<p>Hi backhandgrip, I hope all goes great with the surg...and i've been reading everyone's posts with interest b/c my D has had appliances since she was TWO for an underbite. The ortho has her teeth to the point now where she actually has an overhang of the top teeth - but she must be watched very carefully - and she's only 11. So thanks for all the info everyone is posting - it gives me hope that in a few years, if she does need surg, there is light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>BHG - I hadn't thought about bulking my daughter up. But, in October she had all 4 wisdom teeth taken out and 2 became infected - no solid food for about three weeks. So, we got an idea of what she could manage and not manage - lots of soups and milk shakes. Sillystring - thanks for sharing your daughter's experience. I am surprised they did her surgery (which sounds very much like what my daughter will go through) in 7th grade - we have been waiting for her to stop growing (well, she hasn't "grown" since 7th grade but they kept measuring her bone growth). Now, she's finally ready. We decided to do the surgery over the summer just to give her time to full recuperate. After the wisdom teeth incident we realized that recovery sometimes has ups and downs. How long was your daughter in the hospital? The doctor has said a week for my daughter followed by six weeks or so of recovery. Did she have to go back into braces after the surgery? My daughter is hoping that she can have her senior photos taken without braces in the fall. And, has your daughter had any pain over the long term in the surgery site?</p>
<p>BHG, I went to the orthodontist 3 years ago because I had developed a small space in my bottom teeth from a tongue thrust while sleeping. I was planning on getting braces. The orthodontist told me that he thought I might need this surgery because my jawwas exactly aligned - no over or underbite...(everyone should have a slight overbite). My teeth were meeting exactly, which he said would eventually wear them down. We went with the braces and they worked, thankfully. But, I was telling my boss at work about it when I got my braces and she told me that she was just about to have the surgery....and she did. I think she had two of them - low jack back, upper jaw out. She stayed out of work while he jaw was wired and healing (just a few days) and returned feeling fine. She looked immediately better. About a year later she was feeling so good about herself that she had some cosmetic things done to her body and is now attracting all kind of male attention. Best wishes to your son with the surgery. Curmungeon and Carolyn, hope things are easy for your kids too. Carolyn, I thought of Frankenstein when I read about the external screws....no thanks!!</p>
<p>Momsdream, Yeah, you just don't tell a 16 year old girl that she might need screws on the sides of her face. :)</p>
<p>Sorry, carolyn. I think I knew my box was full. My level of laziness is just astounding . I will clean it now.</p>
<p>Edit: I have now determined my level of laziness is surpassed by my level of incompetence. I have accidentally deleted my pm to you. Could you please PM it to Backhandgrip if you still have it ? It may be of some use. Thanks</p>
<p>I had osteotomy surgery on my jaw many years back. The lower jaw was sawed through on each side and reset to correct a slight birth defect that affected my bite. I was wired shut for eight weeks after the surgery. I should have lost weight, but I discovered that I could have two or three milkshakes a day and never get tired of them! One slight problem was a slight numbness in my lower lip that I still have today - 25 years later. But those were the dark ages. It was a rough time, but my bite has been better ever since. Within half an hour after getting the wires pulled out, I stopped at a convenience store and bought a bag of potato chips. The thought of getting something I could crunch was overwhelming.</p>
<p>Carolyn -- Yes, my daughter's surgery was done pretty early. But she was already 5'8" in 7th grade, and she only grew one more inch after that so it worked out fine. Her chin is in proportion to her face, and because the surgery was done early the imbalance was never really apparent. She had a great surgeon who removed the "buds" of her wisdom teeth below the gums several weeks before he did the surgery. Her braces were on when they did the surgery in June, and they were off by Christmas of that year. She was in the hospital for only two nights, and then she recuperated at home. I remember that she had a pressure bandage that fastened on the top of her head and came down under her chin. She looked like a bullfrog -- lots of swelling in the jowl area, and also in her cheeks. She must have a high threshold for pain because she did not want to take painkillers. She had some numbness in her chin for awhile after the surgery, but that has gone away. However, last year she had a couple of episodes in which her jaw locked during the night -- she temporarily could not open her mouth. We took her back to the doctor and he made a splint (I think that's what it's called). She sleeps with it in her mouth a few times a week. It seems to be working. Like digmedia, she sipped milkshakes while her jaw was immobilized. When she got to the soft foods stage, she liked refried beans with cheese from Taco Cabana. She also liked the steak soup at Saltgrass.</p>
<p>P.S. I don't think the locking jaw is related to her previous surgery. It has something to do with a deteriorating joint in her jaw -- perhaps because she is grinding her teeth in her sleep. At least that is the way I remember it. She just got home for the winter break today and is already asleep. I'll check tomorrow and get back to you on that.</p>
<p>I couldn't talk the surgeon into doing D's surgery in the 7th. The doc started mumbling something about growth plates not closing. At all. He started predicting based on all sorts of diagnostics that she would be well over six feet, possibly 6'5". We spent untold hours preparing D psychologically to be six foot or better. Didn't want her to stoop or round her shoulders. Now she is dissapointed that she appears to have topped out at a non-Division One 5'11". Oh well. There's my "parenting is the law of unintended consequences" again.</p>
<p>I had some significant bite problems; receeded lower jaw & overbite, plus I ground my teeth, plus I had neck pain, pinched nerve & migraines!!</p>
<p>However, it was fixable through orthodonics <em>without</em> surgery. You should get a second opinion from someone skilled at functional orthodontia (as opposed to just making everything pretty.) From funky genetics to not having been breastfed to thumbsucking, there are several things that can screw up normal cranio-facial development. In my case I think is was genetic because one son had it too. That's actually how I found my ortho; found him for my son. My son's palate was so narrow he had crooked <em>baby</em> teeth!</p>
<p>I spent about 8 months wearing an expanding retainer for my uppers that gradually widened my upper palate till it was wide enough to allow my lower jaw to move forward. I did this at the age of 40. This worked fine. Then I wore a bianator to retrain my bite and to provide a chewing surface so my molars could touch (this was gradually shaved down as molars grew in further.) Then I had conventional ortho to make my molars grow in all the way and to reallign my smile teeth.</p>
<p>Obviously it is imperative to retain one's sense of humor as a grown up with a mouth full of plastic and metal. Whole thing from first retainer to finished product took about 2 years.</p>
<p>It worked beautifully and the bonus is no migraines, significantly reduced neck problems ( may take years for my neck to unkink) and no grinding. I also look better-- wider smile and stronger jaw. Very happy I did not have to have surgery. Son came out great too.</p>
<p>If you private message me I can give you my dentist's name and he can refer you to colleagues who specialize in non-invasive treatment of TMJ, migraines, and bite problems.</p>
<p>My son who is 21 had bite problems and required re-bracing at age 17. He was very angry about this and fought us over it but we were told if there was no re-bracing he might need jaw surgery later on. This frightened us as he has diabetes and there is a very delicate balance between food and insulin needs. Reading your posts makes me feel better that we insisted on the re-bracing and did not consider his feelings. So far so good. Good luck to all the parents and kids going through the jaw surgery.</p>
<p>Sillystring - Thanks for the information. It helps a lot. Based on your story, I'm glad that she's going to do it over the summer. Daughter has the "lock jaw" thing now - it is related to the fact that her jaw hinges are deformed/not existent. She will be happy to hear that your daughter's face wasn't radically changed. That is her biggest worry.</p>
<p>SBMom - We have kept our fingers crossed that all of this could be fixed with orthodontists and malofactoral (spelling) therapy but after five years of work, it is clear that it won't be. She has enough pain and problems eating and her speech that this has to be taken care of with surgery.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon - I sent a copy of your message to my husband at his office. I'll get him to send it back to me and try to pass it along to BHG.</p>
<p>Just out of curiousity - how many of your kids used pacifiers as babies/toddlers? The doctors have told us that this is something she was born with, but I still feel guilty for all the time she spent with her "paciE" in her mouth as a toddler.</p>
<p>My son had no pacifiers and was breastfed for nearly two years (both are factors) and he still wound up w/ a bite & palate problem. His step sister was not breastfed, had pacifier 24/7, and has a great bite, jaw, smile!</p>
<p>Genetic flukes happen; might have been the same without pacifier too.</p>
<p>Thanks SBMom - mother guilt is the worst kind. My son, by the way, has a perfect bite and perfect teeth, much to my daughter's chagrin.</p>
<p>Twenty yrs ago--finally with a dental plan in hand--I decided, at age 30, to correct my overbite. I received a referral and made an appt for a prelim assessment...was told that with my 10%+ overbite I would probably need the surgery. After 2 yrs of braces, went back to the surgeon and was told that the orthodontist did an AMAZING job...there was only a very slight overbite...and said, "If you were my daughter, I would recommend NOT having the surgery!!!" What a pleasant surprise! My orthodontist had a gut feeling that the surgeon would say that.</p>
<p>Archermom, maybe next fall our D's can compare notes about their mothers' orthodontia!</p>
<p>It looks like we will hear Mon, as other Haverford EDers on east coast are starting to hear; letters went out Thurs...</p>
<p>Anyhow it sure reduced griping & eye-rolling from my kids when we all went through ortho at the same time!</p>
<p>Carolyn -- My daughter did not suck her thumb or use a pacifier. Her brother, who did not give up his pacifier until age three, does not have jaw problems. Please tell your daughter that her appearance will, if anything, be altered for the better. If my daughter had not had the surgery, she would have had a receding chin. Now her chin is just right for her face -- plus her teeth are stable. My daughter said she would be happy to e-mail your daughter about the experience. My e-mail is in my profile, so just contact me there if your daughter wants to "talk." My daughter has no regrets about her surgery at all.</p>
<p>SBmom,
When D started her orthodontia, I filled in the family history. Her orthodontist wanted to know who completed the form because it was the most detailed history he had ever read...guess my own experience was still so vivid---even yrs later! Ds couldn't complain too much during treatment since I had "been there, done that!"</p>
<p>Hope to hear the good news tomorrow!</p>
<p>Carolyn,</p>
<p>Don't blame yourself for your D's jaw problems. It sounds like it's a genetic fluke. My oldest D, who's now 24, was told when she was 14 by orthodontist number two (orthodontist number one was incompetent and was royally screwing up D's mouth) that her jaw was growing toward the left. Her malformed jaw was one of the reasons the first orthodontist was having problems dealing with her bite. He didn't recognize that sometime after he began treating her her previously symmetrical jaw starting growing more on one side than the other. The second orthodontist told us that she might need corrective surgery in order to correct the problem. I had visions of a very asymmetric looking jawline a la a woman I knew when I was in college. Her malformed jawline was the first thing one noticed about her. I knew I didn't want to see my D develop that type of problem. Our orthodontist told us that since our D was 14, she had already hit her major growth spurt and her jaw's asymmetry was unlikely to get a lot worse. Thankfully, my D's problem did not progress much as she grew from age 14 to 17. The orthodontist was able to camouflage the asymmetry with orthodontics alone. He gave us the option of correcting the problem surgically. By the way, this D was breastfed for 37 months, never had a bottle, and never ever had a pacifier. Her jaw still ended up growing strangely when she hit adolescence.</p>
<p>We moms seem to have a penchant for blaming ourselves for things we have no control over. A friend of mine, a mom of 4, bottle fed her first two children, and breastfed her last two. Her oldest child, a daughter, was nearly blind in her right eye. When her third child was born, she decided she really wanted to breastfeed and sought help from La Leche League to do so. She educated herself about the art of breastfeeding and eventually became a leader with LLL. In her research about breastfeeding, she discovered that one of the benefits to the baby is that the development of both eyes is enhanced by the fact that breastfeeding mothers switch the baby from their left arms to their right arms as they nurse. Bottle feeding moms typically tend to hold their infants in their left arms every time they give a bottle. My friend blamed herself for her D's vision problem in her right eye. Since she always held her in her left arm when she gave the child a bottle, the child's right eye was always next to her breast. She believed that was the reason her D's right eye didn't develop properly. She seemed to think that having her D's right eye next to her body when she fed her was equivalent to placing a patch over her right eye 24/7, which of course, would lead to loss of vision in an infant. It sounds pretty silly when I put it that way doesn't it? But my friend irrationally blames herself. She's just sure that her D's eye would have developed normally if only she had breastfed her.</p>
<p>P.S. My 2nd child breastfed for 35 months and also never had a bottle or a pacifier. She has no jaw problems. None of my nieces or nephews on either side of the family had any problems either. All the kids on my husband's side of the family were bottle fed and used pacifiers. My sister's 3 kids were all breastfed and had no bottles or pacifiers. My sister-in-law's two kids were breastfed for 6 weeks then weaned to bottles. She used pacifiers also. My oldest D is the only one to have the problem. </p>
<p>I have always wondered though, if there is some genetic component. I had nice straight baby teeth and a normal looking jaw until adolesence. By the time I was 12 I had a very receded chin, an overbite, and some pretty bad malocclusion. Back in the dark ages when I was young, malocclusion was treated by removing teeth instead of expanding jaws. I had many permanent teeth removed. As an adult, I have a very tiny jaw and my lower teeth are still not straight, despite 2 1/2 years of orthodontic work. My dentist informed my parents that he'd done the best he could with my very small jaw. Every dentist I have ever seen has commented on the tiny size of my jaw. My lower jaw is more V-shaped than U-shaped. I suspect that something happened when I was an adolescent. I don't think the jaw bone grew as it should have. My jaw is symmetrical, but very small, as though it stopped growing before the rest of my face did. In my oldest D's case, one side of her jaw grew faster than the other.</p>
<p>Very interesting. I breastfed my oldest (the daughter) for 15 months --- son pushed the breast away at 5 months. I often wonder if the reason my daughter is so much closer to me is because of this (more likely son just always had an independent personality). Do I understand mother guilt or what?</p>
<p>I do think this is something genetic - she also has scoliosis - not a bad case, but kind of strange that two parts of her bone structure are screwed up.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon - I chuckled at the story of your daughter's height. Our son is now 6 feet 4 at age 14, daughter has been 5 foot 3 since she turned 12. They make a very interesting pair and delight in introducing each other. Daughter - pointing to brother towering a foot over her - "this is my baby brother." Son - pointing to sister who he can tuck under his arm - "this is my big sister."</p>