Metal Mouth Message Board

Have had lower jaw surgery, my bite is fine, so don't expect I'll require orthodontics, however the concurrent genioplasty was aesthetically horrible. Want to have it revised. I hear Arnett/Gunson in San Luis Obispo are a great team with a wonderful sense of aesthetics.

My question to all out there is: Have you had a surgery (initial or revision) with either of these doctors and what was your outcome?

Or: As I live in the San Diego area, does anyone know of a wonderful max facial surgeon closer to this area?

Thanks to all. Looking forward to your replies.

Hi,

I am planning on having surgery with Dr. Gunson sometime 2011. I have been to a myriad of surgeons and never felt comfortable with one until I went to Santa Barbara to Dr. Gunson. I know they are expensive but sometimes you get what you pay for.

I've read the multitude of posts on here about Gunson/Arnett. There is no debating they are both very good oral surgeons, so I'm not posting to zing them. If I were in the Santa Barbara area, I'd absolutely look at their practice. But, I have noticed that they seem to always propose rather invasive procedures, so I'd question if they would only recommend a genioplasty in your case. I'm not suggesting their treatment plans are bad - they clearly are not as I've seen several "after" photos and their results are really great.

You should know there are MANY great surgeons out there (and on the flip side there are MANY terrible ones). I always recommend that somebody exhaust their "local" options before they go and travel for this surgery. Use your orthodontist as a source of information, and also post on this message board to see if anybody is from your area.

Personally, I think traveling to Gunson/Arnett is a bad idea, unless you have a difficult case that requires their expertise. And, let's remember that most jaw surgeries are not "difficult" in today's age. A majority of them are straight forward.

I say this because you will require several follow ups post surgery, and traveling to Santa Barbara can become a burden. This also doesn't take into consideration that you encounter a complication. If something unexpected happens, you will need to return to them. Complications can occur weeks or months post-op.

Anyway, I'm not discouraging you. I just like to remind people to explore their local options before they go the traveling route. This surgery is hard enough without having to complicate it!

Best of luck to you!

-Chicago29

I totally see Chicago's point--I live in SB, so Dr. Gunson was a no-brainer for me; it would be pretty miserable to travel all those miles if you didn't have to (and with LA traffic, who knows how long it'll take--ugh).

However, I also highly recommend them. Dr. Gunson and his staff have been great--taken as much time with me as I needed, answered all my questions, given me clear and high-level information, etc. I've had lots of dental work done over the years, and they've been, by leaps and bounds, the most professional and communicative about my procedures. Some doctors talk to you like a child, or a lesser kind of being. But at Dr. Gunson's office, I've always been treated as an adult, very respectfully. Also the staff at Cottage Hospital (where the surgeries are done) are awesome.

I did have a fairly invasive surgery: double jaw, 18 mm. advancement of lower jaw and 5 mm. of upper; lots of bone grafting. In my case I think this was totally warranted. I'm still fairly swollen and don't have a clear idea of what my results will be, but so far I'm pleased: the aesthetic problem I always had with my face is solved, and I still look like myself. They work with your features, so while the effects are powerful, they're also subtle.

Anyway, I seem to be going on and on. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

If you are lucky enough to have a choice of competent, talented surgeons, that is of course the best way to go. However, I have discovered that in some parts of the USA, at least, there is a scarcity of surgeons who perform these procedures. This seems to be, at least in part, because of lack of insurance coverage in some states. Outside of the US, in countries where there is national health care, I read about a lot of surgeries and therefore perhaps more surgeons that do this. In the US, if you live in Texas, California, or North Carolina for example there are lots of surgeons. In other states, you might have very little choice. So traveling might be something you could consider.

Hi there,
I'm a mama of a current m.mouth and she/we are planning double jaw surgery for her with Dr. Arnett/Gunson in Santa Barbara. Anyone still out there and available for questions regarding the surgery and your results with them? Thank you so much.

Hi mama, you can PM me if you have questions. I had surgery with them 15 mo. ago. I also have a blog you can check out that documented my entire process: http://asmileconnectsus.blogspot.com/

Hi Asmileconnectsus! Thanks so much for your post and link to your blog. I will let my daughter know about it. I will try to pm you....not sure yet how to do it, but will give it a shot! Have a lovely day with your beautiful smile!

No problem mama! If you click on the little icon with the two people that says "pm" then you should be able to send a "pm"

Hi mama,

I'm a little over 4 months out from double jaw with Dr. Gunson. Feel free to PM me, also.

I had surgery with Drs. Gunson and Arnett earlier this year, and it went solid. Counter to the post above about them pushing invasive procedures, Drs. Gunson and Arnett prescribe only what they feel will work best which may be more to less complex.

In my case, Drs. Gunsong and Arnett corrected a poorly performed Lefort from a local Chicago surgeon, and my surgery with them was a one-piece Lefort, nothing else. They don't push patients toward unnecessary invasive procedures if it is not required.

My time in beautiful Santa Barbara was stellar and only encouraged my (rapid) recovery. I was back to work within weeks. If you are in Chicago area I highly recommend giving them a visit. I met many, many surgeons in Chicago, and close to none in the area compare to the skill and expertise they provide. Feel free to PM me for more information.

hey peskywabbit...did u have ur genio w/ dr. cohen by chance? had a horrible genio experience w/ him...if u did, i want to talk w/ u

lisa

Hi ColoradoGirl,

I'm having double jaw surgery with Dr. Gunson (26 and just got my braces on, blah). Everything about pre and post-surgery really scares me and I'd LOVE to hear your insight. Do you have a blog or more information online about your experience? I'm also from Colorado but live in San Diego and yes, the commute is definitely brutal!

Desperate for info,
amac

Amac, I was going to ask Colorado girl the very same thing. I too am having surgery with Dr. Gunson. In fact the braces go on this Tuesday. I would love to here details of the surgery as well. I have been in contact with one of Dr. Gunson's patients, Sean. He documented the experience on youtube under the name sllmclean.

Hey double jawbreaker, looks like we're both in the same boat. Hopefully it wasn't too bad getting your braces on. Did you get upper and lower on or are you doing it in segments? I've got a class II overbite and bad jaw joints. How about you? My mom and I have been researching anti-inflammatory foods, spices and teas that I've worked into my diet. I've seen Sean's videos -- he's got a great attitude!