Metal Mouth Message Board

i am excited about my results but all i am afraid of now is that i will have a relapse. i keep looking in the miirror and is obsessing over my bite. do you think i am overreacting a bit or should i just stop worrying about a relapse? etc.....

Assume that you will not relapse. Keep a close eye on your progress but don't obsess. Easier said than done, I know. I feel like, after this experience, I could perform the surgery myself! Good luck with your recovery

Soccerchic, totally normal! You will indeed obsess, there is no other word to describe it Everytime you will walk in front of a mirror you will look at your bite really close. You will even "peel your teeth" to your closest family members and ask them 1000 times "has my bite changed? Has my jaw moved back?" Don't worry, once the summer world cup starts you will beat that obsession!

thanks guys, i feel a little better, i hope it doesnt happen....

I had relapse with my braces and need surgery and braces now. We always fear the worst, but we gotta just let it go... we can't help things we can't control!! I wish the best for you though, regardless

Hi,
I think this obsession is completely normal. I am exactly the same. It is great that you are happy with your results. From what I've read the stability of the surgery is dependent on what exactly you had done. If you look at this paper:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17470277
you can find some more information about it (I don't understand it all - but for my surgery (2 jaws moved forward with rigid fixation) 20% of people experience significant movement or relapse of 2-4 mm in the 5 years following surgery.
I am nearly weeks since surgery and am being as cautious as I can be.
But aside from being careful not to hit your jaws and ensuring your diet is good - there isn't anything you can do about relapse. Good luck with your recovery.
Tony