52 and FINALLY Ready for Surgery!
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 9:34 pm
I have decided to post my story here in the hopes that it may help someone else.
Throughout my entire life, my inadequate mandible was acutely visible. You can
really see it even in my baby pictures!! In the third grade, I had my first set of
braces put on. (That's the same year that I got my eyeglasses; what a cutie I was!
LOL) Back then there was a lot of dental overcrowding (too many teeth for my
little jaws), and some upper teeth were wwaaaayyy too high and had to be brought
down. My orthodontist was considered the "best" in our area; he had interned at Stanford
and treated the actress Ann-Margaret when she fell off a stage and required major
dental work. So, my parents basically thought he was a "god" and never questioned anything
that he said. He told my parents that I "may outgrow it" (i.e., my lower jaw may mysteriously
advance several centimeters on its own accord), but of course that never happened. My father
didn't want to deal with it, so "she may grow out of it" was EXACTLY what he wanted to hear.
One Sunday there was an article in Parade Magazine about Dr. Arnett's practice. I clipped
and saved it. There was a little conversation about it, but my father vetoed any serious
discussion. Even though he could well afford a trip to California as well as the surgery
(the orthodontist told my parents that insurance would probably cover at least a portion
of it), my father said that it was "out of the question." He ruled the roost, so my mother
never pushed the issue.
Fast forward to the age of 29, when I began consulting local orthognathic surgeons about my
lower face. They all said that mine was a rather unusual case, since I didn't have some of the
common chewing, speaking, and breathing issues that most patients had. So, a pow-wow was
held between a local surgeon and orthodontist, and they came up with a "work-around" plan:
I wouldn't have orthognathic surgery but would have my mandible advanced (slightly) with
orthodontics. They sold me on it, and since it was a LOT less expensive and less extensive
I decided to do it. So, I was placed into braces for the second time. My face did look better,
but I was still embarassed to have my picture taken, especially any profile shots. I just
looked too funky. A couple of years later, I relapsed and my mandible went right back to where
it was before. Plus, my teeth had been "flared out" by the orthodontist for a "better" cosmetic effect,
but you could tell they were not in proper alignment.
A few years ago I had an MRI of the TMJs done, which confirmed what I had already suspected:
Both discs slip. I knew that something was VERY wrong from the fatigue in my lower face, plus
occasional popping sounds and pain. Then there is the STRESS placed on my teeth. I have been told
that I will need to be fitted with upper and lower orthotics to save my teeth if something isn't done.
Sleeping in those contraptions every night just does NOT appeal to me. How romantic that would be!
My husband would LOVE it, LOL.
Now, at 52, after decades of embarassment about my lower face, I FINALLY have the money to get
this taken care of! With my older age come new concerns: Osteoporosis must be ruled
out, and there are new risks of longer healing time, increased numbness, etc.
I am so excited about getting this done! Anyone reading this -- especially if you're YOUNG -- who
KNOWS they will not be happy without getting it taken care of, just DO IT! You won't be young
forever, and you only get to go around the track ONCE. So it make it the BEST that it can possibly
be! Do what makes you HAPPY! Don't wait, because you may wait too long.
Throughout my entire life, my inadequate mandible was acutely visible. You can
really see it even in my baby pictures!! In the third grade, I had my first set of
braces put on. (That's the same year that I got my eyeglasses; what a cutie I was!
LOL) Back then there was a lot of dental overcrowding (too many teeth for my
little jaws), and some upper teeth were wwaaaayyy too high and had to be brought
down. My orthodontist was considered the "best" in our area; he had interned at Stanford
and treated the actress Ann-Margaret when she fell off a stage and required major
dental work. So, my parents basically thought he was a "god" and never questioned anything
that he said. He told my parents that I "may outgrow it" (i.e., my lower jaw may mysteriously
advance several centimeters on its own accord), but of course that never happened. My father
didn't want to deal with it, so "she may grow out of it" was EXACTLY what he wanted to hear.
One Sunday there was an article in Parade Magazine about Dr. Arnett's practice. I clipped
and saved it. There was a little conversation about it, but my father vetoed any serious
discussion. Even though he could well afford a trip to California as well as the surgery
(the orthodontist told my parents that insurance would probably cover at least a portion
of it), my father said that it was "out of the question." He ruled the roost, so my mother
never pushed the issue.
Fast forward to the age of 29, when I began consulting local orthognathic surgeons about my
lower face. They all said that mine was a rather unusual case, since I didn't have some of the
common chewing, speaking, and breathing issues that most patients had. So, a pow-wow was
held between a local surgeon and orthodontist, and they came up with a "work-around" plan:
I wouldn't have orthognathic surgery but would have my mandible advanced (slightly) with
orthodontics. They sold me on it, and since it was a LOT less expensive and less extensive
I decided to do it. So, I was placed into braces for the second time. My face did look better,
but I was still embarassed to have my picture taken, especially any profile shots. I just
looked too funky. A couple of years later, I relapsed and my mandible went right back to where
it was before. Plus, my teeth had been "flared out" by the orthodontist for a "better" cosmetic effect,
but you could tell they were not in proper alignment.
A few years ago I had an MRI of the TMJs done, which confirmed what I had already suspected:
Both discs slip. I knew that something was VERY wrong from the fatigue in my lower face, plus
occasional popping sounds and pain. Then there is the STRESS placed on my teeth. I have been told
that I will need to be fitted with upper and lower orthotics to save my teeth if something isn't done.
Sleeping in those contraptions every night just does NOT appeal to me. How romantic that would be!
My husband would LOVE it, LOL.
Now, at 52, after decades of embarassment about my lower face, I FINALLY have the money to get
this taken care of! With my older age come new concerns: Osteoporosis must be ruled
out, and there are new risks of longer healing time, increased numbness, etc.
I am so excited about getting this done! Anyone reading this -- especially if you're YOUNG -- who
KNOWS they will not be happy without getting it taken care of, just DO IT! You won't be young
forever, and you only get to go around the track ONCE. So it make it the BEST that it can possibly
be! Do what makes you HAPPY! Don't wait, because you may wait too long.
