Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 Hey guys, just found this group - it helps a lot to see what other people think and go through... Just have a question or two. I am male, Chinese, and soon to be 28. I had braces a long time ago to correct a Class III/underbite problem which worked OK I guess (very slight overbite at the end). This finished at age 17/18. However, as is often the case, my lower jaw has continued to grow since then, which has not only allowed my lower wisdoms to erupt fully, but has also reversed the positive effect and given me a few mm of underbite once again! This kinda sucks, but over the past 10 years or so I have tried to convince myself that my jaw will stop growing soon. It hasn't shown any sign of stopping yet though. I can just about live with my underbite as it is now but I am worried that the problem will continue to worsen and I dread the prospect of surgery. Has anyone had a similar experience of continued jaw growth well into the late twenties/early thirties or known of anybody who has? Any advice? Hster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 hi, there. my problem was similar to your's in that i had braces as a teenager, but my lower jaw continued to grow after that. however, my ortho, when i was a teenager, did mention the possibility of my needing jaw surgery at some point - so he did notice some problem even then. i wonder why he allowed me to have braces at that time if he knew i'd need surgery later, but i guess its too late to worry about that. i noticed my teeth were moving when i was about 20 and i didn't even consider the idea of my jaw growing... i just thought it was b/c i didn't wear my retainer faithfully after my braces came off. but when it kept getting worse, i went to another ortho at age 25 and sure enough, he told me the only way to fix my bite problem was to have surgery. he couldn't say whether it would get worse, but he definitely knew that braces would never fix the problem. anyway, i went through with the surgery and have no regrets. i feel like i would have continually been bothered by my overgrown lower jaw if i hadn't done the surgery. i still need some work with my ortho, but i am already very pleased with having a slight overbite now (like i'm supposed to). all that to say, this procedure is a very personal decision. and that is because everyone is different... some people are extremely uncomfortable, others not so much, but would receive benefits from the surgery nonetheless. explore your options, weigh the pros and cons, talk to a surgeon and then make a decision based on the information you gather that is pertinent to your case. take care, heather > Hey guys, just found this group - it helps a lot to see what other > people think and go through... > Just have a question or two. I am male, Chinese, and soon to be 28. > I had braces a long time ago to correct a Class III/underbite > problem which worked OK I guess (very slight overbite at the end). > This finished at age 17/18. However, as is often the case, my lower > jaw has continued to grow since then, which has not only allowed my > lower wisdoms to erupt fully, but has also reversed the positive > effect and given me a few mm of underbite once again! This kinda > sucks, but over the past 10 years or so I have tried to convince > myself that my jaw will stop growing soon. > It hasn't shown any sign of stopping yet though. I can just about > live with my underbite as it is now but I am worried that the > problem will continue to worsen and I dread the prospect of surgery. > > Has anyone had a similar experience of continued jaw growth well > into the late twenties/early thirties or known of anybody who has? > > Any advice? > > Hster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 , thanks for sharing your experience - I really appreciate it. I hope that your jaw growth has stopped - it's a real bugger seeing good results being slowly overturned. I think that I'll wait to see how much more mine will grow - surely it'll have decided it's time to lay down low (here's hoping!) After a period of self- consciousness about 7-8 years ago when I realised that my underbite would return, I completely put the thing out of my mind and just got on with life. Until about 6 months ago when I noticed that my front teeth didn't even touch anymore when biting. Since then it's never been far from my thoughts, which wouldn't bother me all that much if I was sure it wouldn't get worse. But it hasn't stopped yet so I guess I'll have to deal with it. I don't think I have much trouble with eating or with speech (yet), I am very happily married, and wouldn't really want to put my wife and family through the ordeal of surgery. But if it gets much worse I might have to reconsider. In any case I guess I have to wait until the damned thing has finally stopped growing! For those of you out there with prognathic mandibles, do most of you have very large molar teeth? Mine are huge compared to my premolars, especially on the lower jaw (obviously!) and it didn't help when my lower wisdoms decided to erupt. Also, have you guys seen/heard or experienced the non-surgical alternative to maxilliary advancement called " labial corticotomy " ? I saw a website on this once where it described the procedure. It involves cutting a ridge in the maxilla above the roots to weaken the structure. Then a horrible looking device is strapped to the head to pull the upper jaw forward. Seemed to work well from the pictures. If anybody is interested I can try and find it again and give you the URL. Although it involves horrible headgear, I guess it avoids the trauma of surgery. However, I am guessing relapse might be a problem. Anyway, I'm rambling on now...but please, please (all of you) continue to share your thoughts and experiences. It really does help! Hster > > Hey guys, just found this group - it helps a lot to see what other > > people think and go through... > > Just have a question or two. I am male, Chinese, and soon to be 28. > > I had braces a long time ago to correct a Class III/underbite > > problem which worked OK I guess (very slight overbite at the end). > > This finished at age 17/18. However, as is often the case, my lower > > jaw has continued to grow since then, which has not only allowed my > > lower wisdoms to erupt fully, but has also reversed the positive > > effect and given me a few mm of underbite once again! This kinda > > sucks, but over the past 10 years or so I have tried to convince > > myself that my jaw will stop growing soon. > > It hasn't shown any sign of stopping yet though. I can just about > > live with my underbite as it is now but I am worried that the > > problem will continue to worsen and I dread the prospect of surgery. > > > > Has anyone had a similar experience of continued jaw growth well > > into the late twenties/early thirties or known of anybody who has? > > > > Any advice? > > > > Hster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 Generally there is one last growth spurt in your jaw at the end of your teens into your early 20's. A lot of time is is more prominent in men then women. After this the jaw is pretty much set on the size it is going to be...just like any other bone in your body. The idea of your jaw continuosly growing is as absurd a thought as thinking your arms will continue to lengthen over time. This is just the easiest comparison I could make. Teeth are trickly things. When the teeth don't meet properly or there is insufficent/excess grow of the jaw...teeth try to compensate for the misalignment and make things look worse then they are. Naturally teeth want to shift forward. You could have a perfect bite and this is true. That is why it is especially important to wear your retainers after ortho. It is also a common myth that wisdom teeth cause crowding problems...and I said this is a myth...meaning it is not true. Many dentist will agree with patients or tell them this in an attempt to get you to remove them when they should be....because as we all know...when you are told things like " it's going to make your teeth look crowded and they won't look as pretty " ..etc...you react faster to that then when you hear... " well..they are partially errupted...they could cause infection...blah blah blah " . I can state this for a fact because I am a dental hygienist and deal with all of this on a day to day basis. Also, wisdom teeth generally errupt between the ages of 17-21. If they do not come in fully by then...they more then likely are not coming in at all. Wisdom teeth do not effect the size of your jaw. In no way are they going to enlarge it. This is why a lot of times wisdom teeth are impacted...or partially errupted...because your jaw is not large enough to accomodate them. Molars are always at least double the size of premolars...sometimes they look even larger then that. This is because they are ment for grinding and need to withstand the enourmous amounts of biting pressure that are created by the jaws. I am by far no expert on any of this...but I did spend 4 years in college to become a registered dental hygienist...and have delt with many of the situations that I see posted on these boards. Unfortunatly I have been dealing with a pretty nice sized underbite. When all the measurements were said and done...it was shown that my upper jaw was way too small and narrow. I had my first surgery in december to widen...and I am anxiously anticipating my second surgery in October ....I'm not scared of it...I am ready to finally have this part of my life behind me...and I'm ready to smile. > > > Hey guys, just found this group - it helps a lot to see what > other > > > people think and go through... > > > Just have a question or two. I am male, Chinese, and soon to be > 28. > > > I had braces a long time ago to correct a Class III/underbite > > > problem which worked OK I guess (very slight overbite at the > end). > > > This finished at age 17/18. However, as is often the case, my > lower > > > jaw has continued to grow since then, which has not only allowed > my > > > lower wisdoms to erupt fully, but has also reversed the positive > > > effect and given me a few mm of underbite once again! This kinda > > > sucks, but over the past 10 years or so I have tried to convince > > > myself that my jaw will stop growing soon. > > > It hasn't shown any sign of stopping yet though. I can just > about > > > live with my underbite as it is now but I am worried that the > > > problem will continue to worsen and I dread the prospect of > surgery. > > > > > > Has anyone had a similar experience of continued jaw growth well > > > into the late twenties/early thirties or known of anybody who > has? > > > > > > Any advice? > > > > > > Hster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2004 Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 Thanks Cinderella, Although I am almost 28, I do look very young for my age (probably early twenties). This often provides me with some grievance at work when people don't take me seriously, and think that I am still a student when in fact I teach students. So perhaps in terms of growth I am equivalent to a 20 year old going through their final jaw growth spurt, and I'll live to be 150 to boot... As for my arms, I forgot to mention that my knuckles scrape the ground when I walk...just kidding! Good luck with your upcoming surgery. Hster > > > > Hey guys, just found this group - it helps a lot to see what > > other > > > > people think and go through... > > > > Just have a question or two. I am male, Chinese, and soon to > be > > 28. > > > > I had braces a long time ago to correct a Class III/underbite > > > > problem which worked OK I guess (very slight overbite at the > > end). > > > > This finished at age 17/18. However, as is often the case, my > > lower > > > > jaw has continued to grow since then, which has not only > allowed > > my > > > > lower wisdoms to erupt fully, but has also reversed the > positive > > > > effect and given me a few mm of underbite once again! This > kinda > > > > sucks, but over the past 10 years or so I have tried to > convince > > > > myself that my jaw will stop growing soon. > > > > It hasn't shown any sign of stopping yet though. I can just > > about > > > > live with my underbite as it is now but I am worried that the > > > > problem will continue to worsen and I dread the prospect of > > surgery. > > > > > > > > Has anyone had a similar experience of continued jaw growth > well > > > > into the late twenties/early thirties or known of anybody who > > has? > > > > > > > > Any advice? > > > > > > > > Hster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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