Getting major optional surgery

[Rugi]

So long story short I've had jaw and chewing problems my whole life, they're fairly minor now but my orthodontist says I could ruin my jaw and teeth into my older age if I leave it unaddressed. I'm doing orthodontics right now but truly fix this 100% I'd need surgery. It's covered so there is no worry about money but its a huge surgery with over 3 weeks recovery time that involves breaking my jaw and shifting it into the correct position as well as screwing metal plates into parts of my upper jaw.

I'm really not sure I want to do this. I can fix it to some extent with orthodontics but a jaw surgery of this calibre fucking terrifies me. The orthodontist says most people look better, and see improvements in chewing, speaking and wear their teeth more slowly but I already speak well and I'm not sure I want to go through such an arduous surgery for the possibility of having a slightly better jaw line and maybe not losing my teeth by age 50. If by any chance anyone on here has had a similar optional surgery could they detail what made them go through with it and if it was worth the recovery? Thanks so much.

 

[destinyunknown]

No idea if you already did this but I would try to get a second opinion (by a different orthodontist)

 

[vonFiedler]

Yeah orthos are notorious for pushing unnecessary treatments onto people. Always get a second opinion before doing something radical.

 

[faint]

I have really bad TMJ from alignment issues which have started to affect my teeth (one of my wisdom teeth is beginning to shift horizontally, wtf). I've talked to orthos and since one thing has led to the next, there would be a series of steps I'd need to fix them all (wisdom teeth removal, braces, and then eventually fixing the jaw alignment).

I don't have any advice for you as I've not had any of this done, but it is something I've suffered with since I was your age of so. I would recommend that you get a second opinion like others have mentioned, but do trust your doctors. I certainly wish I got this stuff addressed when I was younger. It CAN get worse over time as it certainly has for me, but I completely empathize with your fear. The thought of any type of jaw surgery terrifies me as well but ultimately you will thank yourself for doing it. At least, that's what I would have told 18 year old me.

 

[Yonko7]

Wow, I'm sorry you've had to deal with this for so long. Echoing the need for a 2nd opinion; even for major medical surgeries, it is a good idea to get a 2nd opinion as physicians are people too and they can overlook something.

At the end of the day, this is something you can process with the help of this thread and talk about it with your family, to help you reach a decision. We all heal better when we're younger compared to when we're older, so it would be better to get it (if you decide to) when being younger than when being older.

Edit: i've had patients who have been apart of support groups, either online or physically, which helped with the mental, physical, and emotional toll. I suggest looking into a support group for what you have. And keep in mind that people have different experiences because everyone's body is different and reacts differently to interventions.

 

[zapzap29]

I was in a pretty similar situation. I had a major overbite. Every doctor I visited told me that I needed the surgery, otherwise I wouldn't be able to chew anything by the time I was 40. My surgery was a little different than yours, in that they cut my lower jaw bone instead of breaking it.

I went through with the surgery because my uncle was a dentist. He gave me his opinion that it was a major preventative care option. If I didn't take care of it then it would screw me over later. He didn't have anything to gain from making me get the surgery so that convinced me.

Prior to the surgery I suffered from headaches and chewing issues due to my jaw. After the surgery, I no longer had the headaches and my chewing improved as well. No difference in speaking ability. I did notice that my digestion improved though. I didn't suffer as many stomachaches, which I guess came from being able to chew my food properly. I don't really look that much different from before the surgery, but my uncle did say he thought I had a better jaw line before.

Here's what you can expect for your recovery. It's gonna fucking hurt. The two most painful experiences in my life are herniated discs and waking up from my jaw surgery. I woke up in agony and I wanted to scream, except I couldn't since they had wired my jaw shut. Your face will probably be swollen for a while, at the very minimum a week. Maybe several weeks. You'll be in a lot of pain for a few days. Depending on what kind of surgery you get, your jaw will be wired shut from anywhere from a week to a month. During that period you can't speak, open your mouth, brush your teeth or eat solid foods. You're going to have to eat and drink everything from a straw. You'll lose a ton of weight and you'll constantly crave solid foods. Hell you'll probably even dream of food. You have to rinse out your mouth three times a day with a special mouthwash. That mouthwash tastes awful and the taste lingers for hours. You'll also have to go in for check ups to resew the wiring and make sure you don't get an infection.

Would I say it was worth it? I guess. It gives lasting quality of life improvements for a temporary period of suffering. But that time sucks. It really fucking sucks. My recommendation is to complete your braces/orthodontic care first then get a second opinion. By the end of your treatment you might not even need the surgical option. If you still have health complications, then go through with the surgery. If you feel like it doesn't bother you that much, then don't bother. If several orthodontists still tell you that you need it, then consider it. Ultimately it's your decision, so don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to.

 

[Scienceandreligion]

Just a warning there is some really unpleasant sensory stuff in this post, for those with sensory hypersensitivity or general squeamishness.


Hi, also went through a jaw surgery of this kind, albeit only for my lower jaw. Had the jaw broken and the metal plates put in. zapzap29 sums up this kind of experience pretty well, but there were a few differences in my experience that might be helpful?

I went through with the surgery in part because of my relationship with my family (wasn't in a position to say no to things like this), and in part because I figure a temporary fix is better than living with years of my teeth digging into my gums.

The first day after the surgery was easily the most dreadful day for me. I didn't experience overwhelming pain, actually, but I was on hydrocodone at the beginning so maybe that accounts for the difference? Idk, not enough infi. Turns out I am seriously allergic to hydrocodone, so I was vomiting for like 3 days alongside the copious blood that was seeping out on the first day (until I got off painkillers), and it had to slowly seep out of my mouth through the holes between my teeth... It wasn't fun. I also wasn't permitted to use a straw, my jaw was too tightly closed and it could've put pressure on the sutures I think. That meant that eating (ie drinking) took forever and was a really unpleasant sensory experience.

I can also confirm that you will get very, very sick of certain tastes. Especially soup broth. I can't stand that taste any more. Also, it can be pretty frustrating trying to talk as is you normally do because you forget the jaw is wired shut and then not being able to do so.

It wasn't a pleasant surgery to have, but it wasn't as bad as I thought going in (after the first three days). It's a preventative surgery, so I can't really speak for its efficacy (my teeth haven't dug into my gums yet, ask me in thirty years!). My jawline is a bit nicer I guess? Small bonus? It's not really the type of surgery to have a quantifiable benefit, so if you are looking for that you probably won't find it.

The metal plates don't mean much in practice, you won't notice them. The only thing I can think of is that they apparently can set off airport security scans sometimes, which depending on your contextual situation might matter? I'm trans so I just set them off 100% of the time anyways haha, so I can't help with that.

It's worth noting that upper jaw surgery affects the nasal passages and sinuses, so it's a lot worse than lower jaw surgery. Based in your recovery window, it sounds like lower jaw surgery is what you would be getting, but bear this in mind in case that assumption is wrong.

Anyhow, I can't really offer advice as to whether to get the procedure, but I can at least offer up the comfort of saying that even if you go through with the surgery you will most likely be fine in the long run. Feel free to ask any questions, I'd be happy to do my best to offer up anything that can be gleaned from my experience with jaw surgery.

 

[Hipmonlee]

I have a $30k orthodontist bill looming at some point in the next 10 years or so, because of a minor nuisance problem that I ignored when I was younger, and is now causing my back teeth to wear..

I suspect it still would have cost me just as much to fix back then anyway, but I do regret not having dealt with this at the time. It's definitely worth looking after your teeth.