splitting the hard palate in the midline (the center, where the two halves are fused) and then putting hardware in so that bone can grow in the space, thereby expanding the maxilla. It is not the LeFort procedures (I, II, or III) that most people here have, and since it is done on the mandible it is not the BSSO that most people undergo. So, it is my impression that only a small minority of orthognathic patients undergo midline osteotomy compared with the more widely-performed LeFort I, II, and III and the BSSO.

If this is incorrect, someone please chime in.

So midline ost = sarpe?

That again doesn't work with this guy's posting - Sarpe patients aren't wired, and from what I understood, it's more stable than regular ol' leforts. And there seem to be quite a bunch of them having sarpe on this board.

Also for the record, I think pretty much everyone here is having lefort 1, but either a lefort 1 regular or a lefort 1 two or three piece. Lefort II and III are a lot higher in the face (that WOULD be more like a car wreck), but it's not common or at least it's correcting a lot more than other sesame.

Arvensis wrote:So midline ost = sarpe?

Nope. I misspoke. Midline osteotomy is on performed on the mandible (not the max) to ease constriction. Sorry for the error -- I was up all night so the neurons aren't firing.

Won't be making that mistake again.

We still don't hear the term much around here, but I believe Meryaten had a midline osteotomy instead of having both max and mand done.

and again she wasn't wired shut and I laugh at her "I go to beer fests!" recovery:)

The language of this internet dentist is like many internet hoaxes, full of exaggerations and alarmist words. "People have died--couldn't find wirecutters in time". Nice drama. And totally without reference to reality. Where is evidence for these cases, when and where? Also he (she?) doesn't know the difference between a plastic surgeon and a maxillo-facial surgeon. This dentist gives the internet a bad name. Totally unprofessional, sure wouldn't want this jerk as a dentist. A glory hound with too much time on his hands. Ah well, such is the price of freedom;everybody can sound off.
Helen

Agreed with Jersey. I highly doubt it's an "actual" dentist.... Maybe a dentist from like the worst dental school in the world... at best.

Here are examples of Leforts:



And I think this person is maybe a first year medical student or something claiming to be a dentist. This procedure is done on kids all the time. I mean who can forget the miserable-looking "Zip-N-Squeeze Kid?":


Wasn't he the whole reason the product was invented?

And by the way, for anyone reading this who is convinced that if you puke, you're going to die or something, people throw up after this surgery all the time from the anesthesia. I'm not throwing that out there to add more fear, I'm just saying that it happens regularly. The hospital takes precautions to avoid it but if it happens, its not the end of the world, it just sprays out the side of your mouth instead of the front. They don't even unband you. And its common now to not even be banded shut anymore.

First of all, I've never heard of anyone nowdays being wired shut for 3 months, no matter HOW extensive.

They didn't even wire them shut for 3 months back in the old days when these surgeries were fairly rare. My mom had orthognathic surgery in the early 80's, and her jaw WAS wired shut, but only for 6 weeks. Apparently she barfed her little heart out... but nobody had to clip her wires and she obviously didn't die.

Also, I'm 18, almost 6 weeks post op, and I would have done it again in an instant. It wasn't like a car crash, I certainly don't regret any of it. I WAS told that they generally wait until the body has stopped growing before they do this kind of procedure, but I dunno if that is absolutely necessary or just the preferred way of doing things.

All in all, don't let these people scare you. You obviously SHOULD learn about all the risks involved and make an informed choice (its sounds like you've done that already!), but what these people are saying is simply untrue. Don't let it affect your decision.

Thankyou for everyones reply.

You have all made me feel alot better.

Next step: Get over my Dentist phobia and start the ball rolling.

I think something else...to take into account WHERE you have seen these comments..your link to MSE is a money saving site not a dentistry or orthodontic site...how likely is it that a fully qualified dentist is going to be giving out advice on a money saving forum?
Ignore them!
It is a tough decision to make to have jaw surgery, but you'll make good informed decisions without the help of MSE (save that for saving your pennies for the ever increasing costs of petrol, food, etc etc)

Yes, Sparkles. I suppose your right, there

Ohh why can't i just be told that i HAVE to have it done, even though i have made my descision.

I've been unable to make descisions easily all my life.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE!!!!



sorry---couldn't resist.

Heather~

I would try to think of all the benefits and get myself excited about the wonderful results you will receive so shortly after this surgery! Thank goodness these well practiced surgeries even exist to address our ortognathic issues and that we have the means to take advantage of them. The vast majorty of the people living in this world will never have this kind of opportunity no matter how much they need or want it.

Having said that, it's always more difficult to intellectualize when it's oneself!