Re: what to do?????HELP

March 24, 2004

Only you can make that choice, with the advice of your ortho and

surgeon.

Find out exactly what your surgeon wants to do. Is it genioplasty

( " just " sliding the chin back), or is she actually talking about

shortening the jawbone. If it's genio, and money is a consideration,

it may not be covered by any insurance plan you have. Insurance

companies frequently consider genio to be cosmetic, and decline to

pay for it. That, too, may figure in your choice.

I think your husband should agree to let you decide this one. You

have his input, and I'd consider it, but ultimately, it's your face,

and you are the one who will be living inside the face that results

from your choice.

I think if I were in your circumstance, I'd as for a second surgeon's

opinion, and maybe a third. Why is your surgeon reluctant to do the

lower?

And I don't understand about having to wear the braces

longer " because of my payment plan. " An ortho is gonna keep you in

brackets and wires because you owe him money? That raises a red flag

to me, if that is the case. It's too hard to keep all this stuff

clean to risk leaving you in braces if they're neither holding nor

changing things. If, on the other hand, your payment plan gives you

an idea of how long he thinks treatment time will take, that's a

different matter. Or if you're talking about braces and retention,

that's different, too.

Good wishes to you.

Cammie

> my oral surgeon says that I need upper jaw surgery to expand my top

> jaw so that my top teeth will fit over my bottom teeth. She asked

me

> if I was happy with my chin because my bottom jaw looks like it

> sticks out and it really bothers me. Then she said that I could

have

> bottom surgery at the same time as the upper and move my bottom jaw

> back 3mm. She said it would be a 6 hour surgery and I would have to

> wear my braces for another year to year and a half but because of

my

> payment plan I'll be wearing them that long anways. My question is

> do I have both bottom and top or just top? I want both but my

husband

> says that he would rather me have only the top. My oral surgeon

sai

> that we could do bothbut she isn't crazy on the idea. what should

I

> do? please help. sara

March 24, 2004

Hey sara,

i had the same problem, i was originally gonna do both jaws but

decided to do just the top because the bottom jaw is more riskier

w/permanent numbness, etc. Plus, my bottom jaw line looks better now

since it automatically moved up w/my upper jaw being moved up as

well. My drs offered to do genioplasty which i really don't see a

need because i love my profile now. Maybe you can discuss this

w/your doctor about having have upper and genioplasty if your chin

bothers you instead of upper and lower. I'm really glad i listened

to my drs and stuck with just upper jaw surgery. But then again, if

you really want both jaws done, it's up to you. Just do your

homework like i did and weigh out the pros and cons and you'll know

for yourself. hope this helped

Lia