Changing My Mind

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eh1253
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:07 am

Changing My Mind

#1 Post by eh1253 »

I'm 29 and have had an open bite since I was 13 or so. I've always known that surgery was my only option if I wanted to correct
the bite but for whatever reason I kept putting it off. I finally decided on a whim to get this taken care of and kinda jumped the gun
and got braces last week before consultation with an oral surgeon. (I know this was rash and stupid but I am seeing a surgeon next week)

After doing research on corrective jaw surgery I'm having serious doubts on if I want to take on the risks associated
with the surgery. While the open bite is really inconvenient I just don't know if it's inconvenient enough to warrant
sawing my jaws into pieces and screwing them back together.

If I decide not to do the surgery I think the braces could possibly do more harm than good (risk of root resorption, potential
negative impact on facial appearance, making my bite worse). In particular I'm really concerned the braces could screw up my
bite even more and make surgery necessary.
So all that being said, has anyone heard of someone having their braces taken off within a month of putting them on? And are
there any risks associated with taking braces off early?

I know y'all aren't necessarily experts, but any input on my situation from people with some experience would be appreciated!

handeyk
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:30 pm

Re: Changing My Mind

#2 Post by handeyk »

Hi,
I'm halfway through my treatment for my open, over and cross bite. I did the SARPE-procedure december 2016 and having an open bite surgery come fall 2018 or early 2019.

The thing you really need to consider, and consider hard, is if the condition of your jaws affects your quality of life. And if, how severly it affects it.
In my case, the malocclusion of my jaws have made my relationship to food rather unhealthy.
They say some live to eat, and some eat to live. For me eating just became a nessecity, with little or no joy involved.

I live in Norway, and I was required to talk with a psychologist before starting the treatment. Because it is truly demanding and challenging.

So you need to figure out what motivates you to commit to this. Is it purely cosmetic reasons? Or does your malocclusion affect your quality of life?

I don't think I would've been able to finish this treatment if it was only for cosmetic reasons.

Oh and I started the treatment when I finished university, at the age of 26. Hopefully i'll be done just after my 30th birthday.


-handeyk

eh1253
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:07 am

Re: Changing My Mind

#3 Post by eh1253 »

[quote=handeyk post_id=500467 time=1519069630 user_id=31436]
Hi,
I'm halfway through my treatment for my open, over and cross bite. I did the SARPE-procedure december 2016 and having an open bite surgery come fall 2018 or early 2019.

The thing you really need to consider, and consider hard, is if the condition of your jaws affects your quality of life. And if, how severly it affects it.
In my case, the malocclusion of my jaws have made my relationship to food rather unhealthy.
They say some live to eat, and some eat to live. For me eating just became a nessecity, with little or no joy involved.

I live in Norway, and I was required to talk with a psychologist before starting the treatment. Because it is truly demanding and challenging.

So you need to figure out what motivates you to commit to this. Is it purely cosmetic reasons? Or does your malocclusion affect your quality of life?

I don't think I would've been able to finish this treatment if it was only for cosmetic reasons.

Oh and I started the treatment when I finished university, at the age of 26. Hopefully i'll be done just after my 30th birthday.


-handeyk
[/quote]

Requiring everyone to meet with a psychologist is a great idea. I'm thinking if I had talked to a psychologist beforehand I would not have started this.

Regarding my jaw condition, I do have to use my tongue to help me bite into sandwiches and my molars have some extra wear on them. My face also twitches during certain facial expression, possibly due to the constant strain on the muscles. But I don't have any of the more severe issues associated with malocclusion like jaw pain or obstructive sleep apnea.

I think in my case, I don't have enough reasons to go through with the surgery. My fear now is that the braces could make things worse and basically make surgery a necessity. I've noticed that in less than a week my bite in the front is already more open. I should probably just talk with my orthodontist and see what my options are.

Anyway, thanks for your input on this. I think if I were in your shoes where eating became a chore I'd go through with the surgery and I wish you the best!

handeyk
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:30 pm

Re: Changing My Mind

#4 Post by handeyk »

Hi again,
I don't think getting the braces on makes surgery a nessecity from a biomechanical standpoint. Your teeth will most likely move back into their original positions fairly quickly if you get the braces removed.
It sounds like we got some similarities when it comes to our bite. Just imagine beeing able to eat pizza without ripping off all the filling? I imagine the world of food and culinary experiences will change dramatically, in a positive direction. I might actually become a food-junkie.

I'd think thoroughly about it, and consult your orthodontist. They might be able to tell you how much of a difference a treatment actually would make.


-handeyk

PierreDeFermat
Posts: 114
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:02 pm

Re: Changing My Mind

#5 Post by PierreDeFermat »

Orthognathic surgery is often indicated when orthodontics alone cannot correct your bite because of underlying skeletal deformity (as often seen in patients with an open bite). The surgeon you consult will have more information regarding your case, and will usually work with your orthodontist to create a long-term treatment plan.

Complications associated with orthognathic surgery are relatively rare, and you can read more about them in various studies, including this one:

Complications associated with orthognathic surgery
Young-Kyun Kim, D.D.S., Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of JKAOMS

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342970/

It sounds as if you're pretty risk-adverse, so if you don't think the surgery or braces are worth it, then don't pursue that treatment. That being said, your clinician(s) are the ones to consult about your best treatment options and should be able to give you certain statistics regarding complications, long-term stability, etc.

assertives
Posts: 645
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:29 am

Re: Changing My Mind

#6 Post by assertives »

As you consider carefully the reasons for seeking treatment, I'd say think also about the long term stability and ramifications.

What you are not experiencing now may not mean that you won't experience them later in life. The muscle strains, extra wear on molars, are progressive degenerative problems which will only get worse as you age and are not reversible. Eventually, your TM joints will also be affected, which can be debilitating. Of course, you could decide to get it sorted out only when the problem comes, but some things are better to get sorted out when you are still young, when your body is more efficient at recovery and when the structural damage is not that bad.

I second the suggestion to have a discussion with your orthodontist and surgeon about this before deciding.

eh1253
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:07 am

Re: Changing My Mind

#7 Post by eh1253 »

Yeah being able to eat pizza without having to fold it over would be amazing lol.

It's good to know that the complications are sorta rare. I think I saw all of the people posting about regretting the surgery and got scared.
I agree that if my jaw situation is going to get significantly worse over time then I should probably bite the bullet and get it fixed now. I feel like either way I'm taking a risk but I don't know the magnitude of either risk. Either I don't have the surgery and take the risk that things will get worse by some unknown amount or go through with the surgery and accept whatever negative side effects that may come with it.

Anyway, thanks all. I'll talk with the surgeon next week and see what my options are. I think I'm just freaking out because I feel like I've committed myself to this somewhat by getting the braces before I mentally prepared myself for the idea of having fairly serious surgery.

handeyk
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:30 pm

Re: Changing My Mind

#8 Post by handeyk »

Whatever decision you land on, good luck and take care.

josh5464
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:20 am

Re: Changing My Mind

#9 Post by josh5464 »

It's not all about food fatboy, a lot skeletal abnormalities cause sleep and breathing issues too. I'd go through with it if I were you, I want jaw surgery and I don't even have a bad bite (but my jaws are flower up my airways).

ObsidianGT
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:37 am

Re: Changing My Mind

#10 Post by ObsidianGT »

[quote=PierreDeFermat post_id=500476 time=1519092784 user_id=31191]
Orthognathic surgery is often indicated when orthodontics alone cannot correct your bite because of underlying skeletal deformity (as often seen in patients with an open bite). The surgeon you consult will have more information regarding your case, and will usually work with your orthodontist to create a long-term treatment plan.

Complications associated with orthognathic surgery are relatively rare, and you can read more about them in various studies, including this one:

[b]Complications associated with orthognathic surgery
Young-Kyun Kim, D.D.S., Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of JKAOMS[/b]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342970/

It sounds as if you're pretty risk-adverse, so if you don't think the surgery or braces are worth it, then don't pursue that treatment. That being said, your clinician(s) are the ones to consult about your best treatment options and should be able to give you certain statistics regarding complications, long-term stability, etc.
[/quote]
This is a really good post. Thank you for that.

OP, get as much information from your surgeon as you can in terms of their experience. Ask the surgeon but also do research as well. Get opinions from the hospital staff even.
You may not be fully comfortable with the situation, but you should at least be confident going into this.

I was asking hospital staff right up to the moment before they took me to anaesthesia. Of course, putting people on the spot like that is difficult for the person to say something negative, but you can read their body language. I felt great going in, still nervous, but confident.

Good luck to you.

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