So yup. I'm having jaw surgery. I guess. Sounds crazy. Hopefully it will all be worth it in the end. This wasn't a decision I made lightly. I've been in and out of MANY orthodontist and dentist offices within the past two years. They've all lead me here. Down this path. After sitting down with my orthodontist of choice and surgeon (twice) I have decided that this is my only option.
For about three years my teeth have not allowed me to enjoy much. I can only eat with one tooth on my left side- used to be the right side until I LOST that tooth. See why/how HERE. That's all that hits. After having one root canal and three crowns put in- my teeth are on their last leg. And I'm only 27 years old. Dentures by age 30 I predicted. They make me miserable about 50% of my time awake. So I said enough is enough. If this is what I need to do to enjoy life again- so be it. The benefits outweigh the cons in my case. I did them:
Pros
* Obviously would help my tooth/gum hurting problem.
* I would LOVE to chew with all my teeth. Instead of just ONE tooth. :(
* My jaw would not ache anymore
* I would not have as many breathing/sinus problems
* My face would look more "balanced"
* Would probably hate my nose less (would be pushed up a little bit)
* My teeth would be straighter and less gappy (even though they don't really bother me now)
* Out of work for 3-4 weeks
* Will probably lose some weight since I'll be on a liquid diet for like 6 weeks
* Very reputable and nice surgeon
Cons
* Braces (again. :() for who knows how long. Before and after surgery.)
* Paying for braces (is not covered by insurance)
* 7-hour surgery... scary.
* Can't eat real food for 4-6 weeks
* Out of work for 3-4 weeks
* Can't exercise for 4-6 weeks
* Will have metal things in my face
* Possible permanent nerve damage or never getting feeling back in some parts of my jaw/lip area.
* Won't be able to talk for awhile. lol Could be a pro.
Here's my some before pictures:
My official diagnosis is related to maxillary and mandibular hypoplasia and maxillary asymmetry.
Here's a great description of maxillary hypoplasia (from wiseGeek.com) - "Maxillary hypoplasia is an underdevelopment of the bones in the upper jaw. This condition can give the middle of the face a sunken appearance, and makes the lower jaw look like it is protruding even if it is anatomically normal." Mandibular hypoplasia is underdevelopment of the lower jaw, obviously.
Reason of development- "usually as a result of poorly planned dental extractions. If teeth are removed from the upper jaw, it may fail to develop, and could become sunken over time."
Three or four teeth (I can't remember how many) were removed from the upper and two from my lower jaw as a child. My mouth was just too small and didn't fit everything, so they thought they were doing the right thing. I'm sure this is one of the underlying causes of my problems. .
In addition to aesthetically unpleasing outcome- "it can make it hard to eat, and may cause problems in the future for the patient."
Which it does, since my jaw doesn't connect together correctly- it has caused havoc on my teeth- which were not great (soft) to begin with. My mom had the same teeth as me, but didn't have the jaw problems I have. She still has almost all of her teeth root canaled, bridges and crowns everywhere. I'm hoping to avoid this problem. Unfortunately I already have two crowns and one root canaled tooth.
As for maxillary asymmetry- it basically means that my midlines are off. My jaw is crooked. It's not a huge deal to me aesthetically, but it does cause the underlying problems related to TMJ and obviously my teeth not lining up.
A lot of technical stuff but that's the official diagnosis.
For about three years my teeth have not allowed me to enjoy much. I can only eat with one tooth on my left side- used to be the right side until I LOST that tooth. See why/how HERE. That's all that hits. After having one root canal and three crowns put in- my teeth are on their last leg. And I'm only 27 years old. Dentures by age 30 I predicted. They make me miserable about 50% of my time awake. So I said enough is enough. If this is what I need to do to enjoy life again- so be it. The benefits outweigh the cons in my case. I did them:
Pros
* Obviously would help my tooth/gum hurting problem.
* I would LOVE to chew with all my teeth. Instead of just ONE tooth. :(
* My jaw would not ache anymore
* I would not have as many breathing/sinus problems
* My face would look more "balanced"
* Would probably hate my nose less (would be pushed up a little bit)
* My teeth would be straighter and less gappy (even though they don't really bother me now)
* Out of work for 3-4 weeks
* Will probably lose some weight since I'll be on a liquid diet for like 6 weeks
* Very reputable and nice surgeon
Cons
* Braces (again. :() for who knows how long. Before and after surgery.)
* Paying for braces (is not covered by insurance)
* 7-hour surgery... scary.
* Can't eat real food for 4-6 weeks
* Out of work for 3-4 weeks
* Can't exercise for 4-6 weeks
* Will have metal things in my face
* Possible permanent nerve damage or never getting feeling back in some parts of my jaw/lip area.
* Won't be able to talk for awhile. lol Could be a pro.
Here's my some before pictures:
 |
| A smile that needs changing. |
 |
| My lower jaw is set back from my upper by 3 mm apparently. |
 |
| I have learned to accept my face as it is.. but the surgeon says I don't have to settle. |
 |
| Can't even see my bottom teeth. Huge gap too between upper and lower. REALLY hard to chew things. |
My official diagnosis is related to maxillary and mandibular hypoplasia and maxillary asymmetry.
Here's a great description of maxillary hypoplasia (from wiseGeek.com) - "Maxillary hypoplasia is an underdevelopment of the bones in the upper jaw. This condition can give the middle of the face a sunken appearance, and makes the lower jaw look like it is protruding even if it is anatomically normal." Mandibular hypoplasia is underdevelopment of the lower jaw, obviously.
Reason of development- "usually as a result of poorly planned dental extractions. If teeth are removed from the upper jaw, it may fail to develop, and could become sunken over time."
Three or four teeth (I can't remember how many) were removed from the upper and two from my lower jaw as a child. My mouth was just too small and didn't fit everything, so they thought they were doing the right thing. I'm sure this is one of the underlying causes of my problems. .
In addition to aesthetically unpleasing outcome- "it can make it hard to eat, and may cause problems in the future for the patient."
Which it does, since my jaw doesn't connect together correctly- it has caused havoc on my teeth- which were not great (soft) to begin with. My mom had the same teeth as me, but didn't have the jaw problems I have. She still has almost all of her teeth root canaled, bridges and crowns everywhere. I'm hoping to avoid this problem. Unfortunately I already have two crowns and one root canaled tooth.
As for maxillary asymmetry- it basically means that my midlines are off. My jaw is crooked. It's not a huge deal to me aesthetically, but it does cause the underlying problems related to TMJ and obviously my teeth not lining up.
A lot of technical stuff but that's the official diagnosis.
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