Scared at 16

[Guest guest]

Hi,

" Wisdom " from a surgery vet, but not a expert (your professionals

are the experts) - I had upper/lower/genio (lower advancement, upper

impaction) in August 2002 in my late 40s. My humble opinion: 16 is

an awfully young age to be contemplating this, I hope your parents

or guardians are involved in this decision. The quest for a perfect

smile, or perfect anything, for that matter, should be carefully

weighed against the risks. A lot can go wrong with this and other

types of surgeries, it doesn't usually, but it can (think of the

author who died recently having a facelift). And you need to be

prepared for the long process of recovery - rearranging the facial

bones and related muscles & nerves is a big deal. and it takes great

patience to get through it. There's also the possibility that the

surgeon might not give you what you hoped for, for whatever reason,

could you live with whatever the physical outcome might be?

I'm not discouraging you from your investigation, but my personal

feeling is that it's not worth doing for cosmetic reasons unless

there are functional issues as well (which there usually are, or

potential for in the future). I could have easily lived with my pre-

op face and its imperfections for another 40-50 years. The cosmetic

changes, while pleasing, were inconsequential to me.

Good luck with your decision.

> 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