Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 I agree with ...think long and hard about this. I am in my 40s and yes heal not as good as when i would be 16 .I have complications such as numbness and lack of taste -- had surgery in oct 2003... cant kiss or taste as good..i did it for functional reason and find the bite very difficult that it changed. My opinion..dont do this surgery unless you really really need to...!!! Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 I agree with ...think long and hard about this. I am in my 40s and yes heal not as good as when i would be 16 .I have complications such as numbness and lack of taste -- had surgery in oct 2003... cant kiss or taste as good..i did it for functional reason and find the bite very difficult that it changed. My opinion..dont do this surgery unless you really really need to...!!! Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 I agree with ...think long and hard about this. I am in my 40s and yes heal not as good as when i would be 16 .I have complications such as numbness and lack of taste -- had surgery in oct 2003... cant kiss or taste as good..i did it for functional reason and find the bite very difficult that it changed. My opinion..dont do this surgery unless you really really need to...!!! Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Hiya, First of all I am sorry to hear you too are having to face this very important decision. I am now 1 week post op after having upper and lower surgery to correct an underbite. I am 19 years old. I too was about 16 when I first heard the mention of surgery. I had had removable braces since I was about 9 until the time I was about 15 to correct this. Things seemed to be going well until one day I woke up and I knew something in my mouth was wrong. I immediately made an appointment to see my dentist who thought I had dislocated my jaw. It turned out I had just had a growth spurt and the bottom jaw had again shifted the teeth forward. I was told that surgery was the only way of ever having " the perfect bite " . I ummed and ahhed over my decision and eventually decided too go for surgery. I was told my my orthodontist and a surgeon that there was a risk that if I didn't have the surgery my jaw could continue advacing forward and make the bite worse. They couldn't gurantee this but it was a risk I didn't really wanna take. I had my braces put on three days before my 18th birthday. Now at 19 and a half I have got the surery done. It is a long process but I do believe it will be worth it. I know of three people who have had it done all of who have no regrets and say there confidence is ten times higher. I definetly did not have the surgery done for cosmetic reasons. I was quite happy with my face the way it was and people said they would not have known I had a problem with my jaw if I hadn't have told them. The best advice I can give you is thing long and hard about your decision. Your young now and quite honestly your body will heal better now if you decide to go ahead. I had the support of my family and friends and this was a major factor for me. If you have any more questions you wanna ask feel free. All the best in making your decision Stacey (uk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Hiya, First of all I am sorry to hear you too are having to face this very important decision. I am now 1 week post op after having upper and lower surgery to correct an underbite. I am 19 years old. I too was about 16 when I first heard the mention of surgery. I had had removable braces since I was about 9 until the time I was about 15 to correct this. Things seemed to be going well until one day I woke up and I knew something in my mouth was wrong. I immediately made an appointment to see my dentist who thought I had dislocated my jaw. It turned out I had just had a growth spurt and the bottom jaw had again shifted the teeth forward. I was told that surgery was the only way of ever having " the perfect bite " . I ummed and ahhed over my decision and eventually decided too go for surgery. I was told my my orthodontist and a surgeon that there was a risk that if I didn't have the surgery my jaw could continue advacing forward and make the bite worse. They couldn't gurantee this but it was a risk I didn't really wanna take. I had my braces put on three days before my 18th birthday. Now at 19 and a half I have got the surery done. It is a long process but I do believe it will be worth it. I know of three people who have had it done all of who have no regrets and say there confidence is ten times higher. I definetly did not have the surgery done for cosmetic reasons. I was quite happy with my face the way it was and people said they would not have known I had a problem with my jaw if I hadn't have told them. The best advice I can give you is thing long and hard about your decision. Your young now and quite honestly your body will heal better now if you decide to go ahead. I had the support of my family and friends and this was a major factor for me. If you have any more questions you wanna ask feel free. All the best in making your decision Stacey (uk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Hiya, First of all I am sorry to hear you too are having to face this very important decision. I am now 1 week post op after having upper and lower surgery to correct an underbite. I am 19 years old. I too was about 16 when I first heard the mention of surgery. I had had removable braces since I was about 9 until the time I was about 15 to correct this. Things seemed to be going well until one day I woke up and I knew something in my mouth was wrong. I immediately made an appointment to see my dentist who thought I had dislocated my jaw. It turned out I had just had a growth spurt and the bottom jaw had again shifted the teeth forward. I was told that surgery was the only way of ever having " the perfect bite " . I ummed and ahhed over my decision and eventually decided too go for surgery. I was told my my orthodontist and a surgeon that there was a risk that if I didn't have the surgery my jaw could continue advacing forward and make the bite worse. They couldn't gurantee this but it was a risk I didn't really wanna take. I had my braces put on three days before my 18th birthday. Now at 19 and a half I have got the surery done. It is a long process but I do believe it will be worth it. I know of three people who have had it done all of who have no regrets and say there confidence is ten times higher. I definetly did not have the surgery done for cosmetic reasons. I was quite happy with my face the way it was and people said they would not have known I had a problem with my jaw if I hadn't have told them. The best advice I can give you is thing long and hard about your decision. Your young now and quite honestly your body will heal better now if you decide to go ahead. I had the support of my family and friends and this was a major factor for me. If you have any more questions you wanna ask feel free. All the best in making your decision Stacey (uk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Hi Laurie, Sorry to hear you still don't have your taste back! That must be awful. I had initial problems, presumably from the anaesthesia, but my taste did eventually come back completely. I had my surgery in Aug 2002, braces came off in April 2003 (anniversary coming up soon!), and I found that my bite didn't settle in completely for some months after that. Of course, I had to have a bridge/crown combo replaced after the braces came off, but I can definitely relate to the bite settling in and taking a long time. The muscles don't really seem to come back right away either, I found it took a long time before I could really bite into some hard foods like carrots (and today I still only bite them raw when they are sliced). I don't think I healed any slower being in my 40s, I had a really quick recovery from the surgery itself. But some things like nerve recovery really do take a long time, regardless of age, I think. Whereas in the early days things improved measureably in days, then weeks, after a while it starts to be difficult to measure change, it occurs much more slowly. But it does change. Hope things get better for you! > I agree with ...think long and hard about this. I am in my 40s and yes heal not as good as when i would be 16. I have complications such as numbness and lack of taste -- had surgery in oct 2003... can't kiss or taste as good.. I did it for functional reason and find the bite very difficult that it changed. My opinion..don't do this surgery unless you really really need to...!!! Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Hi Laurie, Sorry to hear you still don't have your taste back! That must be awful. I had initial problems, presumably from the anaesthesia, but my taste did eventually come back completely. I had my surgery in Aug 2002, braces came off in April 2003 (anniversary coming up soon!), and I found that my bite didn't settle in completely for some months after that. Of course, I had to have a bridge/crown combo replaced after the braces came off, but I can definitely relate to the bite settling in and taking a long time. The muscles don't really seem to come back right away either, I found it took a long time before I could really bite into some hard foods like carrots (and today I still only bite them raw when they are sliced). I don't think I healed any slower being in my 40s, I had a really quick recovery from the surgery itself. But some things like nerve recovery really do take a long time, regardless of age, I think. Whereas in the early days things improved measureably in days, then weeks, after a while it starts to be difficult to measure change, it occurs much more slowly. But it does change. Hope things get better for you! > I agree with ...think long and hard about this. I am in my 40s and yes heal not as good as when i would be 16. I have complications such as numbness and lack of taste -- had surgery in oct 2003... can't kiss or taste as good.. I did it for functional reason and find the bite very difficult that it changed. My opinion..don't do this surgery unless you really really need to...!!! Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 wow you're going to go through all this just to give you a perfect smile? Hey, if you got it flaunt it but I wouldn't care if my smile was slightly imperfect (sounds like yours is). If it doesn't affect your chewing and speech and if it isn't gonna give you TMJ I say don't do it. I don't have TMJ problems...yet. I'm thankful I haven't but I can't chew well with my front teeth, actually not at all, and my underbite affects my speech-not major or anything but I would like it corrected. I'm only 17 I guess that's why I responded your post but whatever works for you would be fine I'm sure. I just don't think I would do all this to give me a " perfect smile " . As far as being nervous about surgery, it's really not a big deal. They just get a big hammer and smack you on the forehead when you aren't looking. No really, surgery itself is not that bad. The recovery, (from what I've heard) now that's a different story. > > Hey all, > > I've been reading the messages posted on here for some time now, > and > > figure you're the right people to answer a few of my questions. > > > > It looks like in order to get that perfect smile, I'll need to > have > > lower jaw surgery. I've already had consultations with two > different > > orthodontists, both of which believe this is the right path to > take. > > I have one last consultation next week, with a lady who is also a > > surgeon - (how conveinant!) > > > > I'm terrified of this. I'm only 16, and nobody will give me any > real > > answers about how long this process will take. I can breathe, > chew, > > and talk properly, and my lips close when I smile. It's strictly > > cosmetic, but my problem is too severe for cosmetic surgery. > > > > I don't want to be wired shut for my graduation next year. I don't > > want to start university away from home with dental worries. I > don't > > want to lose the feeling in my face. I've never had surgery before > > and I'm incredibly scared, and not knowing what to expect. > > > > Is this really worth it? > > Thanks for any words of wisdom you might have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 here is my opinion, but dont take my word for it make sure u listen to your ortho and surgeon and what they think. If they think 16 is fine then it is ok. I am only 14 and i am having surgery so age is not that big of a deal. They kno that u are done growing by your xrays. My face doesnt show any deformity at all. i just have an underbite and i cant really chew with my front teeth. If there is no physical reason then if i were in your position i would not do it b/c it sounds like a lot of pain and recovery to go threw just for a " perfect " smile. but if its what u want to do then go ahead and do it. do what u and your os and ortho have decided is best. dont second guess to much either b/c u will end up like me hahahahahahaha good luck tori > > > Hey all, > > > I've been reading the messages posted on here for some time now, > > and > > > figure you're the right people to answer a few of my questions. > > > > > > It looks like in order to get that perfect smile, I'll need to > > have > > > lower jaw surgery. I've already had consultations with two > > different > > > orthodontists, both of which believe this is the right path to > > take. > > > I have one last consultation next week, with a lady who is also a > > > surgeon - (how conveinant!) > > > > > > I'm terrified of this. I'm only 16, and nobody will give me any > > real > > > answers about how long this process will take. I can breathe, > > chew, > > > and talk properly, and my lips close when I smile. It's strictly > > > cosmetic, but my problem is too severe for cosmetic surgery. > > > > > > I don't want to be wired shut for my graduation next year. I > don't > > > want to start university away from home with dental worries. I > > don't > > > want to lose the feeling in my face. I've never had surgery > before > > > and I'm incredibly scared, and not knowing what to expect. > > > > > > Is this really worth it? > > > Thanks for any words of wisdom you might have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 > As far > as being nervous about surgery, it's really not a big deal. They > just get a big hammer and smack you on the forehead when you aren't > looking. No really, surgery itself is not that bad. The recovery, > (from what I've heard) now that's a different story. And after they smack you with the hammer, they stretch your lips around at least two city blocks : ) Surgery is easy, your only job is to go to sleep. Recovery is the ultimate test of your patience - if you haven't got any, you'll surely develop it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Hello! Surgery is a scary thing, no doubt about it. This is a decision that you will seriously need to think about - I started thinking about the surgery when I was 16 and I knew then that I wasn't ready at that time. I always kept it in the back of my mind though. When I was 20 I finally decided that it was the right thing to do. So, after tons of consultations and a year of pre-op braces I finally had my surgery 3 weeks ago at age 22 (upper/lower/genio). Yes, the young heal faster, but I think 22 is still young:) It might be worth it, if you're not doing it for medical reasons, to put it off for a few years. Focus on the end of high school, go off to college and focus on your studies. By that time you may be mentally ready to handle the surgery. All the worries and fears that you have now will be put to rest when you feel the decision is right. I had never had surgery before either. Everything that I expected after surgery was amplified by 50 times. There is no way I could have prepared myself for the uncomfortable feelings. Actually, the worst thing for me was the congestion and nose bleeds, but if you are having lower jaw surgery only, then those should not be a major problem if at all. Yes, the first week is hell, no going around it, but after things started picking up pretty quickly, at least for me. I hope that when you do finally make a decision, which ever path you take, that you are happy with your decision. You have so much time, don't be worried that now is the only chance you have. I wish you all the luck in the future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Thank you so much to everyone who responded ! You've definetly given me a number of things to consider, as well as some interesting viewpoints. Maybe bad teeth aren't such a horrible thing - I guess I'll just wait and see what the ortho/surgeon I'm seeing next week has to say! Thanks again, you've all helped clear up some of my questions and given me a deeper piece of mind regarding the surgery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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