Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey guys, I have to have surgery on my lower jaw and chin. My oral surgery has noticed I do not have a nasal bridge and is referring me for rhinoplasty.
My orthodontist also said they are reviewing me for upper jaw surgery now as well...

Is all this worth it?
Has anyone had genioplasty where the chin/lip is permanently numb? that's what I'm worried about the most lol

thanks!

I Meant oral surgeon, not oral surgery haha!

if your young the chances of permanent chin numbness is extremely low. but you will be numb for months, and may have partial numbness up to a year. for virtually everyone, the numbness is not a problem compared to the result.

Permanent numbness is unlikely, but becomes more likely the older you are. If you are still young, the chances are very very low. Plus, those who DO have this kind of numbness rarely consider it life altering - just a bit annoying. It's usually just the center of the bottom lip that remains numb, and chin numbness really isn't a big deal considering what you will gain.

"Worth it" is highly subjective. It really depends on how much you value facial esthetics. Women generally value it more than men, and younger people usually value it more than older people. It's vain, but it's true: younger women are judged more harshly for having an unattractive face than are men of any age. If you are still of an age where you are seeking a partner, a face that says "I am healthy and well formed" will always be a huge benefit over a face that says "My crummy genes make my face look a little funny."

Also, if you are surgery averse or phobic, then it's hard to say what is worth it to you. Your face will be greatly improved, but if you don't care about this sort of thing, then no, it's likely not worthwhile. There's also the financial cost. If you don't have the money and will be in debt for a long time to pay for this, then the "worth it"-ness goes down.

Thank you for your reply clockworkrabbit, I am 18, so i am very young. My orthodontist said that everyone will be numb after surgery because the nerve is bruised. She did go through all the risks and benefits and the numbness is the only thing that is bothering me, i think im expecting to be the same level of numbness you get from a dental injection!

I do want it because the size/shape of my face has also bothered me, i also have quite bad TMJ and its hard for me to bite and i hate the way i smile! I do think its worthwhile, its just seeing other peoples experiences, some are quite negative, but I suppose it's only ever negative stories that are published.

As for the cost of all this I get it free, I am from the UK and this is covered by the NHS, as I am in need of treatment. Treatment is normally only free to the under 18's but, I've been seeing my orthodontist since i was 16 so yeah. It's not the cost that bothers me, I am very fortunate.

Have a nice day x

Is it worth it?

With a long life ahead of you (hopefully), hell yes!

I'd give anything to be approved for NHS treatment to improve my Class 2 appearance.

Yorkslad

clockworkrabbit wrote:Plus, those who DO have this kind of numbness rarely consider it life altering - just a bit annoying.

I am one of the few who has some permanent numbness and this is completely true, it waas well worth it and I would do it all again in a heart beat even knowing what I know now.

I am one of the few who has some permanent numbness and this is completely true, it waas well worth it and I would do it all again in a heart beat even knowing what I know now.

Original poster: I am in the same boat. Doing research and wondering, even if I am mostly doing this for medical reasons, if it's "worth it." As quoted above, this seems to be the ongoing theme with all of my research. It seems the main risk is lingering numbness/tingling, but almost every single person said it's worth it and they would do it again. Plus, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, it sounds like the numbness is not a life altering numbness or a debilitating numbness like the kind of numb you experience at the dentist where you can't drink/eat/talk/function afterwards.

Good luck with your decision making!

They really recommended a lot of surgery on your face.... I wish you lots of wisdom with your decision whether or not to go for these surgeries. I would say, do what feels best for you, what your heart tells you. If it is too much surgery, maybe you can just chose one of the surgeries you find the most important to fix and leave the others, at least for now? Are these surgeries necessary for health reasons or it is cosmetic only? In this world (and certainly also in orthodontics) there is so much focus on perfection (in appaerance) I think, and the question is whether this perfection will make you happier. If yes, definitely go for it! But maybe you can also get a just good and satisfying result with less invasive methods or less surgery?
Once again, I wish you very good luck with your decision making..... Keep us updated!