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I thought I should throw my own two cents in on the subject since I was in a similar situation to yours (overjet and everything), and just recently finished my own procedures (two sets of braces, two sets of surgeries, one set of stabilizing arches). Now just to explain about the second one. It wasn't so much on the jaw as giving me the lip closure that they weren't able to obtain the first time. Now I am not saying anything about my surgeon the way I looked pre-surgery and post-surgery the first time I had surgery you could tell there was an EXTREME difference if you had known me prior. Even within the first month of surgery.
1. I had braces for three years in the past during high school years. I really dont want to have another time with braces. Are they necessary? Recommended?
The situation really depends on how severe my overbite it is and how much of a recession of the jaw there has been between the braces previously had been on and when the surgery is scheduled. In my case there was there was an approximate four year lapse plus my surgeon required them in the case of the first surgery. I know from personal experience that having braces AGAIN sounds annoying but really it depends on the situation it is probably best to go through it again. Usually the second time around it is a lot shorter. Like you I had mine on the first time for three years (4th to 7th grade). But the second time I had them on for approximately a year and a half (10th to summer before 12th grade).
However there is another option that you might be able to suggest though the surgeon might insist on braces for various reasons: The second time I lucked out (probably because as compared to the first one this was a minor one) and he said all I needed was a stabilizing arch. Which are similar to braces but go on the gum (or at least they did with me) and have to be removed usually by a surgeon. The upside being they might be able to come out earlier (I got the all is go to get them off approximately 5 weeks after the surgery.
Also on another note in either route you are going to have to wear rubber bands on your applience for a certain amount of time. Which is annoying but it is to keep the jaw from moving around to much.
Whatever you do don't go for wiring the jaw, unless that is absolute mandatory, either of the above options will allow you to start eating non-liquids a lot faster. I was able to eat soft foods approximately two months after the first surgery.
Also note that situations vary. Just because this is what happened with me does it mean that it will happen with you.
2. What is the average cost of a overbite surgery? including the braces and all?
Hate to admit but I am not 100 percent since my parents paid for both surgeries and braces.
3. How long does the operation take?
The first time for me it lasted approximately 5-6 hours and I didn't wake up for another one and even then I wasn't fully awake (heavier dose of anaesthesia).
The second time if only lasted approximately 2-3 hours and I was pretty much fully aware within a couple of hours after.
4. How long does recovering period last?
Once again depends on the case. For me post-op the first time I was back to pretty much normal (even with braces) about 6 months afterwards. The second time I was back to normal six weeks (would have been faster but the stabilizing arch much like braces still restricted some of my eating habits)
5. If I am supposed to get braces before or/and after the operation, how long does it take to take them off?
This is also a case by case basis. Usually ahead of time the surgeon will tell you when you should have your braces on at the latest. About a month or two after surgery in my case the surgeon turned the work over the orthodontist who will be working on his advice and his own judgements on when you get your braces off.
6. Are there side effects?
The worst side effect I have is the occasional pain flash (a sudden jolt of pain felt through the nerve lasting one second at best, or three to four seconds at worst). In my case this is what happened: If your nerves go mostly offline in the first couple of months post-op then you better be prepared to bring some pain medication as you get into the awakening month as I like to call it. Which hurts like hell! For about a month the pain flashes occur on a very frequent basis. Some days are better than others (sometimes I only needed to go down once or twice, others I had to excuse myself from class to go down to nurses office as soon as I could take my next dosage). Usually the sunnier the day the better. Because when electrical activity is in the air they seem to become more frequent. In fact during this time it is bust to avoid all sorts of electrical activity. One day in class during this month my teacher brought in one of those electrical balls that if you touch your hair stands on hand. Well I decided I wanted to touch it. In actually that wasn't too bad at first (mainly because the machine hadn't been on all that long). Than my idiotic classmates kept trying to shock me. I ended up getting down and withdrawing to a corner of the room with a friend because of it. As time progressed the pain flashes became worse and I asked to excusing myself to the hallway to get away from it. Said friend joined me and kept me company for the remainder of the time I was in the hall.
7. Do I need to remove some of my teeth? (It is totally fine if I do because I didn't get to remove any when I had braces)
This more depends on the size of the jaw. I have a small jaw so they had to pull all five (yes five, still don't know how I got the extra one) of my wisdom teeth. That was done approximately a week before my braces went on the second time.
8. Do they pull your jaw to the point you want or they do they just do it bythemselves?
What my surgeon did was ask what I was looking for with the surgery and set those as his goals for the surgery.
9. Can I expect my face to look better?
Yes!
10. My chin is quite short lengthwise. Does this surgery cover that and lengthen it? If not, is there a way to do that?
Probably since the situation is similar you can expect a better chin. I went into my surgery the first time with a flat chin so to speak. Five days later I was staring in the mirror I noticed for the first time I actually had a what I considered real chin. I later found out that during the surgery the surgeon had put some metal in my mouth to help stabilize it and at the end of the metal there was a hook that now gives me the chin I have. So yes it is possible I would recommend talking to your surgeon about it.
11. What is a 'jaw implant'? Is it different from this surgery? If it is, could you explain a bit?
I unfortunately have no knowledge on this area.
Anyway that is my story. Just to throw in some of my own two cents, if you live on the West Coast, or even if you don't, look into going to Stanford for the surgery. That's where I had my surgeries done (except for the stabilizing arch removal I did not feel like waiting another month for it to come out so we ended up going to a local doctor) and there really good doctors. Sorry for the extremely long post!
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