beach chick Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 sorry, dont want to hijack the current tooth threads, but anyone any experience? my now 14 and a half year old daughter has an asymetric lower jaw - ie, one side is longer than the other, which makes her face look wonky - although if you didnt know, you probably wouldnt really see it like that, you might just notice that her jaw is heavier on one side than another (or might not notice at all, me and her dad didnt notice properly til the orthodontist pointed it out 18 months ago!!!) having said that, when you know the situation it is really obvious, and looking back at baby/childhood photos I cant believe we didnt notice. she has done braces over the last 18 months to sort out the upper jaw and teeth positioning, and we are now waiting for hospital appointment in Aug this year to start the planning/counselling procedures prior to surgery when she hits 18 and/or has finished growing. she is desperately keen to have the surgery; understands the post-op pain etc. luckily it is only day surgery, but even so... there will be pain afterwards. she's beautiful now, but I think the surgery would give her much more self-confidence. she wants to be an actress or a drama teacher, so self-confidence is going to be important. and I do think that with a more 'conventional' face she will actually be a) more confident and b) totally stunning! so just wondered if anyone has been through this, any words of wisdom etc? thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 If you really think that it will benefit her then I say she should go for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 it is and will be her decision - they wont do it til she's an adult and has finished growing, as surgeon said "most people are pleased they've had it done, but wouldnt want to do it twice" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucknette Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Hi My daughter had her upper and lower jaw done about ten years ago. The top was too short and didnt show any teeth and the bottom was too long and and bent to the right. They lowered the top and took bone out of the bottom while she still had her braces on. The surgeon said that if she didnt have it done she would look old as if she had no teeth and would have headaches due to the teeth not aligning properly. She did have pain after the surgery but nothing that she couldnt handle with the surgeons help. She did sleep a lot. She swelled up a bit and I gave her arnica to help bring it back down. I mashed up her food and gave her lots of home made soups etc which built her strength up. To look at her now she is so pretty with the most beautiful teeth and smile which is the first thing you notice about her. She has said that it was a good job she had it done while she was young and she made the decision herself. She said she doesnt regret having it done. Best wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 thank you chucknette, that is really encouraging. how old was your daughter when she had the op? my dd is desperate to have it done, would have it now if she could - but its too early... was hers day surgery? and how long was she in pain for? we have been told day surgery only, but at the moment I have only a hazy idea of what the op will actually involve, especially in terms of removing bits of bone etc (OMG... ). the orthodontist did say the hospital might want more braces pre-surgery. so far, they have brought her upper teeth forward to create a better bite (altho still not perfect) but her lower jaw needs to move back and to one side to create symmetry. she already has a gorgeous smile, but is very self-conscious about the teeth/jaw thing. luckily she has beautiful creamy skin, gorgeous red hair and fantastic smoky eyes so she is already a lucky girl - but let's face it, who thinks they are the best thing going when they are 14?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucknette Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hi My daughter was in for three days but I think this was because they were lowering the upper teeth as well. They broke the upper and added bone to lower the teeth. She said this didnt hurt as much as it sounds. They took a piece of bone out of the lower jaw and screwed it back into the correct place. As to how long it is painful for is difficult to say as they make sure that they have a lot of pain relief immediately after the op and then tablets and antibiotics for about a week after. Then after a couple of weeks she went into the orthodontist to get the braces removed. To be honest you see nothing until then. My daughter came walking down the stairs from the orthodontists room and as she did she smiled a big bright smile and stopped me in my tracks. I was so amazed I couldnt speak for a while. Oh I ment to mention she was sixteen at the time. It feels that you are in limbo for a while until you near the op date. Then lots of discussions start and they tell you what they will be doing and when and what to expect. Also they will ask if you have any questions at that point. With my daughter they chopped and changed a bit because as the braces where doing their bit they tweaked the op. She went back a couple of times after so that they could check on their work and take a few pictures. The surgeon told her that her face will age very slowly and he wasnt wrong. A lot of people think she is a 16yr old but she is in fact 27yrs old. She always has to have iD on her Her confidence flew through the ceiling a combination of feeling brave and having a fantastic smile. I wish you all well and if you need any more info we are here to help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 she smiled a big bright smile and stopped me in my tracks. I was so amazed I couldnt speak for a while. oh I bet that was a moment, I'd have been in floods! thanks so much for your input, it makes a real difference to 'speak' to someone who knows.... and isnt an orthodontist! ours is a bit gung-ho, very good I think but lacks bedside manner, and the one at the hospital who we've seen once was just the same. maybe its an orthodontist thing? well I guess August is when we will know more. thanks again chucknette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Sam had the same thing (in his school photos he looked like Bruce Forthsyth !) but his just righted itself by the time he was 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
