Metal Mouth Message Board

Ok, so some background. I'm 29, and my upper jaw has always protruded. The gap between my upper front teeth and lower ones is currently about 13/14 mm, and when I bite my upper wisdom teeth are in line with my lower back molars.

I had many years of orthodontics in my childhood and teens (retainer with a pin to widen my upper jaw first, then a night-time brace to bring forward my lower jaw). There was quite a bit of progress at the time, and I finished off with an upper retainer for a year just before I left school. I was told that if I wanted to correct the remaining misalignment, I would need surgery on my jaw, but due to the improvement and circumstances at the time I decided I could live with the gap I had left.

Fast forward 10 years and of course my bite has degraded since I last saw the orthodontists. I dribble in my sleep, my mouth doesn't naturally close when relaxed (eg when asleep) so I frequently get dry mouth and throat and have developed a habit of constantly breathing through my mouth (because it's easier than through my nose). I am prone to ulcers on my bottom lip due to friction from my top front teeth. You know, the usual issues. I put up with years of teasing at school, and while my confidence has improved I still have some issues with my smile. The small incident which was really the proverbial straw was when I had new passport photos taken. "Relaxed, neutral expression" the guy said. So I did. "NO! You have to close your mouth!" he corrected. So I did, which of course isn't relaxed and natural, because I had to almost purse my lips to get them closed.

My bite has been noted by the dentist, and they have said that at my age braces would not do anything and I would probably need surgery. I did ask for a referral to the orthodontic department at the local hospital, but just like when I was a kid before braces, they don't seem very interested in doing so.

Meantime, I have been trying to find as much information as possible on the net, and stumbled onto this board. Things I'm interested in hearing are:

- Do people find that this surgery is worth it?
- What sort of recovery time would I be looking at?
- Has anyone experienced problems at a later date (some blogs I've found have talked about bites deteriorating yet again, making the operation a waste of time, or sensitivity occurring after having recovered, etc)?

And of course any other personal perspectives you can think of!

I have another dental appointment next week, so I am going to bring up the referral again, and try to get into a position to speak with an orthodontist about whether surgery would be feasible for me and whether it could be done on the NHS or if it would have to be done privately (cosmetic vs. needed). But in the meantime, any feedback which would help me decide whether to pursue this would be gratefully received!

Vix

I would say book an appointment with a private orthodontist.

It was the best £85 I've ever spent. He looked at my teeth, I had a 12mm overjet and a recessed Jaw and he immediately referred me to my local hospital.

That was last Feb and I had my braces fitted las July and I am booked in for lower jaw advancement surgery at wythenshawe hospital on September 6th.

Give it a try it culd be the best money you've spent.

I haven't had surgery yet so can't comment on that side of things.

Getting a referral though was a long process for me too. I paid a private ortho thinking that'd help things along after my NHS dentist didn't seem bothered, but he told me that to get surgery on the NHS you have to be referred by an NHS dentist to the ortho at your local hospital. So I ended up registering at a different dentists and they instantly made the referral.

I think the crux of the issue is 'proving' in some way that your problem is functional, not just aesthetic (though we all know that is a huge part of it too for a lot of us). The thing my dentist kept pointing out was that I was struggling to eat (apparently - I've never known any difference) and if I didn't fix my open bite then my back teeth would suffer excess wear and tear leading to a high risk of needing crowns and other treatment later in life. So basically, even if you're fortunate enough not to suffer TMJ problems like a lot of people on here have mentioned, that doesn't mean you should be considered as 'just' a cosmetic case. Ultimately, NHS dentist appts are quite cheap and eventually you'll find a dentist who can refer you so you can weigh up the possibilities.

I've only started my treatment recently, having been braced 3 months ago, but I've been following these boards semi-regularly for about 2 years. From the posts I've seen, the general consensus I got are:

Do people find that this surgery is worth it?
The majority of people who have gone through the entire treatment are happy with their results. Many have mentioned that they only wish they had started it sooner.

What sort of recovery time would I be looking at?
A few weeks (2-3+) after surgery before you can function normally and go back to work/school. A few months before you can chew and eat normally and for most of the swelling to subside. Up to a year for the swelling & numbness to fully go away.

Has anyone experienced problems at a later date?
Some people have experienced complications or relapses that require additional surgery, however they seem to be more the exception than the norm. Some people developed jaw joint issues (TMJ). Most people have varying degrees of permanent numbness or reduced feeling in their lower lips or chin.

Like I said earlier, I have not undergone surgery yet and my answers are gleaned from lurking on these boards for a while. I would highly recommend you read through the older threads here - there is a wealth of knowledge and hundreds of personal experiences - good, bad, and everything in between. It helped me make my surgery decision as well as manage my expectations for what to expect of the results. Good luck with your decision.