Experience with surgery for asymmetrical face

[Viking]

Anyone having experience with surgery to correct an asymmetrical lower jaw? My lower jaw is tilted to the right and I have seen an oral surgeon that have taken x-rays and accepted me as a good candidate for the surgery. I get my braces in a few days and will wear them for approximately 12 months before surgery. I also have crowding in both upper and lower jaw and that will be taken care of by the braces.

I wonder if anyone have experience with this asymmetry correction? I search the net and find lots of information about correction for over- and underbite, but not anything about my case.

As a new user I cannot post links, but problem is similar the youtube video you find if you search for "Facial Asymmetry".

[Marisama]

I have asymmetry as well. I haven't had surgery yet but I will this fall sometime.

[Viking]

Hi Ryan!

I read your blog with great interest. I will follow it to see your progress. Looking at your picture I cannot see much of the asymmetry and I guess that my problem is worse. Must also say that you have amazing teeth. Your teeth at the beginning of your treatment look better than mine will do after my treatment.

I found something called "Unilateral Condylar Hyperplasia" on your blog. I googled it and it looks very similar to my condition, except that in "Unilateral Condylar Hyperplasia" one side of the lower jaw has grown too much. If I understood the surgeon correct my problem is that one side has grown too little.

[Marisama]

I'm glad you read through my blog. The purpose is to help other people out there who struggle with the same issues. I appreciate the complement, but no matter how the teeth look, if they are not in proper occlusion, things can be extremely uncomfortable. Your asymmetry may be worse than mine, but any asymmetry that throws the bite off enough to cause joint pain should be corrected.

If you have undergrowth on one side of your jaw, I believe that's called "Condylar Hypoplasia". If your jaw and bite bother you, I am definitely a proponent of having surgery to get it fixed. There are risks involved, but I believe that the short term discomfort is worth a lifetime of healthy teeth and jaws.

Do you have a surgeon and orthodontist yet? Do you have health insurance? What area are you from? It's important to find a surgeon you trust because there are a lot of varying opinions out there when it comes to facial asymmetry.

[Viking]

"Do you have a surgeon and orthodontist yet? Do you have health insurance? What area are you from? It's important to find a surgeon you trust because there are a lot of varying opinions out there when it comes to facial asymmetry."

Yes, I have both a surgeon and an orthodontist. I will be getting my braces next week.

Since I was a teenager I have noticed that my lower jaw was not symmetric, but didn't think much of it when I was younger and when I was older I didn't know that it could be fixed. Everything started when my dentist suggested that I should discuss the problem with an orthodontist.

Healthcare is free where I live. That is good, but unfortunately there are some drawbacks. One is waiting time. It took a year from I first saw the orthodontist until my treatment was accepted and could start. Another drawback is that you are a patient and not a customer, which means there is always very little information available and a long waiting time for everything.

I do not know exactly what my treatment is, except that it is braces for 12 months, lower jaw surgery and then braces for 6 more months.

[Viking]

If you have undergrowth on one side of your jaw, I believe that's called "Condylar Hypoplasia". If your jaw and bite bother you, I am definitely a proponent of having surgery to get it fixed. There are risks involved, but I believe that the short term discomfort is worth a lifetime of healthy teeth and jaws.

Thanks again! That must be it.

From this page: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professiona ... lasia.html

Condylar hypoplasia is facial deformity caused by a short mandibular ramus.

This condition usually results from trauma, infection, or irradiation occurring during the growth period but may be idiopathic.

Probably idiopathic in my case, since none of the other causes apply to me.

[Marisama]

I do not know exactly what my treatment is, except that it is braces for 12 months, lower jaw surgery and then braces for 6 more months.

Usually people with asymmetry have double jaw surgery and not just lower jaw surgery. The reason being that the upper jaw grows to match the asymmetric lower jaw, resulting in an "occlusal cant". If you have any degree of canting in your upper jaw, lower jaw surgery alone will not solve your problem. Are you aware that your upper jaw might be asymmetric as well? Make sure you speak to your surgeon about this.

[Viking]

Usually people with asymmetry have double jaw surgery and not just lower jaw surgery. The reason being that the upper jaw grows to match the asymmetric lower jaw, resulting in an "occlusal cant". If you have any degree of canting in your upper jaw, lower jaw surgery alone will not solve your problem. Are you aware that your upper jaw might be asymmetric as well? Make sure you speak to your surgeon about this.

Thank you for "occlusal cant" - another interesting thing to google.

If I understood the surgeon correctly my upper jaw is straight enough, but the teeth are tilted to compensate for the lower jaw. The braces are supposed to take care of this.

[oimysizex]

Hello Viking, I am having lower jaw surgery because my jaw shifts to the right causing a crossbite, I do have a story with pictures on, on it.

I have my lower brace on currently, are you having both sets on at the same time?

[Marisama]

I do have a story with pictures on, on it.

What does this mean?

[oimysizex]

Sorry could have worded that properly, what i meant was to say, I have created a 'story' on the 'our braces stories' forum on here, which includes pictures.

[Viking]

Hello Viking, I am having lower jaw surgery because my jaw shifts to the right causing a crossbite, I do have a story with pictures on, on it.

I have my lower brace on currently, are you having both sets on at the same time?

Hi!

I checked your story and it seem that my case is different. I have no cross bite, but that is probably because all my teeth are tilted to compensate for my asymmetric lower jaw.

I will get my upper brace in a few days and the lower in late September.

[CaliforniaKid]

i believe i have some asymmetry and facial unbalance post-surgery (still swelling, recovering), but i do not believe it is related to the structure of the jaw - although the correction of my condition did improve my profile and some features. soft tissue is tricky, especially soft tissue closest to the jaw bone, ramus, orbit. the asymmetry in your jaw bone should be corrected as part of orthognathic surgery, but the aesthetic appearance - overall - may not seem so because the asymmetry can often be independent of the jaw bone.

the face isn't just the jaw.

[beetle]

Hi Viking,
I have the same condition as you (except mine was caused by an accident as a child). My upper jaw grew slightly askew to match the lower as Marisama said his has, but that is only very slight- mostly like you my teeth are tilted inward more on one side.
I'm having surgery in October to correct this and my small narrow upper jaw. I think as Marisama said, even without my other upper jaw problems, my surgeon would choose to operate on both jaws. He told me he would because it offers 'more control' over the outcome position of the jaws and I think if you're going to do this, you really need to do it the best possible way. So it might be worth discussing further with your surgeon. He may have a reason not to do both, who knows.... Good luck!