Re: I just don't understand

[Guest guest]

I haven't had the surgery yet (it's tomorrow morning) but I, too,

was hit with it as a total surprise. I was 29 at the time and had

the worst imaginable root canal you could ever imagine. Three weeks

later I still couldn't open my mouth. The endodontist who did the

root canal said I had TMJ and sent me to the preimere TMJ specialist

in our area. The guy took one look at me and said, " Surgery. " Not

only was I floored, but I refused. He said he'd try other options,

but a few months later I had had enough of him and had my dentist

refer me to a different ortho. He took one look at me and

said, " Surgery, no second options. There is no plan B. " My mother

(and just about everyone else) had the same question you did: Why,

after all these years, has not one single person ever said there was

anything wrong with my jaw? My pediatric dentist never suggested

braces (according to my dentist, he should have, because my teeth

were not straight, but he didn't say anything about surgery). My

adult dentist said braces were an option, but straightening my teeth

would mostly be cosmetic, and I chose not to do it. Then along came

this broadside ...

My OS says that even if I had had braces as a kid, it probably

wouldn't have helped. My jaw just plain isn't angled correctly. No

amount of headgear would have brought the entire bone structure into

alignment. It doesn't show up on my face, either. I had a hard

time convincing people that I needed braces, and that I need

surgery, because I " look fine " .

I don't really have any advice for you, but you're not alone in the

world of blind-sided people. Give me a few days (or weeks) to say

if I'm happy I did this.

Kris

> Hello

>

> I joined this group about two weeks ago after my new dentist

referred

> me to an orthodontist. They say I need lower jaw surgery. I just

> don't understand all this. I'm 35 why am I just finding this out

> now? I have had 4 dentists in the last 10 years and now this new

one

> can't wait to refer me for jaw surgery. I found out I will need

> major heart surgery when I was 30 but I was completely OK with

that.

> They could have told me I needed a heart transplant that afternoon

> and I would have said OK, do you want to drive to the hospital or

> should I? But jaw surgery just came out of nowhere!! I have had

2

> consultations with the ortho and they made the impressions and

> pictures today. I go back in two weeks to see what he feels needs

to

> be done after he looks and measures everything.

>

> When my dentist said go see an ortho I was sure it was because two

of

> the teeth in my lower jaw are coming out of alignment. So I'm OK

> with needing braces on the bottom to move them back in place. But

> now my whole lower jaw is " too small " . I just can not wrap my

mind

> around that. I have seen pictures of other people and their

problem

> is obvious but I don't see it when I look at my jaw. I don't know

> what to do. I don't see how this is not just cosmetic or we want

> your money. My jaw does not hurt and I don't have problems

eating.

> My teeth meet in the back and yeah I can see that my front teeth

> cover my bottom teeth but so what.

>

> Has anyone had this surgery come as a complete surprise and gone

thru

> it and been happy you did?

>

> Thanks

>

>

>

>