Re: daughter

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I believe that your sister is incorrect. This surgery can be

indicated in patients with functional (bite) issues as well as

cosmetic ones.

May I ask how old your daughter is? I would not consider such an

invasive surgery unless you are absolutely sure that her jaw has

finished growing. There is too great of a potential for relapse, in

my opinion.

If she has finished growing, continue to get second opinions, both

from orthodontists and oral surgeons. Keep asking questions here and

also check out Fiddlestick's excellent web site (see links for

geocities site). Good luck,

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I believe that your sister is incorrect. This surgery can be

indicated in patients with functional (bite) issues as well as

cosmetic ones.

May I ask how old your daughter is? I would not consider such an

invasive surgery unless you are absolutely sure that her jaw has

finished growing. There is too great of a potential for relapse, in

my opinion.

If she has finished growing, continue to get second opinions, both

from orthodontists and oral surgeons. Keep asking questions here and

also check out Fiddlestick's excellent web site (see links for

geocities site). Good luck,

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I believe that your sister is incorrect. This surgery can be

indicated in patients with functional (bite) issues as well as

cosmetic ones.

May I ask how old your daughter is? I would not consider such an

invasive surgery unless you are absolutely sure that her jaw has

finished growing. There is too great of a potential for relapse, in

my opinion.

If she has finished growing, continue to get second opinions, both

from orthodontists and oral surgeons. Keep asking questions here and

also check out Fiddlestick's excellent web site (see links for

geocities site). Good luck,

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

> Hello,

>

> I believe that your sister is incorrect. This surgery can be

> indicated in patients with functional (bite) issues as well as

> cosmetic ones.

>

> May I ask how old your daughter is? I would not consider such an

> invasive surgery unless you are absolutely sure that her jaw has

> finished growing. There is too great of a potential for relapse,

in

> my opinion.

>

> If she has finished growing, continue to get second opinions, both

> from orthodontists and oral surgeons. Keep asking questions here

and

> also check out Fiddlestick's excellent web site (see links

for

> geocities site). Good luck,

>

> Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl, She's 13 and the Dr. told us it would be at least 2

to 3 years before she would be ready for surgery. This is the 2nd

orthodontist and 3rd doctor who has recommended this surgery. I'm

taking her to an oral surgeon for another opinion. I'm interested in

what he says also.

Terri

[Guest guest]

> Hello,

>

> I believe that your sister is incorrect. This surgery can be

> indicated in patients with functional (bite) issues as well as

> cosmetic ones.

>

> May I ask how old your daughter is? I would not consider such an

> invasive surgery unless you are absolutely sure that her jaw has

> finished growing. There is too great of a potential for relapse,

in

> my opinion.

>

> If she has finished growing, continue to get second opinions, both

> from orthodontists and oral surgeons. Keep asking questions here

and

> also check out Fiddlestick's excellent web site (see links

for

> geocities site). Good luck,

>

> Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl, She's 13 and the Dr. told us it would be at least 2

to 3 years before she would be ready for surgery. This is the 2nd

orthodontist and 3rd doctor who has recommended this surgery. I'm

taking her to an oral surgeon for another opinion. I'm interested in

what he says also.

Terri

[Guest guest]

> Hello,

>

> I believe that your sister is incorrect. This surgery can be

> indicated in patients with functional (bite) issues as well as

> cosmetic ones.

>

> May I ask how old your daughter is? I would not consider such an

> invasive surgery unless you are absolutely sure that her jaw has

> finished growing. There is too great of a potential for relapse,

in

> my opinion.

>

> If she has finished growing, continue to get second opinions, both

> from orthodontists and oral surgeons. Keep asking questions here

and

> also check out Fiddlestick's excellent web site (see links

for

> geocities site). Good luck,

>

> Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl, She's 13 and the Dr. told us it would be at least 2

to 3 years before she would be ready for surgery. This is the 2nd

orthodontist and 3rd doctor who has recommended this surgery. I'm

taking her to an oral surgeon for another opinion. I'm interested in

what he says also.

Terri

[Guest guest]

Hi there. I haven't done the surgery yet, but I still wanted to

comment on your post because I had braces from sixth through eighth

grade previously in a failed effort to correct my open bite. I am 26

years old and am in braces for a second time in preparation for

surgery. This surgery is a huge decision as it has both cosmetic and

functional purposes. You didn't say how old your daughter is, but

the first thing I would suggest would be to speak to the oral surgeon

and get as much info as possible, and if she's not done growing yet,

she can wait until she's old enough and ready to make an informed

decision. I could have done this surgery when I was 12 years old,

but that was 14 years ago and the doctors made it sound like cosmetic

surgery, so of course my parents said " NO WAY " . I was never told

what health and functional problems the surgery was intended for. I

was just told it would fix my gummy smile. In hindsight, although I

would love to think that I could have had 14 extra years of a great

smile, less jaw pain, and fewer health problems, I am glad I didn't

do the surgery then because my bite has gotten worse as I've aged,

and I could be going through surgery a second time at this point.

But I do wish I had been more informed so that I knew this surgery

was an option for me once I was " finished " growing as I would have

done it 3 to 5 years ago. My TMJ disorder has gotten progressively

worse over the years, I clench my teeth, I have obstructive sleep

apnea,and many other problems that are all a result of my " deformed "

or misaligned jaws. You said that your daughter has problems chewing

because of her open bite, but that cosmetically, her jaw does not

look out of proportion with her face. Some people are luckier than

others in that their jaw deformity is not apparent on the outside

just by looking at their face alone, but just because someone is

already attractive, does not mean that they should avoid the surgery

for that reason alone. Her face may not reflect a jaw deformity, but

it doesn't change the fact that her jaw is not the way it should be.

(I suppose this is where the cliches " Looks can be deceiving "

or " Don't judge a book by its cover " come in) Maybe it's just me,

but your sister's comment about only doing the surgery if your

face " looks " out of balance makes it sound like only people who are

aesthetically unpleasing should do the surgery, regardless of whether

or not you need it to correct functional/health abnormalities. (I was

actually denied further X-rays and testing as well as a Workers Comp

claim for a foot injury that happened at work because they

said " You're a young, attractive girl.. I'm sure you'll be fine " -

But that's another story) Some people have trouble deciding what is

the most valid reason to do this surgery; cosmetics or function?

There are a lot of discussions about why you should or shouldn't do

this surgery for cosmetic reasons, but I don't really don't think it

should matter why you do it. If you think about it, a lot of us

orthagnatic surgery cases do have facial features that are

considered " unattractive " to the average uninformed Joe, but there

are medical reasons for why our faces look the way they do. My face

happens to have some " classic features " that are attributed to my jaw

abnormalities. It has been very difficult for me to have to endure a

lifetime of cruel comments about my gummy smile, long face and narrow

nose, and unfortunately my self esteem is pretty much non existent as

a result of that. Going through this surgery process has resurfaced

a lot of emotions and has been quite a humbling experience. All of

these years, I was told to ignore or not believe peoples rude

comments about my face, yet when I decided to go about fixing my bite

last year, every orthodontist and surgeon would walk in the room and

say " I bet you breathe through your mouth, have year round allergies,

you snore, can't chew food properly and have a gummy smile. Yup, you

have long face syndrome. " Wow, and this was deciphered without me

saying a word; they could tell just by looking at my face that I had

these problems, which just proves that unfortunately many of us have

facial characteristics that are inherent with our jaw deformities.

So all of a sudden I'm faced with this horrible realiztion that this

doctor is right... even though I've been told to ignore the cruel

jokes and not believe the taunts about my gummy smile, long face and

narrow nose; in a way those comments were true. Granted, the doctor

is offering medical reasons while other people were just being mean,

but...ouch. It was hard to swallow, but that only made me want to do

this surgery even more. I feel fortunate that I have the opportunity

to do a surgery that can not only correct my plethora of medical

problems by balancing my jaws, but can also lead to more balanced

facial features, when some people have ailments, diseases or

disfigurments that have no cure. So if I do look better after this

surgery, it's only because I will then look the way I should have

looked all along with correct jaws. This surgery is only as important

as the person having it belived it is. If you're daughter is

inconveienced by her poor bite and is in pain and doesn't want to

live like that the rest of her life, then this surgery is a wonderful

option. If she feels she can live with the pain or inconvenience of a

poor bite and she and her doctors see no longterm consequences

developing as a result of just letting it be, and if she's perfectly

happy with the way she looks and doesn't want to take the risk of

changing that, then I wouldn't reccomend letting anyone tell her she

has to do the surgery. The decision is up to the person having

surgery. This has been an extremely difficult journey for me, but I

have to believe I am going in the right direction. Just know that the

people here understand the dilema of deciding whether or not surgery

is the right answer. You are a mother who is concerned for the well

fare of her daughter, which is wonderful. Just don't let cosmetics

stand in the way of your decision. Become informed and let your

daughter in on the information. I have struggled with

bitter/resentful feelings towards my parents now that I'm left to

deal with this because they were never the type to take initiative to

investigate this further or ask questions. They said " your fine the

way you look, you don't need surgery " and left it at that and I had

no clue what my options were. I guess, I look at it this way; your

daughter is beautiful now, and I doubt that she will look worse after

surgery, so if she needs it, well, she needs it whether she's pretty

or not. Maybe it's easier to play a game of " what if " ? I know it

might sound extreme, and please don't think I'm judging anybody, but

I just feel like people put so much emphasis on outward beauty that

they think as long as you're attractive, you shouldn't have pain or

if you say you do, it's not as believable. Pretend someones daughter

had a disfiguring birth defect on her face that made

her " unattractive " in todays world, but she had absolutely no pain or

ill side effects because of it and was a smart and friendly person.

Do you think the parent would perform a surgery that could get rid of

the disfigurement to make her " conventionally beautiful " if it meant

she would have to live the rest of her life in pain and not be able

to eat properly? If a parent wouldn't want an " unattractive "

daughter to live in pain if she didn't need to, I'm sure a parent

wouldn't want a " beautiful " daughter to continue to live in pain if

she had the chance to correct it, just because there was a risk that

she could look slightly different. " Unattractive " people aren't more

entitled to orthagnathic surgery than are " pretty " people, but

unfortunately, even some doctors seem to instigate this way of

thinking. Beauty is only skin deep; it can fade as the years go by,

and it does not guarantee happiness. Your health is what you need to

survive. I'm doing this surgery for my health, but I will welcome

any positive cosmetic changes that may come my way.

I'm sorry to ramble, and I'll now step off my soap box. I wish you

and your daugther the best of luck with whatever you decide.

--

> My daughter went to the orthodontist today and he suggested this

> surgery for her in a couple of years. He made an appointment with

the

> oral surgeon for us and told us the oral surgeon would be driving

her

> treatment. Basically her teeth don't meet up, she has problems

> chewing and has an open bite. She also needs her palate widened.

We

> had it widened when she was 8 years old but returned to it's narrow

> self within a couple of years.

>

> My sister had the surgery when she was around 18. She had a much

> more prominent jaw line and the surgery made a tremendous

improvement

> in her looks. But it wasn't an easy process. Her jaw was wired

shut

> for 8 weeks. From her point of view the only reason to do the

> surgery is if your jaw is out of balance with your face. My

> daughters is not.

>

> Are those of you whose treatment are complete, are you happy with

the

> results? Would you do it again? How much pain and discomfort were

> you in? Did you try correcting the problem with braces first? How

> big of an impact did it have on your looks? My daughters jaw line

is

> very proportional to the rest of her face. I don't want her to be

> unhappy with the results.

>

> Thanks for any input, before making any decisions I want to find

out

> as much information as possible.

[Guest guest]

Hi there. I haven't done the surgery yet, but I still wanted to

comment on your post because I had braces from sixth through eighth

grade previously in a failed effort to correct my open bite. I am 26

years old and am in braces for a second time in preparation for

surgery. This surgery is a huge decision as it has both cosmetic and

functional purposes. You didn't say how old your daughter is, but

the first thing I would suggest would be to speak to the oral surgeon

and get as much info as possible, and if she's not done growing yet,

she can wait until she's old enough and ready to make an informed

decision. I could have done this surgery when I was 12 years old,

but that was 14 years ago and the doctors made it sound like cosmetic

surgery, so of course my parents said " NO WAY " . I was never told

what health and functional problems the surgery was intended for. I

was just told it would fix my gummy smile. In hindsight, although I

would love to think that I could have had 14 extra years of a great

smile, less jaw pain, and fewer health problems, I am glad I didn't

do the surgery then because my bite has gotten worse as I've aged,

and I could be going through surgery a second time at this point.

But I do wish I had been more informed so that I knew this surgery

was an option for me once I was " finished " growing as I would have

done it 3 to 5 years ago. My TMJ disorder has gotten progressively

worse over the years, I clench my teeth, I have obstructive sleep

apnea,and many other problems that are all a result of my " deformed "

or misaligned jaws. You said that your daughter has problems chewing

because of her open bite, but that cosmetically, her jaw does not

look out of proportion with her face. Some people are luckier than

others in that their jaw deformity is not apparent on the outside

just by looking at their face alone, but just because someone is

already attractive, does not mean that they should avoid the surgery

for that reason alone. Her face may not reflect a jaw deformity, but

it doesn't change the fact that her jaw is not the way it should be.

(I suppose this is where the cliches " Looks can be deceiving "

or " Don't judge a book by its cover " come in) Maybe it's just me,

but your sister's comment about only doing the surgery if your

face " looks " out of balance makes it sound like only people who are

aesthetically unpleasing should do the surgery, regardless of whether

or not you need it to correct functional/health abnormalities. (I was

actually denied further X-rays and testing as well as a Workers Comp

claim for a foot injury that happened at work because they

said " You're a young, attractive girl.. I'm sure you'll be fine " -

But that's another story) Some people have trouble deciding what is

the most valid reason to do this surgery; cosmetics or function?

There are a lot of discussions about why you should or shouldn't do

this surgery for cosmetic reasons, but I don't really don't think it

should matter why you do it. If you think about it, a lot of us

orthagnatic surgery cases do have facial features that are

considered " unattractive " to the average uninformed Joe, but there

are medical reasons for why our faces look the way they do. My face

happens to have some " classic features " that are attributed to my jaw

abnormalities. It has been very difficult for me to have to endure a

lifetime of cruel comments about my gummy smile, long face and narrow

nose, and unfortunately my self esteem is pretty much non existent as

a result of that. Going through this surgery process has resurfaced

a lot of emotions and has been quite a humbling experience. All of

these years, I was told to ignore or not believe peoples rude

comments about my face, yet when I decided to go about fixing my bite

last year, every orthodontist and surgeon would walk in the room and

say " I bet you breathe through your mouth, have year round allergies,

you snore, can't chew food properly and have a gummy smile. Yup, you

have long face syndrome. " Wow, and this was deciphered without me

saying a word; they could tell just by looking at my face that I had

these problems, which just proves that unfortunately many of us have

facial characteristics that are inherent with our jaw deformities.

So all of a sudden I'm faced with this horrible realiztion that this

doctor is right... even though I've been told to ignore the cruel

jokes and not believe the taunts about my gummy smile, long face and

narrow nose; in a way those comments were true. Granted, the doctor

is offering medical reasons while other people were just being mean,

but...ouch. It was hard to swallow, but that only made me want to do

this surgery even more. I feel fortunate that I have the opportunity

to do a surgery that can not only correct my plethora of medical

problems by balancing my jaws, but can also lead to more balanced

facial features, when some people have ailments, diseases or

disfigurments that have no cure. So if I do look better after this

surgery, it's only because I will then look the way I should have

looked all along with correct jaws. This surgery is only as important

as the person having it belived it is. If you're daughter is

inconveienced by her poor bite and is in pain and doesn't want to

live like that the rest of her life, then this surgery is a wonderful

option. If she feels she can live with the pain or inconvenience of a

poor bite and she and her doctors see no longterm consequences

developing as a result of just letting it be, and if she's perfectly

happy with the way she looks and doesn't want to take the risk of

changing that, then I wouldn't reccomend letting anyone tell her she

has to do the surgery. The decision is up to the person having

surgery. This has been an extremely difficult journey for me, but I

have to believe I am going in the right direction. Just know that the

people here understand the dilema of deciding whether or not surgery

is the right answer. You are a mother who is concerned for the well

fare of her daughter, which is wonderful. Just don't let cosmetics

stand in the way of your decision. Become informed and let your

daughter in on the information. I have struggled with

bitter/resentful feelings towards my parents now that I'm left to

deal with this because they were never the type to take initiative to

investigate this further or ask questions. They said " your fine the

way you look, you don't need surgery " and left it at that and I had

no clue what my options were. I guess, I look at it this way; your

daughter is beautiful now, and I doubt that she will look worse after

surgery, so if she needs it, well, she needs it whether she's pretty

or not. Maybe it's easier to play a game of " what if " ? I know it

might sound extreme, and please don't think I'm judging anybody, but

I just feel like people put so much emphasis on outward beauty that

they think as long as you're attractive, you shouldn't have pain or

if you say you do, it's not as believable. Pretend someones daughter

had a disfiguring birth defect on her face that made

her " unattractive " in todays world, but she had absolutely no pain or

ill side effects because of it and was a smart and friendly person.

Do you think the parent would perform a surgery that could get rid of

the disfigurement to make her " conventionally beautiful " if it meant

she would have to live the rest of her life in pain and not be able

to eat properly? If a parent wouldn't want an " unattractive "

daughter to live in pain if she didn't need to, I'm sure a parent

wouldn't want a " beautiful " daughter to continue to live in pain if

she had the chance to correct it, just because there was a risk that

she could look slightly different. " Unattractive " people aren't more

entitled to orthagnathic surgery than are " pretty " people, but

unfortunately, even some doctors seem to instigate this way of

thinking. Beauty is only skin deep; it can fade as the years go by,

and it does not guarantee happiness. Your health is what you need to

survive. I'm doing this surgery for my health, but I will welcome

any positive cosmetic changes that may come my way.

I'm sorry to ramble, and I'll now step off my soap box. I wish you

and your daugther the best of luck with whatever you decide.

--

> My daughter went to the orthodontist today and he suggested this

> surgery for her in a couple of years. He made an appointment with

the

> oral surgeon for us and told us the oral surgeon would be driving

her

> treatment. Basically her teeth don't meet up, she has problems

> chewing and has an open bite. She also needs her palate widened.

We

> had it widened when she was 8 years old but returned to it's narrow

> self within a couple of years.

>

> My sister had the surgery when she was around 18. She had a much

> more prominent jaw line and the surgery made a tremendous

improvement

> in her looks. But it wasn't an easy process. Her jaw was wired

shut

> for 8 weeks. From her point of view the only reason to do the

> surgery is if your jaw is out of balance with your face. My

> daughters is not.

>

> Are those of you whose treatment are complete, are you happy with

the

> results? Would you do it again? How much pain and discomfort were

> you in? Did you try correcting the problem with braces first? How

> big of an impact did it have on your looks? My daughters jaw line

is

> very proportional to the rest of her face. I don't want her to be

> unhappy with the results.

>

> Thanks for any input, before making any decisions I want to find

out

> as much information as possible.

[Guest guest]

It was first suggested that my daughter eventually have surgery when she was 7.

Our

family dentist sent us to the ortho because of her overbite, which at that

age,came to

a point in front. We did a round of braces then, and then a lot of 'wait and

see', along

with some tooth pulling to make room (small, crowded jaw, big teeth!), She is

now

12, and we saw the Cranial Facial surgeon last month, who concurred with

surgery,

saying that we need to move her jaw 8mm - not a small overbite, but a big one!

My daughter doesn't particularly want to go through it, but is resigned to it.

She

wants to be able to bite food (she has never been able to eat an apple that

wasn't cut

up for her), and it really has nothing to do with cosmetics (she will have her

chin done

as well, to avoid a long face).

My friends were less than supportive when she was younger, but as she has grown,

and her bottom jaw has not, they seem to see the need (or at least understand)

that it

is not a cosmetic but a functional surgery. It helps if I say that it is to

help a

congential birth defect that causes retardation of growth in the lower jaw and

she

needs corrective surgery. (I have been reading the thread here about what to

say with

much interest - somehow if she has a malformed knee or any other joint, there

would

be no question about surgery, but somehow this is viewed like a mom giving her

16

year old a nose job!)

(my daughter) is still years away from surgery (2-3), but she will start

'pre-

surgery' braces in 6 to 9 months. I feel good about the ortho and the surgeon

(we

live in a large metropolitan area with 2 children's hospitals, and this guy is

the head

of the department of Cranial Facial surgery at one of them, as well as a chair

of the

department at the medical school - he does a few a week). And, although they

are

moving her jaw a lot (isn't 8 mm a lot?), it is lower only - which after lurking

here for

many years, I know is minor compared to others!

Reading this group, checking out the pictures, doing research and learning

everything

you can will help inform the deicison. The ortho has also suggested that

talk

to other girls that have had the surgery that are close to her in age (15, 16)

The

ortho has 2 or 3 a year go through it, so he has a few patients she could talk

to.

Your ortho or surgeon may be able to connect you with someone (a mom and/or

child) who has more recently done this than your sister.

Sorry for rambling!

Good luck!

, 's mom

> My daughter went to the orthodontist today and he suggested this

> surgery for her in a couple of years. He made an appointment with the

> oral surgeon for us and told us the oral surgeon would be driving her

> treatment.

[Guest guest]

It was first suggested that my daughter eventually have surgery when she was 7.

Our

family dentist sent us to the ortho because of her overbite, which at that

age,came to

a point in front. We did a round of braces then, and then a lot of 'wait and

see', along

with some tooth pulling to make room (small, crowded jaw, big teeth!), She is

now

12, and we saw the Cranial Facial surgeon last month, who concurred with

surgery,

saying that we need to move her jaw 8mm - not a small overbite, but a big one!

My daughter doesn't particularly want to go through it, but is resigned to it.

She

wants to be able to bite food (she has never been able to eat an apple that

wasn't cut

up for her), and it really has nothing to do with cosmetics (she will have her

chin done

as well, to avoid a long face).

My friends were less than supportive when she was younger, but as she has grown,

and her bottom jaw has not, they seem to see the need (or at least understand)

that it

is not a cosmetic but a functional surgery. It helps if I say that it is to

help a

congential birth defect that causes retardation of growth in the lower jaw and

she

needs corrective surgery. (I have been reading the thread here about what to

say with

much interest - somehow if she has a malformed knee or any other joint, there

would

be no question about surgery, but somehow this is viewed like a mom giving her

16

year old a nose job!)

(my daughter) is still years away from surgery (2-3), but she will start

'pre-

surgery' braces in 6 to 9 months. I feel good about the ortho and the surgeon

(we

live in a large metropolitan area with 2 children's hospitals, and this guy is

the head

of the department of Cranial Facial surgery at one of them, as well as a chair

of the

department at the medical school - he does a few a week). And, although they

are

moving her jaw a lot (isn't 8 mm a lot?), it is lower only - which after lurking

here for

many years, I know is minor compared to others!

Reading this group, checking out the pictures, doing research and learning

everything

you can will help inform the deicison. The ortho has also suggested that

talk

to other girls that have had the surgery that are close to her in age (15, 16)

The

ortho has 2 or 3 a year go through it, so he has a few patients she could talk

to.

Your ortho or surgeon may be able to connect you with someone (a mom and/or

child) who has more recently done this than your sister.

Sorry for rambling!

Good luck!

, 's mom

> My daughter went to the orthodontist today and he suggested this

> surgery for her in a couple of years. He made an appointment with the

> oral surgeon for us and told us the oral surgeon would be driving her

> treatment.

[Guest guest]

Friend ,

You have nothing to worry about in the respect of being worthy of

self-esteem. Your analysis is very well put, and clearly, and I agree

with it completely.

For whatever it may be worth, everybody i talked with (meaning the

pro's -- I was trying desperately to find someone to tell me not to

do the surgery, or even the braces for that matter) took one look and

said, " Yep. You have troubles. " One dentist was concerned that I

might have more TMJD post op, and my surgeon told me that the answer

to that mystery is not clear. Surgery (at least in my case) could fix

it, make it worse, or not change things.

But everybody agreed that I needed the ortho fixes (I had had braces

as a youngster) and most agreed that the surgery was necessary to

retain the changes. " It's what will let your ortho complete your

case, " is what my surgeon said.

I was also in danger of losing teeth if I did not have the surgery,

and at least one specialist thought that the TMJD would become worse

if I did not.

Fourteen years ago, I think, the surgery was also tougher. I believe

the surgeons have become much more skilled in the use of rigid

internal fixation since then. I know that my surgeon, who does lots

and lots of these procedures, told me he hadn't wired anybody shut in

a decade. (He neither wired nor banded me, although I did get a wired-

in splint, for seven weeks, in the upper brace.)

Your bite might have relapsed, not only because of growth issues, but

because the fixes were harder to maintain then, I think.

I had a very small, very well-done surgery, and my appearance hardly

changed at all, except to those who know quite a bit about it and me.

Cosmetics would never have persuaded me to undertake it (although I

respect those for whom the changes in appearance are the most

important element). But it went well, and I believe that it was an

important thing to get done, and important enough to justify the

expense of my insurance company in providing it.

And Mama, if your child has an open bite, trouble in eating, etc.,

her jaws are not in balance with her face! whatever anybody sees from

the outside!

Cammie

Best to both of you.

[Guest guest]

Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only, advanced),

and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he said, " CAMMIE!

It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement, done

first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

have large underbites.

And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich, a

salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't taken

on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem doing

them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But I'm

cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

Cammie

[Guest guest]

Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only, advanced),

and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he said, " CAMMIE!

It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement, done

first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

have large underbites.

And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich, a

salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't taken

on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem doing

them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But I'm

cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

Cammie

[Guest guest]

Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only, advanced),

and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he said, " CAMMIE!

It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement, done

first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

have large underbites.

And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich, a

salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't taken

on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem doing

them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But I'm

cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

Cammie

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I was the one who had her jaw advanced 17 mm. I wish I could have

had the surgery as a child. It would have saved me a lot of problems

but these surgeries weren't being done 25 years ago. I was first

diagosed with a bad overbite and open bite when I was 6 or 7. I was

treated with braces only then without any success. Your daughters

are fortunate that they can have their bites fixed while they are

still young.

There is a lot more to orthognathic surgery than the cosmetic

aspect. Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

well. I now have severe osteoarthritis in both TMJ's. Six weeks ago

I had my third jaw surgery, this time to try to fix the TMJ

problems. It helped some but not enough so now I am going to have to

have bilateral joint reconstructions. I am too young (at 36) to have

artificial joints placed so my surgeon will try to rebuild the

condyles using distraction again. I don't think I will ever have a

normal functioning bite.

I don't want to scare you but this is what can happen if you don't

correct a bad bite at an early age. My older daughter was diagnosed

with the same problem (8 mm overbite at age 2) but she is still much

too young for treatment. We will get her bite fixed as early as we

can (as soon as she stops growing). I don't want her to go through

what I've gone through.

Good luck with your daughters' surgeries.

> Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

>

> Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only,

advanced),

> and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he

said, " CAMMIE!

> It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

> retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

>

> There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement,

done

> first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

> finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

>

> The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

> have large underbites.

>

> And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich,

a

> salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't

taken

> on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem

doing

> them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

> them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But

I'm

> cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

>

> Cammie

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I was the one who had her jaw advanced 17 mm. I wish I could have

had the surgery as a child. It would have saved me a lot of problems

but these surgeries weren't being done 25 years ago. I was first

diagosed with a bad overbite and open bite when I was 6 or 7. I was

treated with braces only then without any success. Your daughters

are fortunate that they can have their bites fixed while they are

still young.

There is a lot more to orthognathic surgery than the cosmetic

aspect. Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

well. I now have severe osteoarthritis in both TMJ's. Six weeks ago

I had my third jaw surgery, this time to try to fix the TMJ

problems. It helped some but not enough so now I am going to have to

have bilateral joint reconstructions. I am too young (at 36) to have

artificial joints placed so my surgeon will try to rebuild the

condyles using distraction again. I don't think I will ever have a

normal functioning bite.

I don't want to scare you but this is what can happen if you don't

correct a bad bite at an early age. My older daughter was diagnosed

with the same problem (8 mm overbite at age 2) but she is still much

too young for treatment. We will get her bite fixed as early as we

can (as soon as she stops growing). I don't want her to go through

what I've gone through.

Good luck with your daughters' surgeries.

> Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

>

> Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only,

advanced),

> and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he

said, " CAMMIE!

> It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

> retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

>

> There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement,

done

> first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

> finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

>

> The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

> have large underbites.

>

> And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich,

a

> salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't

taken

> on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem

doing

> them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

> them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But

I'm

> cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

>

> Cammie

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I was the one who had her jaw advanced 17 mm. I wish I could have

had the surgery as a child. It would have saved me a lot of problems

but these surgeries weren't being done 25 years ago. I was first

diagosed with a bad overbite and open bite when I was 6 or 7. I was

treated with braces only then without any success. Your daughters

are fortunate that they can have their bites fixed while they are

still young.

There is a lot more to orthognathic surgery than the cosmetic

aspect. Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

well. I now have severe osteoarthritis in both TMJ's. Six weeks ago

I had my third jaw surgery, this time to try to fix the TMJ

problems. It helped some but not enough so now I am going to have to

have bilateral joint reconstructions. I am too young (at 36) to have

artificial joints placed so my surgeon will try to rebuild the

condyles using distraction again. I don't think I will ever have a

normal functioning bite.

I don't want to scare you but this is what can happen if you don't

correct a bad bite at an early age. My older daughter was diagnosed

with the same problem (8 mm overbite at age 2) but she is still much

too young for treatment. We will get her bite fixed as early as we

can (as soon as she stops growing). I don't want her to go through

what I've gone through.

Good luck with your daughters' surgeries.

> Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

>

> Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only,

advanced),

> and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he

said, " CAMMIE!

> It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

> retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

>

> There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement,

done

> first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

> finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

>

> The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

> have large underbites.

>

> And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich,

a

> salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't

taken

> on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem

doing

> them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

> them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But

I'm

> cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

>

> Cammie

[Guest guest]

I know there are other, more serious problems that can develop. I think I have

many

of them (snoring, mouth breathing, TMJ, etc...) because I did not have surgery -

but

my daughter inherited my jaw...

As I sat at the Cranial Facial surgeon's office for my daughter's consult, and

he

explained all the things that happen if you don't have the surgery & I

recognized all of

them.

30 years ago, when my overbite was treated, the ortho used braces to 'mask' it,

and

now I have a jaw that doesn't meet anywhere. I no longer have an overbite, but

my

teeth don't meet at all. I am going to consult with my dentist and possibly

the ortho

to see if there is a surgical option for me (gee, it would be nice not to have a

tired

jaw!)

Thanks for the support! We still have a couple of years to go for Em, but she

is

getting ready... both mentally and physically!

, 's mom

Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

> chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

> well

[Guest guest]

I know there are other, more serious problems that can develop. I think I have

many

of them (snoring, mouth breathing, TMJ, etc...) because I did not have surgery -

but

my daughter inherited my jaw...

As I sat at the Cranial Facial surgeon's office for my daughter's consult, and

he

explained all the things that happen if you don't have the surgery & I

recognized all of

them.

30 years ago, when my overbite was treated, the ortho used braces to 'mask' it,

and

now I have a jaw that doesn't meet anywhere. I no longer have an overbite, but

my

teeth don't meet at all. I am going to consult with my dentist and possibly

the ortho

to see if there is a surgical option for me (gee, it would be nice not to have a

tired

jaw!)

Thanks for the support! We still have a couple of years to go for Em, but she

is

getting ready... both mentally and physically!

, 's mom

Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

> chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

> well

[Guest guest]

I know there are other, more serious problems that can develop. I think I have

many

of them (snoring, mouth breathing, TMJ, etc...) because I did not have surgery -

but

my daughter inherited my jaw...

As I sat at the Cranial Facial surgeon's office for my daughter's consult, and

he

explained all the things that happen if you don't have the surgery & I

recognized all of

them.

30 years ago, when my overbite was treated, the ortho used braces to 'mask' it,

and

now I have a jaw that doesn't meet anywhere. I no longer have an overbite, but

my

teeth don't meet at all. I am going to consult with my dentist and possibly

the ortho

to see if there is a surgical option for me (gee, it would be nice not to have a

tired

jaw!)

Thanks for the support! We still have a couple of years to go for Em, but she

is

getting ready... both mentally and physically!

, 's mom

Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

> chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

> well

[Guest guest]

,

Hi. You may go threw the DO again? I hope it will be easier this time. Do

they think it will be a quicker process this time?

Bella

Re: daughter

Hi,

I was the one who had her jaw advanced 17 mm. I wish I could have

had the surgery as a child. It would have saved me a lot of problems

but these surgeries weren't being done 25 years ago. I was first

diagosed with a bad overbite and open bite when I was 6 or 7. I was

treated with braces only then without any success. Your daughters

are fortunate that they can have their bites fixed while they are

still young.

There is a lot more to orthognathic surgery than the cosmetic

aspect. Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

well. I now have severe osteoarthritis in both TMJ's. Six weeks ago

I had my third jaw surgery, this time to try to fix the TMJ

problems. It helped some but not enough so now I am going to have to

have bilateral joint reconstructions. I am too young (at 36) to have

artificial joints placed so my surgeon will try to rebuild the

condyles using distraction again. I don't think I will ever have a

normal functioning bite.

I don't want to scare you but this is what can happen if you don't

correct a bad bite at an early age. My older daughter was diagnosed

with the same problem (8 mm overbite at age 2) but she is still much

too young for treatment. We will get her bite fixed as early as we

can (as soon as she stops growing). I don't want her to go through

what I've gone through.

Good luck with your daughters' surgeries.

> Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

>

> Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only,

advanced),

> and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he

said, " CAMMIE!

> It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

> retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

>

> There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement,

done

> first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

> finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

>

> The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

> have large underbites.

>

> And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich,

a

> salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't

taken

> on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem

doing

> them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

> them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But

I'm

> cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

>

> Cammie

[Guest guest]

,

Hi. You may go threw the DO again? I hope it will be easier this time. Do

they think it will be a quicker process this time?

Bella

Re: daughter

Hi,

I was the one who had her jaw advanced 17 mm. I wish I could have

had the surgery as a child. It would have saved me a lot of problems

but these surgeries weren't being done 25 years ago. I was first

diagosed with a bad overbite and open bite when I was 6 or 7. I was

treated with braces only then without any success. Your daughters

are fortunate that they can have their bites fixed while they are

still young.

There is a lot more to orthognathic surgery than the cosmetic

aspect. Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

well. I now have severe osteoarthritis in both TMJ's. Six weeks ago

I had my third jaw surgery, this time to try to fix the TMJ

problems. It helped some but not enough so now I am going to have to

have bilateral joint reconstructions. I am too young (at 36) to have

artificial joints placed so my surgeon will try to rebuild the

condyles using distraction again. I don't think I will ever have a

normal functioning bite.

I don't want to scare you but this is what can happen if you don't

correct a bad bite at an early age. My older daughter was diagnosed

with the same problem (8 mm overbite at age 2) but she is still much

too young for treatment. We will get her bite fixed as early as we

can (as soon as she stops growing). I don't want her to go through

what I've gone through.

Good luck with your daughters' surgeries.

> Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

>

> Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only,

advanced),

> and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he

said, " CAMMIE!

> It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

> retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

>

> There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement,

done

> first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

> finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

>

> The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

> have large underbites.

>

> And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich,

a

> salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't

taken

> on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem

doing

> them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

> them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But

I'm

> cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

>

> Cammie

[Guest guest]

,

Hi. You may go threw the DO again? I hope it will be easier this time. Do

they think it will be a quicker process this time?

Bella

Re: daughter

Hi,

I was the one who had her jaw advanced 17 mm. I wish I could have

had the surgery as a child. It would have saved me a lot of problems

but these surgeries weren't being done 25 years ago. I was first

diagosed with a bad overbite and open bite when I was 6 or 7. I was

treated with braces only then without any success. Your daughters

are fortunate that they can have their bites fixed while they are

still young.

There is a lot more to orthognathic surgery than the cosmetic

aspect. Misaligned jaws not only cause difficulties with eating and

chewing. In the long run, there can be damage to the TMJ joints as

well. I now have severe osteoarthritis in both TMJ's. Six weeks ago

I had my third jaw surgery, this time to try to fix the TMJ

problems. It helped some but not enough so now I am going to have to

have bilateral joint reconstructions. I am too young (at 36) to have

artificial joints placed so my surgeon will try to rebuild the

condyles using distraction again. I don't think I will ever have a

normal functioning bite.

I don't want to scare you but this is what can happen if you don't

correct a bad bite at an early age. My older daughter was diagnosed

with the same problem (8 mm overbite at age 2) but she is still much

too young for treatment. We will get her bite fixed as early as we

can (as soon as she stops growing). I don't want her to go through

what I've gone through.

Good luck with your daughters' surgeries.

> Nope. 8 mm isn't a huge amount.

>

> Mine was moved 5 mm forward and 3 to the side (lower only,

advanced),

> and when I asked my surgeon if he saw a difference, he

said, " CAMMIE!

> It was only a quarter of an inch! " It can, however, be the key to

> retaining the orthodontic improvements.)

>

> There is at least one person here who had a 17 mm advancement,

done

> first with distraction, which persuades the bone to grow, and then

> finishing up the last 5 mm or so with surgery.

>

> The biggest cosmetic changes come, I was told, for young girls who

> have large underbites.

>

> And think for a minute, about never being able to eat a sandwich,

a

> salad or an apple without having to chop it up. I still haven't

taken

> on a stick of raw broccoli, nor a carrot (and I had no problem

doing

> them before hand, although I think I have always tended to crunch

> them in my back teeth, more than biting them off in front). But

I'm

> cleared to cruise in the Big Time now, and glad of it!

>

> Cammie

[Guest guest]

Hi traceyo, or marley -- I get confused about the forms of address

here.

I first had ortho in the late 1950s, when i was a kid. (Can you do

the arithmetic there?)

To my dismay and amazement, found myself starting over in 2001, after

I learned that it could help save my teeth, along with surgery. I

wasn't happy about any of this repeat, but I will tell you that the

second time around was helpful, was easier in many ways. The

procedures are sooo much better. (Not that I had surgery back in the

Dark Ages when I was a kiddo. They didn't know how to do it, nor how

important it was, back then.)

I would encourage you to go talk with this doc, or a maxillofacial

and oral surgeon, whichever. These docs are mostly really good. Get

someone you trust. Or maybe talk with your daughter's ortho. Good

guys can, I think, generally tell what's up. It is not likely to save

your life, but it is likely to make your mouth work a lot better!

I would bet that at least they can offer you some options that are

better than the ones you have without.

Cammie

> I know there are other, more serious problems that can develop. I

think I have many

> of them (snoring, mouth breathing, TMJ, etc...) because I did not

have surgery - but

> my daughter inherited my jaw...

> As I sat at the Cranial Facial surgeon's office for my daughter's

consult, and he

> explained all the things that happen if you don't have the surgery

& I recognized all of

> them.

>

> 30 years ago, when my overbite was treated, the ortho used braces

to 'mask' it, and

> now I have a jaw that doesn't meet anywhere. I no longer have an

overbite, but my

> teeth don't meet at all. I am going to consult with my dentist

and possibly the ortho

> to see if there is a surgical option for me (gee, it would be nice

not to have a tired

> jaw!)

>

> Thanks for the support! We still have a couple of years to go for

Em, but she is

> getting ready... both mentally and physically!

[Guest guest]

Hi traceyo, or marley -- I get confused about the forms of address

here.

I first had ortho in the late 1950s, when i was a kid. (Can you do

the arithmetic there?)

To my dismay and amazement, found myself starting over in 2001, after

I learned that it could help save my teeth, along with surgery. I

wasn't happy about any of this repeat, but I will tell you that the

second time around was helpful, was easier in many ways. The

procedures are sooo much better. (Not that I had surgery back in the

Dark Ages when I was a kiddo. They didn't know how to do it, nor how

important it was, back then.)

I would encourage you to go talk with this doc, or a maxillofacial

and oral surgeon, whichever. These docs are mostly really good. Get

someone you trust. Or maybe talk with your daughter's ortho. Good

guys can, I think, generally tell what's up. It is not likely to save

your life, but it is likely to make your mouth work a lot better!

I would bet that at least they can offer you some options that are

better than the ones you have without.

Cammie

> I know there are other, more serious problems that can develop. I

think I have many

> of them (snoring, mouth breathing, TMJ, etc...) because I did not

have surgery - but

> my daughter inherited my jaw...

> As I sat at the Cranial Facial surgeon's office for my daughter's

consult, and he

> explained all the things that happen if you don't have the surgery

& I recognized all of

> them.

>

> 30 years ago, when my overbite was treated, the ortho used braces

to 'mask' it, and

> now I have a jaw that doesn't meet anywhere. I no longer have an

overbite, but my

> teeth don't meet at all. I am going to consult with my dentist

and possibly the ortho

> to see if there is a surgical option for me (gee, it would be nice

not to have a tired

> jaw!)

>

> Thanks for the support! We still have a couple of years to go for

Em, but she is

> getting ready... both mentally and physically!