As a dentist, I've seen a number of patients who have had the surgery done, and usually in the case of LOWER JAW advancement, braces wouldn't have worked in the first place because the lower jaw is too small or too far back.
I would get at least two or three opinions from different surgeons who do that particular surgery, but the most important thing you can do is research each surgeon to see outcomes and see if previous patients can be contacted to check on results (that's usually impossible but some practitioners will keep a contact list). Check with the state board to see if there have been complaints and the National Practitioner's Data Bank to see if there have been actions with the surgeon.
With that type of surgery there are risks. Permanent nerve damage is one of the most common. I've seen some advancement surgeries where in severe cases, bone was taken from other areas of the body to make the mandible longer. Sometimes the bone transplant doesn't take and that's a nightmare. Usually your mouth will be wired shut for at least 3 months. Liquid diet is a drag and rinsing with listerine and using your tongue to clean the insides of your teeth can get old fast.
On the positive side, I've seen some beautiful outcomes with minimal bad effects... just make certain you have the right surgeon, one with LOTS of experience.
I would get at least two or three opinions from different surgeons who do that particular surgery, but the most important thing you can do is research each surgeon to see outcomes and see if previous patients can be contacted to check on results (that's usually impossible but some practitioners will keep a contact list). Check with the state board to see if there have been complaints and the National Practitioner's Data Bank to see if there have been actions with the surgeon.
With that type of surgery there are risks. Permanent nerve damage is one of the most common. I've seen some advancement surgeries where in severe cases, bone was taken from other areas of the body to make the mandible longer. Sometimes the bone transplant doesn't take and that's a nightmare. Usually your mouth will be wired shut for at least 3 months. Liquid diet is a drag and rinsing with listerine and using your tongue to clean the insides of your teeth can get old fast.
On the positive side, I've seen some beautiful outcomes with minimal bad effects... just make certain you have the right surgeon, one with LOTS of experience.
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