Where do I start - New here

[QueenB]

Hello All,

I look forward to becoming part of this community. Thanks for reading!

I was going to be getting a revision rhino in the next few months then I discovered I have a jaw issue. My top jaw is tilted, one side is about 3mm longer then the other. Also my chin is off center. Am I looking at double jaw surgery? I do have sleep apnea and when I open and close my mouth there's a clicking. I have ignored this problem for years and finally confronted it after I met with numerous PS about my nose who told me I have asymmetry. Then one finally pinpointed the problem when he asked me to smile and told me my upper front teeth didn't line up and I had a jaw issue. Then I went to an ortho who confirmed I have an issue. She referred me to an oral surgeon.

So...a few questions for you jaw surgery experts. What type of surgery do you think I'm looking at? Who are the best surgeons on the west coast? If I need only rotation and not increased or decreased projection will this effect my nose if I get it done first?

Any help you can give me would be fantastic. This news has me very concerned. I'm very scared.

[Lazlo]

Hello All,

I look forward to becoming part of this community. Thanks for reading!

I was going to be getting a revision rhino in the next few months then I discovered I have a jaw issue. My top jaw is tilted, one side is about 3mm longer then the other. Also my chin is off center. Am I looking at double jaw surgery? I do have sleep apnea and when I open and close my mouth there's a clicking. I have ignored this problem for years and finally confronted it after I met with numerous PS about my nose who told me I have asymmetry. Then one finally pinpointed the problem when he asked me to smile and told me my upper front teeth didn't line up and I had a jaw issue. Then I went to an ortho who confirmed I have an issue. She referred me to an oral surgeon.

So...a few questions for you jaw surgery experts. What type of surgery do you think I'm looking at? Who are the best surgeons on the west coast? If I need only rotation and not increased or decreased projection will this effect my nose if I get it done first?

Any help you can give me would be fantastic. This news has me very concerned. I'm very scared.

you gotta go through some major self-evaluation. first, is it a problem you feel you can live with? cause potentially you might get way worse functionally and there are no guarantees you'll look that much better. the first step is to really do some introspection: imagine potentially 2 plus years in braces and the damage it will potentially do to your teeth, etc. etc. etc. then jaw surgery and several months of recovery. if you have major sleep apnea, the choice is made for you, you got to get it done, and the next step is to have consults with at least the top five surgeons in your or nearby areas, and only then get braces with someone the surgeon recommends. word to your mother.

[earl25]

Hello All,

I look forward to becoming part of this community. Thanks for reading!

I was going to be getting a revision rhino in the next few months then I discovered I have a jaw issue. My top jaw is tilted, one side is about 3mm longer then the other. Also my chin is off center. Am I looking at double jaw surgery? I do have sleep apnea and when I open and close my mouth there's a clicking. I have ignored this problem for years and finally confronted it after I met with numerous PS about my nose who told me I have asymmetry. Then one finally pinpointed the problem when he asked me to smile and told me my upper front teeth didn't line up and I had a jaw issue. Then I went to an ortho who confirmed I have an issue. She referred me to an oral surgeon.

So...a few questions for you jaw surgery experts. What type of surgery do you think I'm looking at? Who are the best surgeons on the west coast? If I need only rotation and not increased or decreased projection will this effect my nose if I get it done first?

Any help you can give me would be fantastic. This news has me very concerned. I'm very scared.

im surprised a ps told you that. most ps wont telll you that because its not something they offer. all the ps i saw said i needed jaw implants when i really needed a bsso.

first step is to research docs (dont confine yourself to dr.s close bye) . make a list of all the ones  that interest you. research each oneline via searching this website,yahoo orthognatic group,archwired,google etc. then consult with each.. take your time. dont rush into this.

[QueenB]

Thanks for your replies. I do hate to resort to surgery but am having a hard time finding non surgical options in my online research. Does anyone know what a arch bar is? I'm reading it can help with a cant.

My sleep apnea is very bad and I'm thin so it's not due to weight. Not sure if its caused by this cant or not.

[pekay]

My sleep apnea is very bad and I'm thin so it's not due to weight. Not sure if its caused by this cant or not.

It is  you most likely have a very narrow airway

[QueenB]

Wow you guys are fast.

Wonderful this stupid cant is gonna kill me eventually. I hate the machine and cant stand wearing it so i wake up with headaches or gasping for air. I don't have X-rays yet. I'm going at the end of the month. This is the soonest they could get me in.

Oh yeah and I can't open my mouth all that wide either.
 
What about this bar? Have you seen this help anyone?

[pekay]

Wow you guys are fast.

Wonderful this stupid cant is gonna kill me eventually. I hate the machine and cant stand wearing it so i wake up with headaches or gasping for air. I don't have X-rays yet. I'm going at the end of the month. This is the soonest they could get me in.

Oh yeah and I can't open my mouth all that wide either.
 
What about this bar? Have you seen this help anyone?

orthodontic appliance of some sort? it's most likely BS

consult with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon rather than an orthodontist

[AshesAshes]

If you have a skeletal issue you should address the skeletal issue.  Don't try to compromise or compensate with an orthodontic appliance that only moves teeth. I have seen many patients (myself included) who ended up with a technically perfect bite from orthodontics alone, but when the underlying skeletal issue isn't addressed the face doesn't look or function optimally.

A lot of jaw surgery patients start out disliking their nose before they realize it is the jaws that are throwing the face off balance.

[QueenB]

For an issue like this should I wait to get my nose done? Will the results effect my nose? I was supposed to get my nose done in Nov and now I'm wondering if I should cancel.

If they are not projecting or deprojecting the upper jaw but only rotating will this effect the appearance of my nose?

[Kristen]

First off it is refreshing to hear that the plastic surgeon was honest with you in saying that you had a jaw issue.   You need to find out exactly where your airway is narrow.   If it is behind the jaws then only jaw surgery will correct that.   If it is also in the nose then surgery for a deviated septum and/ or turbinate reduction is in order also.
Jaw surgery often balances the nose aesthetically so that rhinoplasty isn't necessary.
I would consult with top oral maxillofacial surgeons first.
Definitely wouldn't do a rhinoplasty first without consultations for the jaw.

[overbiter]

For an issue like this should I wait to get my nose done? Will the results effect my nose? I was supposed to get my nose done in Nov and now I'm wondering if I should cancel.

If they are not projecting or deprojecting the upper jaw but only rotating will this effect the appearance of my nose?

Don't get your nose done before orthognathic surgery, that would be crazy. There is no real way of knowing what your nose will look like after the surgery. You probably don't even know what kind of jaw surgery you will be having yet, right?

You can only have sleep apnea caused by a jaw issue if your lower and/or upper jaws are pretty recessed. Who told you a cant was causing you to have sleep apnea, a plastic surgeon?

[QueenB]

I know my upper jaw is not recessed. My lower jaw may be. I'm trying to get in to see a surgeon right away for an opinion but they are all booked up. I don't want to cancel my rhino surgeries until I hear from a surgeon.

The PS didn't say anything about sleep apnea and I didn't mention it. I was just hoping maybe this could help me with it.

[dantheman]

May I ask, how were you diagnosed with sleep apnea? And we are speaking strictly about obstructive sleep apnea I am assuming...

[QueenB]

Sorry I've been out of town and just returned. I have been diagnosed twice. Once I had to sleep at the sleep clinic and the other I took home a machine. I stop breathing for long periods of time during the night. I have severe obstructive sleep apnea. I'm a female who is a normal weight. hate that horrible big machine and never use it. A few months ago I was fitted with a sleep apnea dental device that just sits in my mouth and keeps my jaw forward at night. This seems to have done the trick at night for now. But of course this isn't permanent. So I'm wondering since this device works it means this is really a jaw issue I have. I always thought it was a nose issue but it does seem like a jaw one.

[QueenB]

Well I saw the dr today and he said I have a week lower jaw and 2mm cant to both lower and upper. He asked about the sleep apnea and said he would have to move jaws forward 10mm if I wanted to fix this issue. He said this would drastically effect my looks. I dont wsnt a drastic change so that freaks me out. But if its not severe not as much forward. He wants a sleep study. I didn't have my results with me. So I went home and looked. Results say I have mild to severe apnea. Stop breathing 5 times in an hr in the beginning then up to 29 in REM sleep. Is this really bad? Anyone know sleep apnea scores well?

He also said not to get my nose done until after jaw surgery.