Braces and me

Amerie

Hi everyone. I had my consultation today in order to get braces. My orthodontist said that I had two options... I have a 9mm overbite. I could have a surgical procedure (where I think they break and reset your jaw or align it or something)... firstly has anyone every gotten this done and how much, how sore was it and what is the before and after procedure like? I said no straight away... I don't look awful as it is and my small chin has never really bothered me. I have crowded teeth and my main reason for seeking treatment now is that my two front teeth are pushing forward, one out over the other... slightly right now but it's moving!

So my other option was to get the braces and she said that without the surgery I'd always have an overbite but she could reduce it to about 6mm. I have to go back in a month when I'm getting spacers put in and an expander of some kind. Does this expander stay in for the whole length of my treatment or does it come out after a while?? I even think I'm getting an expander on the top and bottom of my mouth... Scary! I went searching on you tube... not a good idea. I'm a little scared but I told her I'd go ahead... I guess I just want people's stories so I can get a feel for what I'm letting myself in for!

ballsymchugh

hiya. as you know in your case, the braces can only do so much. when you've finished your growth spurt there's not much of a chance to encourage growth by different appliances, so in severe cases, surgery is the only option to align both arches in a way that everything looks good.
the expander won't be in for the whole course. it can do it's job pretty quickly depending on your age, and then it's train tracks to straighten and stabilise everything.
as for the operation, like every procedure it has it's good and bad points. the stories of discomfort after will put you off, but you have to remember that it'll just be like that for an insignificant part of your life.
all you need to do is look forward to the end of it all, it'll be worth it!

Effects

I'd get a second opinion. I went to an orthodontist here in Dublin, he recommended I have surgery on my jaw at a cost of about €10,000 and then he would fit braces to correct the rest of my teeth, including extracting two teeth to make room. I then went to see another orthodontist in Newry, who told me I didn't need surgery or two teeth extracted. Needless to say I went with the orthodontist in Newry. He asked me who had told me I needed the surgery and it turned out the orthodontist in Newry had trained the one I went to see down here.

abbey2000

i have my brace off two years now. Like you, i was given the option for surgery to, but my Vhi would have covered the cost of surgery. The surgery option was explained to me to be the way for 100% perfection i.e. both my upper and lower teeth would meet perfectly after it.

The other option was brace only for 4 yrs and 80% perfection. I went with option 2 and am very glad i did. I still have a little overbite but I dont care. I had gone for the consultation with the surgeon and he was very good, really explaining what would happen during surgery and after it. and there was a risk of losing sensitivity in my lower lip as there is a nerve that runs along there somewhere that they cannot guarantee would not be affected.

Since my brace came off, everybody comments saying that my teeth are perfect now, all admiring them. And rem this was with the "80% perfection" option. I would discuss with your orthodontist more, and maybe go for a referral to the surgeon.

Amerie

Thanks to everyone who replied. I'll talk some more to my orthodontist when I go in next and get her to answer all my questions about the treatment. I don't think I'll opt for the surgery. I never wanted perfect looking teeth, I just want them to stop moving and for them to be straighter... perfection doesn't matter to me... I'd take 80% any day!

Thanks again.

day dreamer

Hi there

I think you have answered your own question. No-one has to have surgery, no matter how bad their jaw or bite is. If you just want the teeth straight then just have the braces.

There are risks with the surgery and you would have to be very unhappy with your chin and facial appearance to go for it. It is a good idea to talk some more with the orthodontist and would do no harm to talk with a surgeon aswell, just to get a 2nd opinion and more info on the risks/benefits.