NHS Jaw Surgery

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i'm currently 16 and went to the orthodontist about a month ago and she told me all the stuff i would need done. She warned me to think carefully aboout it because there is a 15% of permanent numbness in the bottom lip. She then went on to tell me the operation would have to wait until i was 18. The braces will be put on in june when im 17.
Firstly i was put off at the surgery fact. Also knowing that as soon as she put the braces on i couldnt say no as they would make the teeth worse before the jaw movement happens.
But now i am 100% certain to go along with it, i've been looking up some vloggers and they have daily updates on their swelling and diet stuff, but you really can see how much of a change it can make. The swelling can last a couple of weeks to months, but a couple of weeks or months of pain is worth a lifetime of teeth that can make you more confident. :wink:

Heya I had lower jaw surgery on the 18th July and by just under 2 weeks most of the swelling had gone, also I'm only 17 so not sure why you need to be 18. Buy arnica tablets defo helped reduce swelling. And my lip never went numb as he never cut any nerves. Good luck for yours when you have it :-)

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Reply 81

buttercup94

Original post by jelly1000

when i was considering having surgery my orthodontist told me they (as in surgeons who perform this surgery) didnt wire people shut any more

I was told before I had it done that I'd be wired shut :s-smilie:

Physically couldn't open my mouth even a tiny bit because it was completely sealed shut!!

Reply 82

Evyy

Ah I really wish I had found this thread when I was going through my double jaw surgery, I just passed my first anniversary (22nd July), and reading all of this is bringing back memories, so glad its over though! Good luck to people thinking of going through it or currently are! :smile:

Reply 83

alexisobelx

I just had jaw surgery to bring my lower jaw forward and have bands on on like the 22nd? My swelling has gone down alot & I nearly look like my normal self despite the bruising and small swelling.. I also can eat rice, scrambled egg & stuff already.. Is that bad? Sounds stupid but I'm scared I'm recovering too quickly?

Reply 84

zara.visanji

Original post by alexisobelx

Heya don't worry within a week ny orthodontist told me u can eat whatever as ling as my mouth us comfortable just don't go biting anything hard

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Reply 85

alexisobelx

Original post by zara.visanji

thankyou

also can your jaw move back to it's previous position? Mine keeps on moving back more & more each day & I'm worried the op could of been a waste of time :/ x

Reply 86

zara.visanji

Original post by alexisobelx

thankyou

also can your jaw move back to it's previous position? Mine keeps on moving back more & more each day & I'm worried the op could of been a waste of time :/ x

Heya yes I can but its a bit stiff now as its been 5 weeks since mine. It's cus urmuscles need to rebuild you do this by bringing ur bottom jaw to meet ur top jaw and hold it there its helped me xx

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Reply 87

buttercup94

Original post by alexisobelx

I had double jaw surgery 8.5 weeks ago and I was told just 3 days ago that I was allowed to come off a liquid diet and start chewing again, you're recovery is impressive!! It's not a bad thing just be careful with crunchy things like nuts and try not to get too ahead of yourself!!

Reply 88

alexisobelx

Original post by buttercup94

I'm assuming you have a splint though? I only have elastic bands so I'm a bit more flexible but I haven't eaten anything crunchy just like mash & scrambled egg & ice cream and stuff as I can physically bite down, I'm just amazed at how quickly my swellings going down as I've read loads Other peoples experiences & it just seemed abnormal ha

Reply 89

Evyy

Original post by alexisobelx

Sorry for butting in :biggrin:

but I had double jaw surgery last year and I didn't have a splint, just some very thick bands which meant I could hardly open my jaws. Your recovery is very impressive but I don't think it's very unusual, my swelling went quickly too as I used a lot of ice. But I really wouldn't worry, my surgeon said he's only had one patient who had problems, apparently she got in a fight and punched in the face the day she was released (I don't even want to know :rolleyes:

) So just be happy that you got off blended mush quickly and enjoy your new jaw! :smile:

Reply 90

buttercup94

Original post by alexisobelx

I didn't have a splint no but I was 'wired shut' so I couldn't open my mouth at all so I wouldn't have even been able to fit a spoon in since my siringe wouldn't fit in either so I just kinda poured and hoped for the best which results in lots of spillages haha. Sounds like you're doing well though so keep up with whatever you're doing!!

Reply 91

xblondex

hiya, i have just been to the orthodontist to see about getting the op for my overbite and have been looking up information on it and found this helpful. i am just worried about the pain afterwards and the going into surgery. i was wondering how bad the pain is and also when would the best time to get it done? summer holidays? also, what is a splint? any replies would be greatly appreciated as i have til early november to make my decision. :smile:

Reply 92

JSam1994

i'm getting braces and overbite/chin reduction surgery, i'm terrified :frown:

Reply 93

buttercup94

Original post by xblondex

i am just worried about the pain afterwards and the going into surgery. i was wondering how bad the pain is and also when would the best time to get it done? summer holidays? also, what is a splint? any replies would be greatly appreciated as i have til early november to make my decision. :smile:

Personally I experienced very little pain throughout my whole recovery so far. The worst two times were when I had these little tubes that I had put into the outside of my neck to drain blood and fluid removed the day after surgery. Don't worry they haven't left scars and were really useful in stopping me being sick after the surgery but were not pleasant to have removed. Another painful experience was when I went back to the ortho for the 2nd time after surgery (2 weeks) and due to all the prodding and changing of wires, my jaw was quite painful but only slightly worse than a brace tightening visit.

I had my surgery at the end of June and made a pretty much full recovery at the 8 week mark (get my braces off in December...hopefully) so summer is the best time if you ask me. However I was up and going out daily and talking alright and able to be sociable at about the 4 week mark so I guess it's up to you as everyone recovers differently. You certainly need at least 2 weeks to be able to feel up to leaving the house for a full day as eating is very difficult so you have little energy for a while!

A splint is like a retainer but larger (similar to the pink ones with the wires) that goes inside your mouth to stop you biting your teeth together. It's usually used for if you have jaw widening surgery but you should be warned before surgery if you'll need one as not many people do.

Best decision I ever made going ahead with the surgery even though I'm only 18 and I'm soooo pleased with the results. Feel free to inbox me if you have anymore questions.

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Reply 94

Meg :)

Original post by xblondex

I would recommend having it done over the summer holidays as it means there is no pressure to push yourself too far too quickly :smile:

It is uncomfortable after the surgery, but I wouldn't say it is outright painful and there are plenty of painkillers available if it hurts :tongue:

I found the worst aspects were having to sleep sitting up, and only being able to eat slop for a few weeks! Going into surgery isn't too scary as the medical staff are excellent at reassuring patients :smile:

Having my jaw surgery done was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I would totally recommend it :biggrin:

Reply 95

alexisobelx

Original post by Sannii Z

I have had braces for 3 years and am due for underbite surgery in 2012. I am really self concious about my jaw but am still really nervous for this surgery, Im a emotional kind of person so am second guessing whether I will be able to go through the recovering process or not. Also I can imagine getting fustrated not being able to eat or talk properly, how difficult is it not being able to eat and after how long are you able to eat properly? And also approximately how much weight do you lose? I was advised to get the surgery done during summer holidays so that I have mroe time to recover, but I have a family wedding then, how long does it take to get a normal apperance after all the swelling and bruising, and I f I have it done during term time, after how long will I be well enough to attend university?

i had my lower jaw moved forward 3 weeks ago and i dont know if thats what youll be having but i was really scared about it myself!
personally, i found eating not that bad, the first few days are horrible as i was having proper liquid food, but then after 3/4 days, i found a soup i liked and managed to eat scrambled eggs/mash potato and pureed food and it sound so much nicer then what it is. now though, im pretty much having the same like scrambled egg and yoghurt for breakfast, pureed food and couscous for lunch & the same for dinner, as for weight, i havent weighed myself so i dont know if i have but i dont think i have, i look exactly the same as i did before weight wise.
swelling is dependant on who you are, my swelling pretty much was gone in 5days, and now you cant even see that i had it done, i only know because im still swollen inside and still got stitiches but apart from that i look fine :smile:

as for uni, i didnt have alot of energy in the first week and a half and still feel a bit stiff walking and stuff but ive just started at college and feel nearly normal energy wise :smile:

good luck and dont be put off by what you read- i was and i realised it wasnt as horrible as it sounded, but then again people have different recovery rates and different operations and stuff x

Reply 96

WildBerry

Might have to get it done myself now :/ , ortho said no way to fix my bad bite with just braces alone. I'm 18 right now, and they wanted me to wait till now to make sure everything stopped growing. After all the planning and what not I'll probably have braces on when I'm 19, 2-3 years of them during uni, 22 or so when its all done :frown:

. Thinking I might aswell sort it out once and for all as it may get worse if I leave it untreated. My main worry though is the numbness factor.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 97

Evyy

Original post by WildBerry

. Thinking I might aswell sort it out once and for all as it may get worse if I leave it untreated. My main worry though is the numbness factor.

Do it! Best decision I ever made, promise! :biggrin:

As for having braces on during uni, nobody will really care if you don't. And I think you're overestimating the length of time it will take, maybe a year to get your teeth ready for surgery and then another year after? For me it was a year after but that's because I could only have appointments every 2 months and was really picky making them carry on moving my teeth (I wanted them as close to perfect as possible :colondollar:

)
So it's 2-3 years tops of being a bit self conscious compared to the rest of your life with beautiful teeth and jawline, for me that's a no brainer! And it can actually get worse until it's painful to eat, not to scare you.
Sorry for the essay but since my surgery I'm a strong believer in going for it!
As for numbness, the risk is actually pretty small, my surgeon said he does a few each week so they're very competent.
If you have any questions just ask :smile:

Reply 98

fat_hobbit

Original post by Evyy

Do it! Best decision I ever made, promise! :biggrin:

Thought I'd chime in. As this will prove useful to anyone thinking about going through this.

I have had double jaw surgery to correct an open bite and to reposition my chin, it was off centre by 5mm.

I am 3 weeks post recovery:

- Swelling goes down a lot in 2 weeks, but often your face swells up again, in my case one side is more swollen the the other. Along with my chin.

- If you are a man, forget about having a shave for 2 weeks.

- You will have to wear elastic bands to keep your bite together after surgery.

Make sure you learn how to do this, and do it religiously. Although your orthodontic will probably do it for you in the first week or 2.

As your jaw has been moved, it will try hard to revert back to its old position.

The elastic bands are there to prevent this whilst the bone is still healing and therefore more flexible to reposition things.

- It takes 6 weeks for your jaw bone to fully heal, after which you cant change your bite, so do the best you can.

- Ice packs, ice packs, ice packs are crucial for the swelling.

- Numbness of the lip , i.e. permanent lip damage, only happens to 1% of patients, don't let it put you off.

- Prior to this I had SARPE which is another jaw surgery to expand my upper jaw in 2009, it was well worth it. Top lip was more filled out.

- High calorie soups and drinks are your friend, look at ordering "ensure plus".

Despite this you will feel drained out a lot. It hurts 'thinking'.

- Your nose will get wider when they expand your upper jaw. Dont worry, it will only be by a few mm.

- Weight loss, I am naturally slim, but have only lost half a stone to my surprise.

- If you go down the surgery route, often it takes a long time to be surgery ready, in my case 8 years, because your orthodontic looks to straightening your teeth first using braces.

They use this as a guide for surgery, so that they can get the ideal bite. Which is what results into the Hollywood Smile.

- Worse period pain wise is the first 1-2 weeks. You will probably be eating food out of a syringe, and be drugged up on morphine.

After which as another poster wrote, it is more of a case of feeling a bit frustrated that you cant talk properly, or eat solid food.

Aside from that, it is worth it. And I can say this from having one surgery already, your appearance improves (your face looks more symmetric; your jawline becomes more defined), and your teeth are nice, Hollywood smile type.

Even before this op, I would get compliments for my teeth due to the brace work.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 99

ellen95

I'm 17 and my orthodontist suggested jaw surgery for my under-bite a couple of years ago, now I have to decide whether to go for it or not. To be honest I'm completely ok with it, I think I can deal with a bit of pain and swelling for a long-term facial improvement - the only thing that's stopping me is I'd have to have braces for another couple of years AGAIN after having them for a year once before.

I had braces on only my top teeth previously and obviously this time I'd have to have them on both sets of teeth. My under-bite is reasonably noticeable as it is, and my orthodontist said the braces on my bottom teeth (moving them forward) would make the jaw look considerably worse for a while before the surgery. That is what I'm worried about - has anyone had this? How much worse does it become before the surgery?

I know it'd be making it worse to make it a lot better in the long run, it just worries me how much worse. It'd be around the time of my 18th and a potential holiday with friends as well, I just don't want to look awful. I don't know if going through all this is worth the change or if I should just not have the surgery? Ahkjsxbgjkdfg.