Anyone who needs jaw surgery but did not opt for it

[bracesscared]

Any one who needed jaw surgery but did not opt for it , instead went for ortho treatment alone (camoflage treament). How did ur result come out . happy with it or are u thinking of getting surgery in future?

Thanks

[mp921]

That was me 14 years ago. Prior to beginning treatment, the orthodontist said I had three options:

1. Extractions, but he didn't recommend it because my upper jaw was in the perfect position.
2. Lower jaw surgery.
3. Orthodontics alone for straightening.

Back then my parents opted for #3. The first option would have created a bigger issue (in my case). And they couldn't stand the thought of putting me through a major surgery that wasn't a must-have. My teeth were straightened and I had a decent smile, but my overbite remained and as a result I continued to have TMJ and muscle issues throughout the years from "jetting" my jaw forward to compensate. And here I am years later...braced again and had lower jaw surgery 6 months ago.

That was my personal decision. Everyone has to weigh the pros and cons for their individual case. Good luck!

[Marisama]

I had braces to try and fix my bite with braces alone, even though I disagreed with my orthodontist. I always thought I needed surgery. Long story short, I got married and took the braces off for the wedding. My bite is still messed up and I wish I would have gone through with surgery the first time around. I will now need braces a third time since I had them when I was younger also. Just get the surgery now and don't try to mask the underlying skeletal problem!!!

[daffodil]

I was supposed to have jaw surgery as a teenager, as soon as I stopped growing. However, I didn't understand that the surgery was for functional and medical reasons, not cosmetic reasons, and opted out and only had braces. More than a decade later, I have braces for a second time and I'm preparing for surgery.

My teeth are definitely straighter than they would have been otherwise, so the first round of braces was a huge cosmetic improvement and probably good for my dental health insofar as it reduced crowded. However, my bite is still really bad and I have a lot of problems because of my jaws (can't chew food properly, choking, general discomfort). Now that I finally understand why I have these problems and that surgery can fix them, I'm very much looking forward to the surgery.

I guess it all depends on how severe your problem is. If you have significant structural problems, I would say to go ahead with the surgery. I wish I'd saved myself a lot of time and money by having surgery years ago.

[monarch]

I agree with what everyone has said here. My son had had braces when he was around 12-ish to try to "fix" his problem. Didn't work, so at 18 he had to go through braces again and then the surgery. (He's 19 now, and is so glad that it is successfully done and over with!) I wish we had understood the extent of the problem and just done the surgery when he was younger, though. It would have saved a lot of money, hassle, time, etc. Just be sure to go to the best doctor you can, to be sure you are getting the best info regarding your condition. (That was the mistake we made...just believing what we were told instead of researching it ourself.) Of course, the internet support and information did not used to be available, so things were a little different in the "dark" ages. Good luck!

[Smurfy1975]

Same here. I had braces for 2 years as a teenager. The ortho I had back then gave me a certain type of braces to push my lower jaw out hoping it would help to grow my jaw out more. Well, that never happened. At age 26 I went to an ortho and OS but backed out because I was afraid my face would change too much and the risk of nerve damage. At age 31 I visited 2 ortho's and was told that if I wouldn't do anything that my teeth would fall out and I would need dentures at age 40-45. At age 33 I finally had the operation I should have had when I was 12 or 13. Yes, my face did change and I have probably permanent nerve damage but the long lasting jaw/teeth problem has finally been fixed.
My sister also has an underdeveloped lower jaw but doesn't want surgery. She had, as an adult, a few teeth extracted and wore braces for a year. Her teeth are straight now but her bite is off and a mess.

[Steph in Sac]

I had braces from 13-16 and do not remember any talk of jaw surgery. Now, at 37, I have lower braces and my ortho mentioned jaw surgery because I have a short lower jaw. I told him I just want the braces to fix the crowding teeth--no more. Honestly, I don't know if the jaw surgery was merely a cosmetic suggestion or more. I would think if it were for more and to save me from future issues, he would've said so. I have always known that I have a short chin and my profile is horrible. I hate seeing pictures of myself in profile. BUT, I am happily married and happy in life and it just isn't that important to me. I'll fix what I can with braces, etc., but the risk of surgery isn't something I'm willing to take for cosmetic purposes. My husband loves me and I've never had low self-esteem (although my ortho pointing everything out in my consultation did make me obsess a bit).

[chicago29]

My belief is it all depends on the degree of the underlying skeletal issue. If it is minor, you can probably get away with camouflage treatment. If that's the case I would be very direct with my orthodontist and I'd demand to know his exact plan (extractions, teeth tipping, etc).

If you have a moderate or severe skeletal issue, then I would really think about this very hard. There are MANY people on here that avoided surgery or was never given surgery as an option, and ended up having to do it all later after everything relapsed.

You have to make a decision you are comfortable with, and to do that you need to get several consultations and do some research based on your diagnosis.

Best of luck to you...It is a VERY HARD decision but I recommend you make it and then commit to it. Second guessing yourself can make it all even worse...

-Chicago29

[whatever86]

OK all this to consider and then what if you are a flower professional flute player as well?!!! argh

[glennstanzalone]

Yep I needed it when I was a teenager but my Ortho (who I think was a hack) decided to just have me in braces for 5 YEARS instead. 12 years later I just got surgery. I developed headaches and posture problems plus my teeth have stress and uneven wear from trying to compensate for my poor occlusion (5mm overjet plus vertical maxillary excess). I suggest surgery ASAP if it's an option!

[anonimess]

I'm not sure what a flower professional flute player is.... But I will say that I played flute as a child and now, following surgery, I can't whistle and I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be able to play either. My lips are not the same as before surgery, they look different and also function differently. I feel like my surgeon rolled my top lip under too much when he was closing up from the upper surgery. That said, I'm not sure my experience is normal, but jaw surgery can most definitely affect your lips.

[snapdresser]

I had to relearn how to whistle, and I'm still not as good at it as I used to be, but I'm not a professional whistler so I don't practice that much lol. It's definitely possible to get it back with your new lip position, but it takes some time and practice, and rest assured it'll be aggravating thinking "This used to work! Why isn't this working?!"