Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey everyone. I am looking for an oral surgeon who has an eye for aesthetics.

I went to the best surgeon in my area and he said he doesn't do work on people who have functional bites.

I had braces, an upper palatial expander, and rubberbands as a teenager which gave me a decent bite and fairly straight teeth. However, it also gave me a huge interlabial gap (12-15mm) so my lips don't close. People always tell me I look "bored" or "slack jawed" and honestly I do look like an idiot when my jaw is relaxed. However, because my bite is good, I feel like I've been brushed off by the orthos and surgeons I've already seen. I really can't spend the time/money to see more doctors who are just going to tell me "you look fine, oh, and by the way, thanks for your consultation fee!"

These are my issues:
- Mouth when relaxed hangs open, interlabial gap 12-15mm
- Even when teeth close, lips stay parted pretty wide
- Brushing my teeth and eating liquidy foods is messy, I have to really force it to stay in my mouth
- Mouthbreather. I can't close my lips without forcing my chin to dimple up like a golf ball. No allergies, airway just feels constricted. Get really bad chapped lips from the mouthbreathing.

Anyway, are there any surgeons out there who help more "subtle" patients? By the way Arnett & Gunson are out of my price range.

Also anyone out there similar to me? Can't close your lips, but your bite is fine? What procedure did you do and who did you see?

I should also add that I'm in the U.S.

jaw surgery may not address all your concerns. in any case, if insurance isn't covering anything the cost of jaw surgery will be high, probably 15-20k minimum for double jaw w/o insurance.

I've got the dimple chin as well! I'm using dr Stephen baker at Georgetown univ hospital in DC. He's an oral surgeon and a plastic surgeon so I feel confidant my result will look good. Just had sarpe last week and will ave upper and lower jaw surgery in a year or o to correct my open bit.
Vaness

I'm in the same boat actually. Minor jaw problems (tmj and minor asymmetry) and a underdeveloped profile due improper orthodontic treatment when I was young, but my bite is not off enough to warrant Jaw surgery.
Arnett and Gunson come to mind when it comes to aesthetic jaw surgeons, but it's unlikely insurance would cover it and they are quite expensive from what I hear.