Re: Just been diagnosed as needing surgery

[Guest guest]

It's different for everyone, some only wear braces a few months, I'll have mine

for 18 months before the surgery. The braces really aren't bad. The first couple

weeks aren't a partym but after that you hardly even notice them. It took most

people a while to even notice I had them.

nunners74 <no_reply > wrote:i have just been told that i must

have this surgery due to my bite

being completely off balance. if i bite on my back teeth my lower jaw

is miles back from the top. i initially went to a sleep clinic due to

difficulty breathing and he said i had a gross something or other

(didnt catch what he said) and told me he wanted an urgent referral to

the maxillofacial unit.

I am 31 now and was offered this surgery as a teenager but my family

refused thinking it was too horrific in the eightees.

i really really dont want braces. i am ok with the surgery part if i

have to have it but the braces bit puts me off.

any advice on how long the process is would be great

thanks very much

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi Nunners

Your bite sounds like mine - I also have a massive overbite.

I totally understand that you don't want braces, I felt exactly the

same way; but sadly there's no way around it. What I did was get

metal brackets on the bottom, and clear plastic ones for the 6 teeth

on the top jaw that are visible when I smile.

When we first discussed the surgery with the orthodontist she said 6

months of braces; 3 months before and 3 months after, but I ended up

going the longer route of having two bicuspates removed from the

lower jaw and having the gaps closed over a period of 14 months

(longer than what we were told in the beginning, but anyway).

My operation is tomorrow, so I guess I'm still in the middle of the

whole thing. It is a long process, but I know it will be worth it in

the end. And I don't claim to know very much; this is just my

personal experience.

Good luck with your decision

Tarryn

> i have just been told that i must have this surgery due to my bite

> being completely off balance. if i bite on my back teeth my lower

jaw

> is miles back from the top. i initially went to a sleep clinic

due to

> difficulty breathing and he said i had a gross something or other

> (didnt catch what he said) and told me he wanted an urgent

referral to

> the maxillofacial unit.

>

> I am 31 now and was offered this surgery as a teenager but my

family

> refused thinking it was too horrific in the eightees.

>

> i really really dont want braces. i am ok with the surgery part

if i

> have to have it but the braces bit puts me off.

>

> any advice on how long the process is would be great

>

> thanks very much

[Guest guest]

The length of this process varies from person to person. I started

consultations in 2000, was in ALF appliances beginning in 2001,

moved on to fixed braces in late 2001/early 2002, had surgery in

2002 and was out of braces in early 2003.

Most orthos will not rush treatment since it can have adverse

effects on the roots of teeth (I used to be impatient, and I

asked!). Sometimes teeth move quickly, other times not. If you

decide to go forward, you just have to be patient with the process

(including surgery recovery which can be very frustrating as you

relearn how to eat, recover from possible numbness, etc).

About braces - I also didn't want braces, but they were necessary.

Be prepared that you may find adults who envy you for taking care of

your teeth (several people in my office were contemplating having

braces put on, and two others had actually had orthognathic surgery

in their teens). Kids nowadays appear to find braces appealing, a

sort of rite of passage for them. Anyway, they are not so bad, a bit

more work cleaning up after meals, but you get used to them. I

wouldn't give them a second thought and I'd also suggest when you

get them on, to go around your office (or wherever you work) and

give everyone a big broad smile to get any possible embarassment of

having them on over with quickly!

Sounds like you have health issues and possible future problems that

can be resolved with this surgery. Good luck with your decision!

> i have just been told that i must have this surgery due to my bite

> being completely off balance. if i bite on my back teeth my lower

jaw

> is miles back from the top. i initially went to a sleep clinic

due to

> difficulty breathing and he said i had a gross something or other

> (didnt catch what he said) and told me he wanted an urgent

referral to

> the maxillofacial unit.

>

> I am 31 now and was offered this surgery as a teenager but my

family

> refused thinking it was too horrific in the eightees.

>

> i really really dont want braces. i am ok with the surgery part

if i

> have to have it but the braces bit puts me off.

>

> any advice on how long the process is would be great

>

> thanks very much

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I also have an overbite, about 7mm I believe and will be undergoing

surgery in 1 month exactly. I understand your concern about the

braces because that is exactly why I put off having this surgery for

so long. I wore braces for a very long time when I was younger and

really didn't want to have to wear them again as an adult (i'm 27

now). Unfortunately for me braces were a necessity for surgery. The

good news was that initially my ortho told me I would have to wear

them for 6 months pre surgery and 6 months post surgery. However,

after 4 months of braces I was already ready for surgery. I decided

to wait another 2 months anyway because I am finishing off my

master's and didn't want any interruptions. So, like everyone else

said, timing can vary from person to person. I would first have a

consult with an ortho and see what he says. Because of my concern

with wearing braces again the ortho put clear ceramic brackets on my

top teeth and on 6 of my bottom teeth. Most people tell me you can't

even see that you have braces on. The first month when I got them

first put on was hard for me. I felt very uncomfortable smiling at

people, eating in public without rushing to the bathroom right after

to brush my teeth. Now, I'm smiling a lot more and agree with

Fiddlesticks, when you go put them on give people a big grin right

away. I did the same thing on my first day so that people would

realize right away and I could get it over with. I think, at least

for me, as you get closer to the day of the surgery you realize how

little a deal the braces are in the grand scheme of things. AT least

for me, going through this whole ordeal will have been every bit

worth it. As a result of my bite I suffer TMJ problems which cause me

a lot of migraines and I have a lot of trouble biting into food and

chewing problems. The problems people have as a result of an open

bite will vary from person to person but I would definitely ask your

doctor what further problems you might have as you get older and what

are the chances of this occurring.

Good luck with making your decision. It's a hard one. It took me 10

years to make up my mind!

Sara

> > i have just been told that i must have this surgery due to my

bite

> > being completely off balance. if i bite on my back teeth my

lower

> jaw

> > is miles back from the top. i initially went to a sleep clinic

> due to

> > difficulty breathing and he said i had a gross something or other

> > (didnt catch what he said) and told me he wanted an urgent

> referral to

> > the maxillofacial unit.

> >

> > I am 31 now and was offered this surgery as a teenager but my

> family

> > refused thinking it was too horrific in the eightees.

> >

> > i really really dont want braces. i am ok with the surgery part

> if i

> > have to have it but the braces bit puts me off.

> >

> > any advice on how long the process is would be great

> >

> > thanks very much

[Guest guest]

Really quickly, 'cause I'm getting tired and am almost due for my

pain medicine ...

It was suggested to me around 13 that I go the surgical route and it

was decided against.

I'm 32 now and made a three year committment to this process. When

all is said and done, I will have been involved (first surgery,

orthodontics, second surgery, ect.) for a little over three years.

> i have just been told that i must have this surgery due to my bite

> being completely off balance. if i bite on my back teeth my lower

jaw

> is miles back from the top. i initially went to a sleep clinic due

to

> difficulty breathing and he said i had a gross something or other

> (didnt catch what he said) and told me he wanted an urgent referral

to

> the maxillofacial unit.

>

> I am 31 now and was offered this surgery as a teenager but my

family

> refused thinking it was too horrific in the eightees.

>

> i really really dont want braces. i am ok with the surgery part if

i

> have to have it but the braces bit puts me off.

>

> any advice on how long the process is would be great

>

> thanks very much