Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi, I have not posted for a long time. I had my double jaw surgery on 5 November, primarily to resolve a sleep apnea issue. Generally the surgery went very well and it seems to have worked in terms of my breathing. I still have quite a bit of numbness....my chin, part of palate, gums (upper jaw) etc...

Sarah, I am no expert but it would seem to me logical that they would need to remove your plates before (a second?) surgical procedure and that they would do this at the same time rather than put you through another procedure.....

Numbface, it sounds to me as though your surgeon might have severed the alveolar nerve. From all I have read, I do not think this is a common outcome so it sounds as though your surgeon has a lot to answer for.....Have you consulted your surgeon as to whether anything can be done to improve your sit...

Pantlover Before surgery the ortho & surgeon will want to see both your arches straight and potentially fitting together really neatly once the jaws have been moved ....so no crooked teeth or overcrowding.... This is the whole point of presurgery orthodontics. You should only need minor adjustme...

I was told at the start, before I got braces that it would be approx. 18 months braces before surgery and then approx. another 6 months braces after surgery.....

Sorry bimax, I do not have any pictures to post. My ortho is reluctant to remove teeth unless it is absolutely necessary so she is waiting to see what movement she can get before deciding. My view, after 5 months of braces, is that it is more likely than not that I will need them removed as there is...

From my understanding the length of time you will need braces can vary hugely from 0-18 (or so) months depending on the alignment of your teeth. My surgeon told me that he has done bi-max surgery for sleep apnea without his patient needing braces at all....presumably because both arches were straigh...

Thanks snapdresser. I understand the procedure which is well illustrated on You Tube under BSSO etc. which shows the vulnerability of the alveolar nerves to surgery. Excluding the worst case scenario of a severed nerve, the general cause of nerve trauma must be the stretching of the nerve as the jaw...

I was wondering whether there are any reliable statistics out there as to the percentage of MMA/genioplasty patients suffer from permanent numbness after surgery. I realise that this is a grey area as many seem to have a degree of feeling loss which might not pose a particular problem. But there are...

Thanks Lynn, for your sensible advice....from reading extensively on your site it is clear that the impact and possible complications of surgery should not be underestimated. But, I am with jawa and nozzlenut on this.....I really struggle to come to terms with having to be hooked up to a mask/machin...

Fair question. I have tried CPAP over the years, sometimes for a month or two at a time, but I have never been able to tolerate it for more than a couple of hours a night. This is why I have finally settled on surgery as a solution....

I should explain that after 15 yrs. struggling with OSA (and trying all other options) I was referred to an OMFS for surgery and he is collaborating closely with my ortho (who was his recommendation). They have worked together on MMA surgery cases over many years so I am confident that I am in good ...

Many thanks for your responses. It is good to hear from others with similar issues. For the first three months I was given a twin block appliance by my ortho. This had the twin function of widening the upper arch whilst also holding the jaw forward, however, it no longer fits due to the movement in ...

I am with Dr Heliotis who is in Harley Street (but also works for the NHS). He has done hundreds of procedures. Outside of London the New Victoria hospital in East Grinstead has a specialism in orthognathic surgery at their McEndoe Clinic.

Hi. I am a new member of the forum. I started orthodontic treatment 3 months ago as a precursor for MMA surgery for sleep apnea at the tender age of 63 following a mild heart attack (which my physician thinks was probably caused by severe sleep apnea). I have a small lower jaw which is apparently th...