Weighing up surgery or not

[PloskoPlus]

Got some photos of my x rays btw..

Your profile is not that bad because your chin is quite projected.  If you have jaw surgery it may have to be reduced.  Your occlusal plane is flat (your probably don't show much of your upper teeth when smiling).  So you may need to have the works - upper jaw, lower jaw, chin.  At your age almost everybody ends up with at least some numbness of the lower lip/chin, so I don't know what they are fretting about.  If anything surgeons tend to really low-ball the risks and frankly outright lie about the post-op numbness ("10% chance of permanent numbness" - yeah, right) just to get you into surgery. Unless they are worried about the lingual nerve.  Now wrecking that nerve would be a disaster.

[DC77]

Your profile is not that bad because your chin is quite projected.  If you have jaw surgery it may have to be reduced.  Your occlusal plane is flat (your probably don't show much of your upper teeth when smiling).  So you may need to have the works - upper jaw, lower jaw, chin.  At your age almost everybody ends up with at least some numbness of the lower lip/chin, so I don't know what they are fretting about.  If anything surgeons tend to really low-ball the risks and frankly outright lie about the post-op numbness ("10% chance of permanent numbness" - yeah, right) just to get you into surgery. Unless they are worried about the lingual nerve.  Now wrecking that nerve would be a disaster.

Yes you're right  I hardly show my top teeth. I wondered from the X-ray does it show if my airway is narrow? Would there be any benefit for me on that from surgery. If someone does have a widened airway after surgery could it help with sport exercise etc? I'm into my running cycling, but struggle with breathing for swimming?

[Peter6789]

Got some photos of my x rays btw..

Can you get opinions from several good surgeons who are specialized in jaw surgery?

You might get phone consultations by sharing your xrays, as a first step, too.

If various surgeons give you similar recommendations, that is a good hint.

If they all tell you totally different things this is a caveat.



One question that will come up: how much are you bothered about your teeth and your jaws? How much pain and discomfort are you willing to take to solve the situation?

[DC77]

Can you get opinions from several good surgeons who are specialized in jaw surgery?

You might get phone consultations by sharing your xrays, as a first step, too.

If various surgeons give you similar recommendations, that is a good hint.

If they all tell you totally different things this is a caveat.



One question that will come up: how much are you bothered about your teeth and your jaws? How much pain and discomfort are you willing to take to solve the situation?

Im definitely bothered by my teeth, it has affected my confidence for most of my life. My profile less so, but I can see that the lower part of my face is shorted than it should be, and I have a general "sad" expression when my face is relaxed. Apart from my teeth these other issues are not regularly on my mind as my teeth are.  I think I would be bothered by the prospect of permanent numbness in my lower lip / chin.

Ive seen that some people have got photos of their face "morphed?" to see what it might possibly look like after surgery. Is there anyone on here who could do this? I know that it might not be a completely realistic prediction of post surgery outcome.

Ive got a consult with the surgeon, ortho, and psychologist (!) on Thursday to see if I want to do the surgery. It is in the UK and covered by our NHS so I would not pay if I went ahead

Thanks again for everyones comments

[DC77]

So I had a consultation today with the surgeon, orthodontist and a psychologist!
I raised my main concerns which was the deep labiomental fold and short lower section of my face (front view bothers me, profile less so). But the surgeon said that I would probably have permanent numbness on at least my lower lip due to my age and position of wisdom teeth. He then said that for my concerns a genioplasty alone might be a possibility. I had never considered this or really looked into the pros and cons. He said it was a less invasive op and that because it would be leaving the nerve alone in my lower jaw that it not have the risk of numbness

So Ive got to have another consult with the psychologist to see if I would get funding if I wanted to go ahead. I haven't heard of someone with my bite just having a genio before? To be honest I dont really have  bite problems in terms of pain or jaw ache so unless that changes I dont really need to get if fixed other than for looks reasons.

Can anyone give me their views on going for a genio op alone?

[DC77]

Any thoughts on the above post guys?

[mynameis]

Don't get extractions. Your chin is fine I'm a bit perplexed about why they would reccommend genioplasty. Your profile/face looks decent to me.

Your teeth for sure aren't straight so you could look into damon braces or some kind of orthodontic work for sure. Some might say your teeth as they are have 'character' and add to your individuality in a good way but if you want to go for more of a hollywood suave look then totes go for orthodontist but without extractions if possible...

Definitely no to the genioplasty. Thats madness. also your nose and lips are well supported by your teeth/jaws so already even with crooked teeth you arguably have a more attractive face than most/many people who had extractions and orthodontics in the growth phases of their youth.

[mynameis]

Yeah my opinion would be not to have surgery unless this is something you one hundred percent feel you want and have to do. I'm not a professional or anything obviously but thats just my answer. (Definitely don't go for a genioplasty!)

[DC77]

Yeah my opinion would be not to have surgery unless this is something you one hundred percent feel you want and have to do. I'm not a professional or anything obviously but thats just my answer. (Definitely don't go for a genioplasty!)

Thanks very much for your replies. Just wondering why no the genioplasty? The genio was suggested as a possible way if lengthening the lower part of my face. Something that
has always bothered me. I asked the surgeon about my chin, that is already pronounced, so he said he would be rotating the chin aswell as lengthening the lower part of the face. My side profile isn't that bad I think it is more from the front where I have suggested. There would be no fee for this surgery as it would be carried out on the UK's healthcare system.

[mynameis]

I said no genioplasty because I thought your chin looked like a decent length already.


If it's free and you don't mind going through the pain/risk/recovery, then I guess you could go for it. Ask the surgeon if you didn't like the result would it be easy to reverse.

if he says yes then if you weren't happy you could get it reversed for free also and hopefully have peace of mind (and hopefully without any long term numbness etc).


If I saw you in the street I wouldn't think to myself, 'That guy needs jaw surgery' or 'that guy needs genioplasty' or 'that guys facial development is not ideal'. And believe me I do sometimes think those things privately.