Jaw Surgery?!

Jaw Surgery?

I had braces for a couple of years when I was younger,but I still have an overbite (my dentist just did the rubberbands on the braces method and I hardly wore them..I regret it now).So now, I'd like to get jaw surgery to fix it(I believe this is the only option since I am 20 and done growing..but let me know if you know of any other methods that have worked). I'm doing it not just for aesthetic reasons, but my jaw often hurts, pops, and it's hard to chew. Do you ALWAYS need to have braces after the surgery? I assume you wouldn't need them for very long? If they are required, can you get the kind that are behind the teeth so they don't show? How long does it take to recover from the surgery? I would plan on doing it over my next winter break -so I'd have about a month off from school/work. Also, what is the approximate price of it? I'm still under my parent's insurance, so do you think that would cover some of it? Let me know! I just want some input before I go to a consultation:)

Hey there, I actually had jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery in medical terms) between my junior and senior year of college. I had TMJ problems, migraines, and an open bite, therefore surgery was necessary.

I wore braces for approximately 6 months before surgery and 4 months after surgery. Of course, at 20 years old this wasn't ideal, but I'm thankful I had the operation.

Each person is different and each surgery is different, so during your consultation the doctor can provide you with more specifics.

I had both upper and lower jaws broken and was essentially "wired" down for 6-8 weeks. My oral surgeon used very tight rubberbands instead of actually wiring me completely down.

It wasn't the most pleasant of situations: not eating solid foods, swelling, weakness, losing excessive weight, pain, etc.

I was under my parents insurance and it paid for it completely except for $1000.

Good luck--it's not as bad as you think!

Also, I look very different now from before my surgery, so be aware of that "side effect".