Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello! This is my first post on archwired!

I have a question about those of you who've had double jaw surgery for an open bite. Has anyone had problems with symmetry in addition to an open bite PRIOR to surgery that was corrected with surgery, rubber-bands and arch wire bends?

I've searched the archives of this site looking for someone with a similar problem as me. Here's my story:

I had an open bite that was much more pronounced on the right side of my jaw as well as crowding. My lateral incisor on the right side was pushed back behind my central incisor and cuspid before I started orthodontic treatment. A button was mounted on the tooth (lateral incisor) and attached to my arch wire with a string. I had SARPE surgery almost 2 years into treatment that expanded my maxillary (upper) jaw. The tooth moved a lot but never quite into the correct position. Since then, the symmetry of my bite has been a bit lopsided.

Recently (about 7 weeks ago) I had double jaw surgery (about 4 years into treatment) and my bite is just about closed. However, the lack of symmetry is still present. There's a bend in my wire to step-down my right central & lateral incisor and cuspid and I'm wearing upside down triangle elastics that connect my maxillary lateral incisor and cuspid to my lower cuspid/canine. I've been wearing the elastics for almost two weeks.

Here's an image:
[IMG]http://i68.tinypic.com/28i9usx.jpg[/IMG]

So again, my question is has anyone experienced anything similar and if so, how was the problem corrected?

Thank you!!!

I did not have an open bite but I did have a symmetry problem. My friend had a symmetry problem as well. Both of us had a decent level of correction but we are both not perfect. You have to keep in mind that surgeons are limited how to correct the problem... we are not gypsum boards

I personally think your symmetry problem is not noticeable and your smile seems to be going to look great. Did you have any complications from the surgery? NUmbness... different of feelings etc?

Hey scarface,

Thank you for your words and for replying. My oral surgeon just told me something similar about how none of us are truly symmetrical.

Luckily, I did not have any complications from surgery. I'm 70 days post op today. My nose is a little bit wider at the base and my face is a little more round, but that's about it.

Since I've posted, my symmetry has improved. I went back and pulled an older photo to compare. Here is a photo of the difference in 27 days:
http://i66.tinypic.com/1548v7t.jpg

What was the solution for your symmetry "problem?"

Double jaw surgery completely threw my symmetry out the window.
Before, from my eyes and nose down, my jaws were SLIGHTLY uneven. During surgery they tried to "fix" a cant that didn't exist and followed a different line of symmetry other than using my eyes as a guideline, now my entire face from the eyes down looks like it's zigzaged; nose tilting off one way, lower jaw shooting off to the other, chin rotating to the right side.

I literally have a Picasso face.