Help - 2 years post op

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I am approximately two years post up from upper/lower jaw surgery in

Toronto, Canada, however, I am still having MAJOR problems. Here's

my story, any advice, would be greatly appreciated. I don't know

where else to go...

It all began in February 2002, I finally decided that I needed to

fix my severe overbite. I went to a ortho and he recomended braces

and surgery. I had been experiencing a popping noise in my right

joint only when I opened really wide but had never experienced any

pain.

I went ahead with the braces and scheduled my surgery for November

2003 with a oral surgeon who had an excellent reputation in my

area. Surgery went " normally " and I was not wired shut but was told

to wear a splint for several weeks.

After the splint came off, although my bite appeared to be perfect,

I noticed that I was no longer able to move my lower jaw forward or

side to side. I also noticed that my opening was very small. I

told the surgen and he told me it would get better as I healed.

In March 2004 my braces came off and I was told to wear a retainer

24 hours a day. In July 2004, I noticed that my jaw had started to

relapse and my overbite was returning. My surgen sugessted that I

talk to my ortho but he felt that the only way to resolve the

relapse was to perform surgery again. I decided to seek the opinion

of my ortho and he orderred a special splint for me to wear that

forced my lower jaw forward. I wore it 24 hours a day and my bite

returned to normal plus I was able to open 34mm but was still unable

to move my jaw forward or side to side.

In April 2005 I was told to start wearing my special retainer only

at night. At the same time I had a baby so it was a stressful time

in my life. Within weeks of switching to only night use of the

retainer I noticed that my opening was getting smaller again and I

was experiencing pain when eating. My opening is now 22mm wide.

I have gone to several people for advice, my dentist, my surgeon, a

TMJ specialist even my family doctor. Nobody really seems to know

what to do and everyone suggests options that are so different from

the others. One suggestion was to go to a doctor to have TMJ

treatments that could cost approx $15,000. I have already put in

over $18,000 into my smile and I cannot afford to put in $15,000

more.

I feel like my ortho and surgeon should be held responsible for my

poor results and that they should pay for any further treatment.

What do you think?

My teeth look good and I am pleased with that but functionally they

are terrible. I have been told that the pain I am experiencing is

arthritus, I am 29 years old and that scares me. I also have a numb

chin and lower lip as a result of the surgery but I can live with

that.

I don't know where to go next. I need to find someone who I can

trust that will gide me appropriately. I feel that everyone I have

been talking to so far is in it for a quick buck and that they don't

really care about me.

I am at the end of my rope, does anyone have suggestions or advice?

Has anyone else experience these types of results? What should I

do??? HELP PLEASE!!!

K