Needing guidance

[sojen]

I'm fairly new to this site, but I've been finding a lot of these forums to be helpful.

Recently I had the courage to speak with an orthodontist about some jaw problems I've had concerns about. Long story short, he thinks my bite is fine but I do have TMJ dysfunction and just told me not to chew gum anymore. Guess I should be satisfied, but I have this gut feeling that something still isn't right. I've looked more closely at my teeth and my jaws, and I noticed that my two front teeth aren't centered! It's noticeably shifted to the left. And also, when I smile, my jaws involuntarily shift to the right causing, I guess, a crossbite. But I can force my jaws to shift in their "correct" position, which feels odd. I think that's why the orthodontist thought nothing was wrong because I could force my jaws to move into their correct position, but when I'm not trying, my teeth don't align. I had braces for about two years when I was in middle school, so I have fairly straight teeth. But regarding facial issues, I have noticeable asymmetry because my right jaw is significantly larger than the other. And I've noticed they get worse as time progresses because when I look at pictures of myself in middle school and high school and now, my asymmetry gets worse. My chin is off centered and shifted.

I've been very self-conscious that it's prevented me from doing a lot of things with my friends. I hate taking pictures, and I spend hours putting on makeup and fixing my hair to cover my face. I always feel aesthetically inferior, and it's been taking a toll on me. I know I shouldn't be so concerned about physical appearances, but I have this feeling that something isn't right with my jaws and teeth.

I also don't have health insurance, so that makes things more difficult. Should I speak to a different orthodontist about my concerns? and is this even a problem that requires jaw surgery? I don't even know where to start. I need some guidance from someone who's went through this.

Thanks so much for all the support!

[IamSam12345]

I'm sorry that you feel this way about yourself, but it's important to remember that most people don't notice the asymmetry that you describe. If they do notice it, I'm sure they don't dwell on it. With that said, I do understand that kind of insecurity. and I think that if the last orthodontist left you feeling unsatisfied, you should seek a second opinion as long as you can afford to do so. Not having medical insurance is a tricky thing, so you may not want to get wrapped up in this process if you can't afford it just yet.

I would seek no more than 3 opinions though because if three different orthodontists say that it looks okay, it probably does and you are probably being too hard on yourself. Next time you see an ortho, if you do, tell them that you can make it look normal and show them how it is when you don't try and maybe that will help them see what you are talking about. But remember everybody has asymmetry in their faces and it's what makes each of us unique and actually "normal" looking. If the asymmetry is atypical and caused by a jaw deformation then welcome! we can all relate here

good luck!!!!

[sojen]

IamSam12345,

Thanks for your reply! Sometimes I do feel like I'm being hard on myself, but I asked my sister to see if it's just me who only notices the asymmetry. She says she sees it but noticed it only until I pointed it out to her and that it's really not even noticeable. That gave me a relief because she's my sister after all, and if my own sister couldn't notice it, I'm sure not many pay attention either. But even though I've been self-conscious about it, my main concern is my bite and teeth.

The orthodontist I spoke to wasn't my original ortho but my brother's. And since conveniently, he was there when I went with my brother for his appointment, I spoke with him and scheduled my own appointment. I'm going to call my other ortho and speak with him about ALL of my concerns cause I've been living with this problem for years.

[Marisama]

Sent you a PM Sojen

[Bullfighter]

... But regarding facial issues, I have noticeable asymmetry because my right jaw is significantly larger than the other. And I've noticed they get worse as time progresses because when I look at pictures of myself in middle school and high school and now, my asymmetry gets worse. My chin is off centered and shifted...

I also don't have health insurance, so that makes things more difficult. Should I speak to a different orthodontist about my concerns? and is this even a problem that requires jaw surgery? I don't even know where to start. I need some guidance from someone who's went through this.

Thanks so much for all the support!

1. Get health insurance. If you're in the U.S., and don't have it, you're going to have to come up with tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket for any kind of orthognathic/maxillofacial surgery.

2. An orthdontist wouldn't be able to correct facial asymmetry or bone structure issues, but a maxillofacial surgeon would. I would suggest going in for a consultation. If the asymmetry affects your bite, you could face long term problems. If it's just cosmetic, and minor enough that you have to point it out to people, I wouldn't do anything -- very few faces are perfectly symmetrical, and the surgery involved to rehsape your skull is major and probably not worth it unless you had a serious deformity or were in a bad accident.

My advice, but as always check with a doctor -- I'm not one. A reputable surgeon would be able to distinguish between essential and elective surgical options.

[sojen]

I read that many insurance companies consider orthognathic surgery to be cosmetic. I don't want to get insurance from a company if they won't cover anything. Do you have any suggestions as to which company I should consider insurance from for this surgery?

[sojen]

I scheduled an appointment with my orthodontist but won't see him until two weeks. I'm going to talk to him about all my concerns and see what he has to say. If he says that surgery is unnecessary, then I'll presume that nothing is wrong.