Desperately need help/advice :)

[overbitegirl57]

Hey everyone, I've just joined this forum after doing a small search on google.. starting to lose hope with my situation and felt as though hearing some other people's opinions might help me. Let me know what you would do in my case please.. I'm a 16 year old British girl (17 in Sept), wearing braces and sporting a big overbite, of about 15mm(?) I'm pretty sure that's what I've heard the dentists say. My last orthodontist said this was a rare/ish case and wanted his students to have a look while i was having treatment. I first got metal train-track braces at age 13/14 to start fixing my crooked teeth (nothing to do with the jaw at this point) and wasn't too careful with how i cared for them. They were taken off after the wires came out of the brackets too many times! I remember being told something about my jaw not being right but don't remember exactly what he said, I'd known there was a problem anyway. Despite not looking after them then, few years on I'm a completely different person and very mature for my age. I've dropped out of school because of this, heavily regretting it because I could have easily achieved, had no problems in that area.

I've been through depression because of the same reason, major issues with how my jaw makes me feel about my image and came out on top, only through a couple of counseling sessions and luckily finding a person I've been able to talk to everyday.. here's the problem, leaving school I pushed away all of my friends, came out with absolutely no GCSE's and totally stuck. I managed to get a job in a local restaurant but couldn't hold it down for more than two weeks, I'm that unhappy with myself in this area this I find shameful as I've always wanted to work etc, been bright, and this whole issue has torn me down and continues to do so more and more everyday. I'm 16 now and recently got braces back on after registering with a dental spa, obviously very happy with this but the problem is not so much the teeth as I've yet again discovered, it's my jaw, and my current dentist confirmed my worries of it being crooked, weak etc but didn't recommend me having jaw surgery! Told me a story about how it might paralyze my bottom lip of feeling and any reputable surgeon wouldn't perform on me anyway. He says it's not anything major and it doesn't need that kind of thing, it's not that big. To me it is the world, I don't have any friends, I don't go out unless I absolutely have to, you could say I have no life, I'm pretty sure I've developed a little bit of agoraphobia and know for sure I have slight social anxiety. I have applied to college this month to get my GCSE's in September time, so that's big motivation because they're essential and required for the career I want and determined to achieve.

Failing to get anywhere I went to the doctor last week, and told him everything. He suggests counseling to talk about me getting over this worry with how I look, (even though it's confirmed) and that I'm being unrealistic. I was a little taken back and quite upset by this if I'm honest. I know I have my head on straight! This is not for cosmetic reasons either, my jaw clicks when opening, I cannot breathe properly, my bite isn't right, can't bite down food right, will affect me more and more as I grow up. Thank you if anybody's read through all of this, please suggest what to do next? I won't give up on this as it affects me in a great, great manor and should be entitled to having something done about it as many others have. I'm completely in the dark with what to do next although I am considering finding some private oral surgeon and trying for a consultation with them, although money is slightly tight. What do you think? What would you do? I'll be extremely grateful for any help!

[maxhammer]

I have the same issues regarding going outside, etc.

We'd have to see photos to see if it's as bad as you make it out to be, or if it's in your head. One is realistic and the other is body dysmorphia disorder. if it's real you should try to fix it via surgery.

[overbitegirl57]

Thanks for a response - I could post some photo's on here, it's more about how to go about actually getting the surgery as my dentist doesn't approve of it.

[maxhammer]

Thanks for a response - I could post some photo's on here, it's more about how to go about actually getting the surgery as my dentist doesn't approve of it.

Sorry, I missed the part that you're British.

In America, you don't need a dentist to see an oral surgeon. For example, I ignored my ortho telling me I don't need surgery and consulted with two different orthos and three oral surgeons to get other opinions. I don't know enough about British healthcare to provide any concrete advice. Does the dentist need to approve of surgery before you can consult with an oral surgeon? Do you only have one choice of dentist or can you find one who will send you down the correct path? If you only have this one choice of dentist, perhaps get your parents involved/talking with the dentist, and have them make it clear you want to explore this.

[CaliforniaKid]

why do you need a dentist to recommend jaw surgery? Has your orthodontist suggested jaw surgery?

depression is common in people with self-image issues. the question is whether there is something wrong physically, or if the depression is part of a chemical imbalance/disorder.

i believe there is something wrong with your jaw, and while counseling may help it won't change the way you look.

there are several posters here who have experience with the NHS. in american anyone can get a consult with an oral surgeon, it's just a matter of $$$.

[overbitegirl57]

@CaliforniaKid
The thing is I have two dentists right now, my regular check up one, and then this one I've waited to be registered with for braces. It's a dental spa not far from my old ortho, I had a look through a letter and it say's he's a specialist orthodontist.. so I just took it that he obviously knew what he was talking about and asked no more is it normal for the jaw to click btw? Something I've always wondered.

[overbitegirl57]

@maxhammer
maybe it's worth me going to see and consulting with some other orthodontists then as that sounds hopeful getting more than one opinion. I thought me dismissing what my current ortho is saying to me could be taken in the wrong way, though. I should be listening to him after all.. I could always go back to my regular dentist and ask him if he can refer me to anyone, my ortho would most likely find out about this though and then know I'm not accepting what he's said! Thanks for replying, I feel like your post has helped me already

[maxhammer]

@maxhammer
maybe it's worth me going to see and consulting with some other orthodontists then as that sounds hopeful getting more than one opinion. I thought me dismissing what my current ortho is saying to me could be taken in the wrong way, though. I should be listening to him after all.. I could always go back to my regular dentist and ask him if he can refer me to anyone, my ortho would most likely find out about this though and then know I'm not accepting what he's said! Thanks for replying, I feel like your post has helped me already

You're welcome. If you can see more orthos/dentists then do it, because if your case is bad like you say, then one of them will send you down the right path. You can tell your current dentist/ortho you think the issue is skeletal and therefore cannot be fixed by moving teeth, so you want to get a second and third opinion. If he gets offended by that it's his problem. Don't blindly listen to any one doctor, because they don't always have your best interest in mind. Sometimes an ortho will just want to finish a case quickly, and jaw surgery requires more time in the chair, so they say, "you don't need jaw surgery" etc. Trust your instincts and listen to your body.

[maxhammer]

is it normal for the jaw to click btw? Something I've always wondered.

I've asked this of several doctors, and they all said it's common, and only a major concern if accompanied by pain. Clenching teeth can irritate the TMJ joint. You said you have anxiety...try to become more conscious about relaxing your jaw.

[overbitegirl57]

thanks

[PrincessLea]

Overbitegirl57 - I just want to warn you off hankypanky! I don't think its a good idea to go down the psychological route unless you have exhausted other options. Sometimes on the NHS having pschological issues can cause them not to want to operate/help as they think the issue is further underlying than just the physical appearance and do not believe it will be resolved by surgery alone. You don't want to back yourself into a corner! If I were you I would be looking at other orthodontists. I found a good orthodontist in my area (UK) and made a private appointment with him. This cost me £80 but he looked at me, told me I would be a candidate for jaw surgery and sent me down that free route. Luckily he also does nhs patients too so it was pretty easy. However, if they don't also do nhs they will normally refer you to someone that does. If after you have had a couple of opinions and they don't think you are a candidate then you are probably best not to have your jaws messed with. They are the professionals after all!

One word of advice is to wait until you are 21 or over for the actual surgery so your bones have stopped growing. If done before this is can cause relapse!

Hanky - I am not trying to be nasty but you post very frequently on the other jaw surgery board and a lot of it is trolling/spamming! Asking her to email and message you is not right. You can say what you need to say over here!

[keeponsmiling]

Just chiming in to back up PrincessLea - please make sure you have proper, professional, unbiased advice before you make any decisions, whether surgical or psychiatric. We obviously can't see your problems, and even if we had photos we're not qualified to comment. We're just people who've experienced similar issues, not experts.

If you honestly believe you have a functional problem your dentist shouldn't have a problem with referring you to an orthodontist and specialist consultant at your local hospital - they are dedicated to dealing with problems caused by the jaw, whereas an ortho who spends most of their time dealing with braces might not. The dentist is right, jaw surgery carries about a 10% risk of some permanent numbness; and I'd be very worried if there was a surgeon who agreed to operate on someone your age. I think you first need to establish once and for all what the problem is, and if your dentist won't refer you to a specialist (not just an ortho that sticks braces on) that means finding the money for private consultations. A private ortho won't be able to treat a skeletal problem so if you need surgery it's not in their interests to lie to you - they won't stake their reputation on trying to fix something with braces if they know it's impossible. Unfortunately a private ortho probably won't be able to refer you to the NHS specialists either, but at least you'll have some back-up next time you ask your dentist for a referral.

If you get several opinions, and they agree that your jaw is fine, then please don't plough on and on looking for someone to treat you. Jaw surgery is a massive undertaking, and while I regret that I didn't pursue treatment as a teenager (like you, my dentist scared me off and told me it wasn't necessary), it has to be seen in terms of functional benefit not just aesthetics and at the moment you sound a little bit as though you think fixing your jaw will transform your life. I don't want to sound patronising, but if you give it a few more years, so that you've finished growing and surgery is more likely to succeed, the chances are you'll be in a much better place psychologically to understand exactly what can be achieved. I totally get everything you say about social anxiety, depression etc as I went through it all too, but things improved with time and even if someone could wave a magic wand and give you the jaw you want, would it honestly solve all your problems? Of course you should get a functional problem fixed and I'd encourage you to pursue things with dentists and orthos, but please don't let it rule your life in the meantime.

[MadAussieGirl]

Hi there,

If it helps, I'll share my story with you. Though I would suggest talking all this through with your loved ones and your specialists before making any decisions. Jaw surgery is a massive undertaking and you should be 100% sure it is right for you before going ahead with it.
I also went through most of the last twenty years or so with horribly crooked teeth, a 15mm overbite, and terribly low self esteem because of all of that. Compounding this, I developed a phobia of dentists and needles, to the point I had trouble walking into a dentists for about ten years. Obviously this isn't a great thing and by age 32, I had developed periodontitis (gum disease) which gave me terrible breath. Whilst I managed to reconcile with my appearance, I never felt confident in social circumstances and that certainly led to issues developing friendships, relationships, and even impacted my work life too. I've hated almost every photo that has been taken of me to date and that isn't a healthy thing. So I sought help from a psychiatrist for my phobias etc, dragged myself to a dentist, was referred to a gum specualist and an ortho for braces, and the best oral surgeon I could find. Oh and a bank to get a loan to cover all my costs - this stuff isn't cheap!) Three years in braces and I am now just a week out of having the lower jaw surgery to correct my overbite and all I wish is that I had done this when I was 20. So if this is important to you, then don't let people dissuade you easily. Yes there are risks, but if you find a good surgeon, then I think that helps to minimize them. There are a lot of horror stories out there, but get yourself informed from professionals and then you can make a proper decision. Counselling is a good thing too I think... Sometimes an independent unbiased voice is good to hear.

[MadAussieGirl]

Oh - and I wouldn't let a worry of upsetting your current specialists stop you getting a second or even a third opinion... It is your body and you who has to live with the decisions you make. I have gone through three orthodontists, and two surgeons before finding the combination that I felt I could trust and that i felt would do the right thing by me.

[maxhammer]

There are a lot of horror stories out there

There are?
99% of post I see are positive