I went to an orthodontics doctor before I left for
So anyway, I told my parents. Discussed it with them. Told them that the surgery would prob cost about $6500. My dad was told he should get the surgery too when he was younger, but he never did. He's still got all his teeth. So it's not like I have to get it it would seem. But I can tell there's something not quite right with my alignment in my mouth and it gets bothersome and annoying at times. So I told my parents I was okay with the surgery if they thought it was alright with them.
I then left for school with nothing really decided. During the end of the term I once again discussed the surgery option with my mom and she said that if the doc thought I needed it and it would help me in the long run, to go for it. Though she said that Chinese people usually use surgery only as a very last resort and don't recommend it as an option because it is seen to take 5-10 years off your life when you undergo surgery. More years the more severe and drastic the surgery. I guess maybe I've just been Americanized, or it's the youthful fearless outlook on life that nothing bad can possibly happen to me or something, but I find it difficult to let that dissuade me. So I set up an appointment for a consultation with the oral surgeon for the 24th of July. I was somewhat concerned at this late scheduling because that would give me only 3 weeks after that date to get my surgery and recover before I left again for
I returned to the states and this past week went in on Thursday to the orthodontist to get molds made of my teeth for them to send to the oral surgeon. I guess he needs them for his records when I go in for my consultation or something. I talked to the assistant lady who made my molds about my surgery and she said I wouldn't be going in for surgery right away because I needed to do at least 6-12 months of braces before I could get my surgery. This was news to me. I hadn't even considered that. My understanding now is that the braces or orthodontics work is to get my teeth to where they need to be so that when my jaw is moved back, my teeth will be aligned in the new position. Makes sense.
I asked for a copy of the letter that my orthodontist sent to the oral surgeon.. and it said that I have a "Class III dental and skeletal pattern due to a prognathic manible" and asked the oral surgeon to evaluate me for a "BSSO mandibular advancement." Dunno what that means, but maybe I'll google it later or something. It also said that the doc thought it would take about 12 months to orthodontically prepare me for surgery... so yeah. Something to look forward to. Braces. Again. At 23. Great.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Jaw Surgery
Posted by Grace at 3:38 AM
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13 comments:
hi!
i stumbled across your blog when i googled "underbite." i suppose i was searching for sympathizers.
i had corrective jaw surgery as a junior in high school. i'm 23 now and my teeth are properly aligned, but my lower jaw is still abnormally large and protruding, giving me what i consider to be a rather ugly and masculine appearance. there are dark shadows around my lips and i have difficulty closing my mouth, and some pain in my lower jaw. this is honestly beginning to piss me off, since it seems the surgeons didn't do such a FABULOUS job fixing me up. i want another surgery, but i have no medical insurance or money so i suppose i'm "shit out of luck," as they say.
i thought i would tell you a bit about my experience with jaw surgery, so you know what to expect. it was a somewhat hellish few weeks with my jaw wired shut... lots of mucus and blood blocking my sinuses, trouble breathing... all i wanted was a sandwich or at least a glass of cola, but i couldn't eat or drink anything but medicine, which was administered with a turkey baster-ish thing through a small opening in my teeth. nasty stuff, that medicine. but... i got through it, and i guess it was a huge improvement, though obviously i'm still unhappy with the way i look.
i'm wondering what sort of comments you get on your appearance, if any. in high school i was often tormented, called awful names "quasimodo," "THAT thing," "it," etc, but things have changed a bit... not sure if that's due to the surgery or how i've matured physically, maybe a combination of the two... some people obviously still think i'm unattractive, but many people find my "stunningly beautiful" or "exotic." i'm often praised for my "strikingly androgynous look" by strangers who don't realize it's unintentional.
how has your jaw problem affected your self-esteem? 'cause mine is shot... when i look in the mirror, i want to smash my face in. but then, i am a self-deprecating little bastard, i suppose i'd feel the same even if i had delicately feminine features.
still, AHH! i don't know anyone else with this problem, and i'm beginning to feel inhuman. it would be nice to talk to someone else who's going through what i'm going through, get a fresh perspective, that sort of thing.
if you'd like to talk, my email is ferriswheelonfire @ yahoo.com, or you could contact me on myspace (linked here.)
sorry if this is an unwelcome comment.. if so, just ignore me.. i am perhaps growing a bit desperate.
thanks,
marcia
First off... I was AMAZED when I came across your blog! I can sympathize with both you AND marcia.
A little about my lovely jaw...
I'm currently 24 and sporting braces. Why 24 you ask.. DENTISTS are the answer.
I was told when I was about 14 years old that I would have to wait until I was 16/17 to start considering braces/surgery. Fast forward to me at 17.. he tells me that my jaw hasnt stopped growing yet and I'd still have to wait. Mind you this dentist.. had been my dentist all my life.. he HAD to know what he was talking about right? NOT AT ALL.
Fast forward again to me at 19 and on my own insurance. I finally decided to go to a whole new dentist and what he told me was shocking. I was told that this could have been taken care of years ago. I could have been given an appliance to slow the growth. This jaw of mine...was also due to genes. My dad has the same problem yet has never done anything about it because it doesn't cause him nearly as much pain as mine does.
ANYWAY.. so I started with the molding and whatnot at the ortho and happened to decide to join the military at that time. When you go off to basic training your are not allowed to have braces.. therefore...that put that on hold.
Fast forward AGAIN to January of this year.. back in school..back on my parents insurance.. I finally decide that this is the time to do it!!
So here I sit.. I've had my braces on for almost 6 months (hate them..but then again..if anyone loves them.. they have serious problems..) I was told that I will have them on for a year before surgery and then a year after. After surgery as Marcia said.. you're wired for about 6 fantastic weeks. The thing with me is.. Now that I'm 24.. I'm doing it all on my own. Insurance companies are TERRIBLE. Right now I'm down $6000 for the braces. See..at a certain age.. your insurance company says "hey..we think you're too old to have braces.. and we're not paying for them." Hence why I LOVE insurance companies.
Marcia.. I would love to know if you had to pay for any part of your surgery.. I've been told by most that if its a necessity (which mine is) that they normally pay all of it.
Right now.. my insurance company is saying no.. that means i'd be paying about 22,000 (quoted by my oral surgeon) for it. See.. what I failed to mention.. they plan on breaking both of my jaws. Moving the lower jaw back and the top forward.
Sounds like fun..right??
If either of you would like to talk more about this I would LOVE to...none of my friends understand why I don't smile.. or why I'm shy.. or why I don't think I'm attractive what so ever.. It would be nice to talk to a few people who know EXACTLY what I'm going through.
Oh.. and Marcia.. In middle school I was called bubba gump (yes..from forrest gump) It tore me apart every single day!!
Here's some contact info.. http://www.myspace.com/lnwilde
or
lnwilde@yahoo.com
Hi
I came across your blog and I'm in the same situation, Malocclusion Class III. Except I just found out this past Friday and I have yet to see a surgeon. I went to my orthodontist thinking that I would just get braces and it would be okay. So imagine my shock when he tells me that in order to get a perfect bite I would have to have jaw surgery. I guess I always knew there was something wrong with my jaw but I would have never imagined jaw surgery. I thought it was amazingly brave for you to want to go ahead with the surgery.
I'm also 23, going on to 24 next week. I've spoken to friends and family and no one seems to really understand, except for one friend. I'm gonna start babbling soon so I'm gonna stop myself. I guess I would just really like to be in contact with people in a similar situation.
Contact info: silliu@gmail.com
Silvia
WOW this is amazing, I found this blog through googling as well and I can't express how relieved I am to find people who can relate to me.
I'm a high school student and I have a malocclusion class III underbite as well...I've been waiting for a few years now and the orthodontists say it's finally time for me to start the procedures (1 year or so of braces to line up, followed by the surgery and then possibly another year of braces afterwards for finalizing everything). The orthodontists say the entire procedure including braces/surgery etc will cause $30,000...and it's hard to get insurance to cover because it's basically cosmetic, correct? But yeah, that's practically my college tuition right there. To be honest, I'm really a happy girl, and I love to talk. If you know me I'm rarely sad and I'm constantly smiling. Well, until some boys and snobby girls started making fun of me and imitating me for my smile and jaw...I've stopped smiling and talk less. I always eat with my chin tucked in, and all this makes me so sad. It's unfortunate cause I go to an extremely snobby image based high school.
What marcia said about punching into the mirror, heh I can completely relate to that. Everyday when I wake up and look into the mirror the underbite is the first thing I realize. And it makes me so upset because no matter what my parents say about my appearance or what my friends say, I still don't feel any better or confident at all about my looks. I've gone as far as pushing my jaw back physically with my hands on a daily basis, but eventually it'd just hurt my jaw and it wouldn't help at all.I feel so helpless about how I look and my confidence is so low.
The whole idea is pulling me apart, because seriously...I think about it and ask myself if $30,000 really worth it just for a boost of confidence? And I'm so eager right now, so eager to get rid of it. But then there's the fear of it growing back... Does anyone have experience in convincing their insurance company to cover for the procedure?
What can I say? I can completely empathize with you guys. We should talk some more.
beckahui@yahoo.com
Rebecca
I also feel identified with much of what you've said. I'm in the middle of my recovery and even though I'm very desperate to see how slow the swelling goes down, I'm very happy with my surgery. My teeth now looks the way they should and since surgeryon the 18th of this month, I've lost like 5 kilos. My diet consists of Ultra Slim Fast with some fruits in it, sometimes a soup (usually at night). I have little pain, though my lips need chap stick permanently. I think I'll have my bracces for 3 months more, and then finally, my Hollywood Smile. I'm reading a lot, watching DVD's, DirecTv, and internet. I'm kind of bored but I think it's worth the shot. The cost for my transparent braces were 2,000,000 Colombian Pesos (about 1,100 US Dollars) and my surgery was about 11,000,000 Colombian pesos (about 4700 US Dollars). When I'm through with all my "smile design" which includes the braces, the surgery, gum cuting and teeth whitening, I expect to spend something like US 6500-7000. Good luck on everyone's surgery and have extreme patience with your recovery.
Jorge
jgerlein@hotmail.com
hai !, well i was so happy i found this blog !, my lower jaw is abit bigger than my top one, and about 1 year ago my dentist spoted it it wasnt as bad when i was little btw (i'm 15 now) and i'm getting braces in may, and when i was 12 when they found it out i told one of my friends he told others and they came up with laods of names, tbh they i didnt mind at frist but after a while it got to me, and started to think i looked like something realy ugly and wirred, but disbaite this girls dont mind, but boys seem to which i dont get, but i realy like the way i look and don't realy wanna get it done and i don't wanna get it done for the realy mean people how take the piss out of it i don't think it's that bad but they seem to someone tell me what to do (it's not to late for me to drop out of the op) sorry for gramma and spelling i in a rush D: anyway try to make some sence of it, plz reply thanks :]
Oh wow. Im soooo thrilled to have found this blog! Eek! So, I have my consult with the ortho in 2 weeks. I had braces for 5 years and knew the whole time that this surgery was an option. We tried the rubber bands thing, but the minute they told me to stop using them, bam, right back where we started. Has anyone else already had braces? Cause I dont know how thats going to affect anything. Also, I was told that I could begin pursuing this surgery around 16, so for those of you who have been told to wait... you might wanna double check. Im 19 now, and totally ready to deal with this.
As for all the self esteem bits: Hallelujah. Thought I was the onllllly one! Nobody understands why im so self conscious about it, but I am. Can't even begin to list alll the names Ive come up with for myself. Sad, but there it is. Its no fun when you hate pictures and smiling because you always have to find the right angle to hide your chin. Ugh. Reading up on this surgery however is quite intimidating. Is it as scary as it sounds? I am totally willing to do it no matter what, but Im just curious.
I'd love to talk more about this!
rebeccak13@gmail.com
Oh wow. Im soooo thrilled to have found this blog! Eek! So, I have my consult with the ortho in 2 weeks. I had braces for 5 years and knew the whole time that this surgery was an option. We tried the rubber bands thing, but the minute they told me to stop using them, bam, right back where we started. Has anyone else already had braces? Cause I dont know how thats going to affect anything. Also, I was told that I could begin pursuing this surgery around 16, so for those of you who have been told to wait... you might wanna double check. Im 19 now, and totally ready to deal with this.
As for all the self esteem bits: Hallelujah. Thought I was the onllllly one! Nobody understands why im so self conscious about it, but I am. Can't even begin to list alll the names Ive come up with for myself. Sad, but there it is. Its no fun when you hate pictures and smiling because you always have to find the right angle to hide your chin. Ugh. Reading up on this surgery however is quite intimidating. Is it as scary as it sounds? I am totally willing to do it no matter what, but Im just curious.
I'd love to talk more about this!
rebeccak13@gmail.com
Hi Everyone,
It was really comforting to read all of your blogs describing experiences so similar to what I have been through.
All my life I grew up feeling like I was the only person with this "problem" that I couldn't fix. In middle school I adopted the nickname "jawbone" by one of the school bullys and it did a number on my self esteem.
I was always fighting off my smiles and keeping quiet when I had something that was bursting inside and wanted to come out.
I just turned 29 and I had complete upper and lower jaw surgery (pushed upper forward and lower back)when I was 19. The correction made was very significant and I was as happy as ever with the results for the first few years but I must say over the years since my surgery my lower jaw has come back forward a bit and now my upper and lower teeth meet which is beginning to worry me a bit. That is actually what led me to the computer today to do some investigating and see what others in this situation have done. At the time I had my surgery I had Kaiser and when I went to see the dr she took one look at me and said the insurance would cover the whole thing and they did. I am forever grateful to that dr and the work she did. I really encourage anyone thinking of surgery to do it if you can because it really changed my life for the better. Make sure you keep wearing your retainer every night after you have the surgery. My orthodontist later told me that my teeth wouldn't have shifted if I had been diligent about wearing mine but I just got comfortable after a few years and stopped wearing it. I just read that sometimes when you have a tounge that is a little extra large and flat, it can push against your lower teeth, moving them forward with time. I do have a pretty large tounge so I'm wondering if this has caused the shift since my surgery. I would love to talk more about all this, if anyone wants to contact me.
yachdav@sbcglobal.net
Hello everyone..Im happy I came across this blog..and I'm happy to know that I'm not alone after all by reading everyone's blogs. I'll be 26 in two weeks and I've had braces on now (for the second time) for a couple of weeks.. I was told when i was younger that i should have the surgery for my class II bite (overjet).. but my parents didn't want to go through with it. But now I finally decided to go ahead with it.Since i had braces when i was younger my teeth are straight but the overjet is still there.
I have my consultation in a week with the oral surgeon..I'm soo anxious and nervous at the same time. My parents and family still dont think i need it..but i don't think they understand how this really f**ks with my life..Grace I just wanted to know if you ever went through with the surgery..and if so how are you now? i don't know why i waited so long to do something about this..so now i'm walking around at the age of 25/26 with braces...the thing is i know im an attractive female but my smile makes me feel so unattractive its not even funny..and everyone wonders why im so quiet or shy..or whatever..when really im not that shy or quiet..im just so tired of being self conscious and not able to be myself around others..I just wanted to find out more about u and your situation since we are the same age with similar issues...I hope all is well..
anyone wanting to talk..feel free to contact me
my email is isexsimissesi@aol.com
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