Re: Really nervous

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I'm 20 years old and I had braces when I was 14 and I had them on for 4 years I

had them put back on in preparation for jaw surgery June 2004 I had my surgery

May 6th 2005. I had jaw/nose and cheek bones done the same time along with a

bone graft. I will have the braces on for another 6 months.

I had plates and screws put in to hold everything in place.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Perhaps this article about the risk cost benefit of the surgery will

help: http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514269934/ .Basically the gist is

that the surgery is very mature and sucessful and has a 90%

satisfaction rate!!!

Concerning wires or screws, I wasn't given the option but was

informed by my only OS that screwing is the contemporary method

which is less intrusive on the patient and provides greater

stability.

> Hi, like I said really nervous. I'm 18 and I had braces when I was

> 12 and my orthodontist didn't notice my horrible jaw alignment.

> After the braces came off, my bite actually got worse. I decided I

> was sick of my ugly teeth and I would go to another orthodontist

and

> get invisalign or something. He immediately said, by just looking

at

> me that I needed orthognathic surgery. I decided to do it, and

since

> that day I've been wanting to go back and change my mind. Not only

> am I so upset that I'm entering college and I look like a 14 year

> old with these braces, but I have this surgery to look forward to.

> There are just so many things to worry about. I'm not worried

about

> the pain or discomfort or anything like that. I've had 4 surgeries

> on my legs in the last two years, I'm a pro. It's just all the

risks

> that you have with this surgery is scary. I'm worried that my lips

> and chin will stay numb if that nerve is damaged, that the jaw

will

> relapse, I don't know whether to go with wiring or screws and

> plates, I can't find a good oral surgeon that my insurance will

> cover. I am really nervous. If anybody could help me out! I just

> need to know that other people had successful surgeries and would

do

> it over again if they had to. The biggest thing I need help with

is

> wires or screws. Every OS I go to says something different and

> nothing online is helping me. PLEASE!

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm 18 too and am going to be a sophomore in college in a month.

I had my surgery in July so I won't be completely back to normal but

close enough. I had my second set of braces put on when I was a

junior in high school and have been wearing them since and at least

for me it isn't a big deal anymore. Braces are so common that

practically every single other person has had them and understands.

And I am not the only one that still has braces, one of my suitemates

even still had them! So try not to worry about that, it'll be okay.

And even though the risks of the surgery may look scary, they are so

so incredibly low - I think risks associated with the anesthetia are

much higher. Being young, our nerve connections can get back to

normal a lot quicker - I am 5 weeks post op and went from complete

numbness on my bottom lip and chin to numbness on the right corner of

my lip and about the size of a quarter on my chin.

As far as being wired shut or banded or whatever, yeah that is just up

to what the surgeon thinks is best. We have a wide range here at this

site and it seems like all of the ways work fine. I personally was

just banded from the start so I could start talking (not completely

normally but close to it) shortly after the surgery. I don't know if

you are having upper or lower or both (I just had lower) but you can

email me if you wanna talk or have any more questions. Hope this

helps - sorry you are nervous!

Val

> Hi, like I said really nervous. I'm 18 and I had braces when I was

> 12 and my orthodontist didn't notice my horrible jaw alignment.

> After the braces came off, my bite actually got worse. I decided I

> was sick of my ugly teeth and I would go to another orthodontist and

> get invisalign or something. He immediately said, by just looking at

> me that I needed orthognathic surgery. I decided to do it, and since

> that day I've been wanting to go back and change my mind. Not only

> am I so upset that I'm entering college and I look like a 14 year

> old with these braces, but I have this surgery to look forward to.

> There are just so many things to worry about. I'm not worried about

> the pain or discomfort or anything like that. I've had 4 surgeries

> on my legs in the last two years, I'm a pro. It's just all the risks

> that you have with this surgery is scary. I'm worried that my lips

> and chin will stay numb if that nerve is damaged, that the jaw will

> relapse, I don't know whether to go with wiring or screws and

> plates, I can't find a good oral surgeon that my insurance will

> cover. I am really nervous. If anybody could help me out! I just

> need to know that other people had successful surgeries and would do

> it over again if they had to. The biggest thing I need help with is

> wires or screws. Every OS I go to says something different and

> nothing online is helping me. PLEASE!

[Guest guest]

Hi Jaclyn

It sounds like you've been though a lot so far so have faith in

yourself that you are a strong person and you can do it! I'm a grad

student and just had braces put on and definately feel like a 14 year

old at times...I have had a couple of comments about it but in general

people barely bat an eyelid. And I do see many others with braces. I

shopped around for an orthodontist for years and finally found one

here in Boston who was much more understanding about my sensitivity to

having braces on when I was already super conscious of my jaw. He told

me that the BU teaching hospital has treament plans that reduce the

time spent in braces - all other ODs told me 2 years total with 18

months pre-surgery. My current OD told me 1 year total with 6 months

pre-surgery - and he was dead on the money...I had them put on in

April and am having surgery September 12th.

As for wired vs. banded...here is what my OS told me: He gave me 2

choices...(1) they cut the lower jaw a certain way that is much less

likely to cause any nerve damage but this requires 6 weeks of being

wired shut. (2) They cut in a different place which has a slight

chance of hitting a nerve. If they do, then its quite difficult to fix

and you'll be wired shut to do so. If they don't, then you'll have

plates/screws with no need for wires. He said there is a 5% average

rate of hitting the nerve but that he has never done so (*touch

wood*). He left it up to me and I have chosen the non-wired option. I

have real faith in my surgeon's skills and he performs this surgery

all the time. If I was with an OS who did this less often then maybe I

would make a different decision. I think this second option is the

newer method and so perhaps some surgeons have less practice in it...

you should definately talk it over with your OS.

And its perfectly fine to feel nervous - I think most of us are! But

know that this is a fantastic site and you have a group of truly

wonderful people here to support you

Good luck,

Joanna

> Hi, like I said really nervous. I'm 18 and I had braces when I was

> 12 and my orthodontist didn't notice my horrible jaw alignment.

> After the braces came off, my bite actually got worse. I decided I

> was sick of my ugly teeth and I would go to another orthodontist and

> get invisalign or something. He immediately said, by just looking at

> me that I needed orthognathic surgery. I decided to do it, and since

> that day I've been wanting to go back and change my mind. Not only

> am I so upset that I'm entering college and I look like a 14 year

> old with these braces, but I have this surgery to look forward to.

> There are just so many things to worry about. I'm not worried about

> the pain or discomfort or anything like that. I've had 4 surgeries

> on my legs in the last two years, I'm a pro. It's just all the risks

> that you have with this surgery is scary. I'm worried that my lips

> and chin will stay numb if that nerve is damaged, that the jaw will

> relapse, I don't know whether to go with wiring or screws and

> plates, I can't find a good oral surgeon that my insurance will

> cover. I am really nervous. If anybody could help me out! I just

> need to know that other people had successful surgeries and would do

> it over again if they had to. The biggest thing I need help with is

> wires or screws. Every OS I go to says something different and

> nothing online is helping me. PLEASE!

[Guest guest]

Hi ive just been reading your post and thought i would chip in from

my experience.

firslty welcome to the group. My name is Kat i am 20 and from the

UK. I had upper/lower/RPE/sinus work when i was 17 to correct a

class III under bite. i still have braces now though they are the

retainer type. i have had braces since i was 12 too. i did find

that when i was a school there was the bullies who thought it woudl

be fun to take the micheal, but i just ignored them. i knew and

still know people of my age with braces. there was a point that

they were considered cool. I actually was sad to see my train

tracks taken off as i had grown quite attatched to them.

As for the plates and screws. I was the first patient to have

dissolveable ones. my surgeon put it to me that he would like me to

be almost his guinea pig in this. i didnt really have a problem

with this as he explained to me what would happen when they broke

down etc. the plates hadnt really been used in the uk, i believe

they were more popular in the U.S. for a personal point of view i

was quite glad that i wouldnt have the metal screws etc still in

me. though they rarely cause problems.

initally i suffered little to no pain with my surgery. everybody is

different tho as is the recovery. i think that the main thing is to

keep on top of the meds, eat well and be patient.

as for the risks. i did have some numbness from having my wisdom

teeth extracted prior to the jaw surgery. this still remains

today. it is only a tiny area at the right hand side of my lower

lip. it really doesnt bother me and often i will forget that it is

even there. i was completley numb from the eyes down after my jaw

surgery but i regained all the feeling over my recovery, expect for

the bit damaged during the wisdom teeth surgery.

there is a risk of relapse however if you stick to what you are

advised by your surgeon you are doing everything to prevent it. i

was told at a young age that the surgeon has to be sure that you

have stopped growing before they do the surgery or it could result

in a relapse as your jaws continue to grow post op. has your

surgeon mentioned this? my jaw has moved slightly since i had my

surgery but i was told that was due to them settling back into the

new position. i have to wear retainers on a night to help prevent a

relapse but it is totally worth it.

from my experience if i had to have this surgery again i would do it

without thinking twice. The pros out weighed the cons in my

circumstance.

i hope this is of help to you. use this site to your advantage as

lots of questions and find out what you can about your surgery it

will help settle those nerves.

Kind regards

Kat_UK

-- In orthognathicsurgerysupport , " Val "

<vgerriet@u...> wrote:

> Hi, I'm 18 too and am going to be a sophomore in college in a

month.

> I had my surgery in July so I won't be completely back to normal

but

> close enough. I had my second set of braces put on when I was a

> junior in high school and have been wearing them since and at least

> for me it isn't a big deal anymore. Braces are so common that

> practically every single other person has had them and

understands.

> And I am not the only one that still has braces, one of my

suitemates

> even still had them! So try not to worry about that, it'll be

okay.

>

> And even though the risks of the surgery may look scary, they are

so

> so incredibly low - I think risks associated with the anesthetia

are

> much higher. Being young, our nerve connections can get back to

> normal a lot quicker - I am 5 weeks post op and went from complete

> numbness on my bottom lip and chin to numbness on the right corner

of

> my lip and about the size of a quarter on my chin.

>

> As far as being wired shut or banded or whatever, yeah that is

just up

> to what the surgeon thinks is best. We have a wide range here at

this

> site and it seems like all of the ways work fine. I personally was

> just banded from the start so I could start talking (not completely

> normally but close to it) shortly after the surgery. I don't know

if

> you are having upper or lower or both (I just had lower) but you

can

> email me if you wanna talk or have any more questions. Hope this

> helps - sorry you are nervous!

>

> Val

>

>

> > Hi, like I said really nervous. I'm 18 and I had braces when I

was

> > 12 and my orthodontist didn't notice my horrible jaw alignment.

> > After the braces came off, my bite actually got worse. I decided

I

> > was sick of my ugly teeth and I would go to another orthodontist

and

> > get invisalign or something. He immediately said, by just

looking at

> > me that I needed orthognathic surgery. I decided to do it, and

since

> > that day I've been wanting to go back and change my mind. Not

only

> > am I so upset that I'm entering college and I look like a 14

year

> > old with these braces, but I have this surgery to look forward

to.

> > There are just so many things to worry about. I'm not worried

about

> > the pain or discomfort or anything like that. I've had 4

surgeries

> > on my legs in the last two years, I'm a pro. It's just all the

risks

> > that you have with this surgery is scary. I'm worried that my

lips

> > and chin will stay numb if that nerve is damaged, that the jaw

will

> > relapse, I don't know whether to go with wiring or screws and

> > plates, I can't find a good oral surgeon that my insurance will

> > cover. I am really nervous. If anybody could help me out! I just

> > need to know that other people had successful surgeries and

would do

> > it over again if they had to. The biggest thing I need help with

is

> > wires or screws. Every OS I go to says something different and

> > nothing online is helping me. PLEASE!