Braces & Orthognathic Surgery first time around

[nauna28]

Hey all. I'm fairly new to this forum and am still poking around everywhere to get familiar.

So, I am going to be seeing a couple orthodontists starting next week (YAY!!!) to get the ball rolling on my quest to a better smile/bite/life. When I was 9 I was told I'd need surgery for my 10mm overjet, my parents decided to not pursue treatment.

Here I am at 25 taking things into my own hands.

How many of you have never had braces before deciding to just go all or nothing? My general dentist said that they could probably camouflage my bite if I didn't want to pursue surgery, but I decided that I'd rather get my main concern fixed before it starts causing major problems. My jaw does ache when I am laying down, and when I'm chewing something chewy my jaw gets tired as well. Also foods that require me biting into them with my front teeth makes my jaw super sore super fast (like chicken wings).

Anyway, so I'm just starting my journey, as a 25 year old. I've never had braces, unlike a lot of people whose blogs I've read, and I'm sure I'll need surgery.

[Railroads]

Hey

When I was 23 I decided to visit an orthodontist just to see my options. Here I am, one and a half year later, having my underbite surgery in just over one month. I got braces for the first time at 23, it's no big deal. My biggest concern is weightloss after surgery due to liquid diet. Braces will make your teeth really sensitive at times, but it's alright when you know it's worth it. The camouflage option sounds terrible btw, glad you didn't go for that.

[nauna28]

Hey thanks for your reply! I agree about the camouflage: there's not point in spending the money and not getting your main concern fixed, in my opinion.

Do you think Sensodyne would help the tooth sensitivity? I am unfortunately no stranger to having sensitive teeth, but it's usually caused because of a cavity or something.

I personally am not afraid of the weight loss, I just know that I will not enjoy the liquid diet at all though.

At least it's only a few weeks of your life and afterward you'll have a lifetime to eat as you'd like.

Good luck with your surgery! I hope recovery goes smoothly!

[rowo]

My predicament is similar to yours. When I was younger my parents said not to bother with braces as my teeth were crooked but not horribly so. As I've gotten older the crowding has worsened and I started having TMJ issues. When I was 23 I got braces put on for the first time, and am going to have lower jaw surgery to correct my underbite.
My ortho initially said I could have my bite camouflaged too, but the results would not be as dramatic as surgery.
The way I see it is, since I'm getting my teeth fixed I might as well fix everything in the one go, rather than get braces now and wind up unhappy with my jaw 10 years from now. It's like an investment.
I've had my braces on for roughly 8 months now, my teeth are looking nice and straight so I'm quite happy with my progress. However there are some days I'm not sure if I had made the right decision.
Anyway, good luck with your braces!

[boodles8]

Yeah, I got started braces-naive. I was told when I was about 10 by two orthos and multiple dentists that I would need braces and jaw surgery, and my parents decided not to do it because my dad didn't have a stable work situation. He was afraid they would start and then not be able to afford the surgery. Anyway, I think someone told them it was best to wait until I was at least 18. So once I decided I had no other options, I went to an ortho knowing full well what I needed. Now I'm through with surgery and hoping to get braces off by August.