Double Jaw Surgery Worth It?

[ODog]

Hi,

I am deciding between invisalign and jaw surgery to correct my slight overjet, cross-bite, and narrow palate.

The former would fix my bite and teeth just fine, but the latter may additionally improve my profile, as I have a long mid-face - kind of droopy looking - a downward sloping jawline, and narrow chin.

These issues make me look rather weak and feminine for a man. I also have airway issues, always hard to breathe through nose, but allergies contributes to that too.

Jaw surgery is a huge and invasive procedure so it's a big decision for me. Would it improve my face aesthetically? I am not looking to add jaw/ chin implants, so I'm wondering if fixing the jaw (I guess they would do a CCW rotation?) might widen my face on its own/ make it jut forward a little more instead of slope downward.

[PloskoPlus]

Wow Macklemore wants jaw surgery, who would have thought! I love your songs!
If you don't have functional issues, don't bother.

[slysurfz]

There will be aesthetic gain with the jaw surgery but it won't be drastic. If there are genuine airway issues go for it, from a pure aesthetic standpoint it will not be worth it. As the midface is not enhanced with a lefort 1 as much as you would want in your case.

[ODog]

Wow Macklemore wants jaw surgery, who would have thought! I love your songs!
If you don't have functional issues, don't bother.

Hahaha thanks man. I have functional issues but they can be corrected with invisalign. My jaw also seems chronically tense and aggravated.

[ODog]

There will be aesthetic gain with the jaw surgery but it won't be drastic. If there are genuine airway issues go for it, from a pure aesthetic standpoint it will not be worth it. As the midface is not enhanced with a lefort 1 as much as you would want in your case.

Hmm, thanks for your reply. Maybe it won't impact the Midface but it'll make my lower third more robust, won't it? I have to find out if my airway is subjectively or objectively dysfunctional. I meet with a surgeon next month.

What's helped me is clench my molars and keeping tongue on the roof of my mouth. But if you caught me not doing that you would see a more obvious drooping of my face. People unconsciously (I think) mimic this when talking with me ( they drop their lower jaw while looking at mine).

[ODog]

There's one other functional issue I forgot to mention, but I have speech issues, hard to pronounce words, slurry my speech, lisp, so people often find me incomprehensible.  If I compensate by over enunciating my words it sounds annoying and gets tiring; perhaps this is why my jaw is often tired? but if I talk normally it's stressful because people find me difficult to understand.

Would surgery improve speech?

[slysurfz]

Yes, it can help improve speech, I know of a few people with Class 3 having improvement in speech issues (lisp)

Yes, it will make your lower third robust.

[eastcoastian1]

CCW will only slightly widen your angles. This is why some surgeons (Gunson) use HA paste to compensate the elongation of the jaw by widening it but effect is minimal.

Only exception here is if you're doing an impaction or pushing the jaw back, not forward. Otherwise,  CCW alone won't do much.

[ODog]

My jaw would need to be brought forward not back wouldn't it? I haven't met with the surgeon yet so i have no idea what movements are required. I think I should just get it done so my jaw is comfortable for the rest of my life (hopefully). If it feels uncomfortable now I can only imagine it as I get older. I don't know. Maybe I'm not all that concerned about aesthetics afterall, it would just be a bonus.

[eastcoastian1]

My jaw would need to be brought forward not back wouldn't it? I haven't met with the surgeon yet so i have no idea what movements are required. I think I should just get it done so my jaw is comfortable for the rest of my life (hopefully). If it feels uncomfortable now I can only imagine it as I get older. I don't know. Maybe I'm not all that concerned about aesthetics afterall, it would just be a bonus.

I'm guessing you don't need setback or impaction. CCW will widen your face slightly, but don't expect any more angularity at the angles.

If it's for functional, go for it.