Cosmetic Dental Question? Extensions in your Jaw Experience?

Has anyone experienced having extensions added to your lower jaw to help pull your jaw forward so your mouth will close properly and your bite be corrected? I have an underbite. My bottom jaw didn't grow to its full size. I want to have cosmetic exstensions added? Can you tell me about your experience, what it detailed and how much did it hurt of course. Thank you!

Cosmetic Dental Question? Extensions in your Jaw Experience?
A PROCEDURE KNOWN AS A LEFORTE 1,2 OR 3 MAY BE DONE FOR THE UPPER JAW. IT'S DEST TO CONSULT WITH AN ORAL SURGEON. BRACES WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE BEST RESULT.
Reply:OMG! I have to have the same thing! Although I am not going forward with it right now, instead working on the placement of my teeth. Do you have pain? I am 23 and do not have insurance nor the money to pay for it. I've been told that if I am having no pain right now I can wait a few years. If I may ask, why are you doing it.
Reply:OK, my son had this surgery, and the first thing I need to tell you is that an underbite is when the lower jaw sticks out too far. If you want your chin to stick out MORE, then what you have is an overbite.





The second thing is that it may not be cosmetic! You need to see an orthodontist first of all, because they usually put braces on your teeth first, then send you to an oral surgeon for the actual surgery, then finish up with the braces for awhile. All this takes 3-4 years.





My son grew several inches during his 17th year, and his lower jaw grew way out. Even though he had always had a slight underbite, this was so extreme, he had about 1/4-inch between his lower teeth and his upper teeth. He also had a few teeth that were crooked or turned. He had a terrible time eating and talking because of this problem.


Although he usually sounded very normal, it was a constant effort and stress to him, to do so. Speech therapy helped, but could not solve the problem. This was not a cosmetic surgery, although it did make a cosmetic difference when it was done.





The braces straightened his teeth, and actually moved them so they would not curve inward or outward. His surgery was planned twice, and then had to be postponed because the bite was not quite ready. When his teeth were ready for the surgery, he actually had almost 1/2-inch gap between lower and upper. Two months before his 22nd birthday, he had the surgery, which lasted 6 hours, and he had to stay at the hospital for 3 days. They severed both the upper and lower jaws, from inside the mouth (no incisions on the face). From the lower jaw, they removed 9 mm of bone. They used pulverized cadaver-bone mixed with a kind of cement, and made the upper jaw 3 mm larger. All of this was put back together with titanium plates and screws, which are very expensive (I think the hardware cost around $20,000)





His jaws were wired together for 4 weeks, with an opening just large enough to insert a straw. However, he wasn't able to use a straw. I found something called Zip-n-Sqeeze which we filled with pureed food and he squeezed into his mouth. He was a model patient, and we blended everything we could think of: cheeseburgers, eggs and bacon, pizza, tacos, vegetable soup, in addition to the nutritional drinks, smoothies, milk shakes, etc. He gained back every bit of the weight he had lost in a very short time. Most people lose 20% of their body weight after this surgery, but he did not.





He missed the first week of college that semester, but went to school after having the wires removed. I remember that he called me the next day at work, and was just amazed and so thankful. He said, "Mom... I don't have to work so hard just to talk and eat anymore."





It was well worth all the time and trouble, he felt.





The fortunate thing for us is that our insurance paid for the entire thing. We only paid about $1500 for the braces part of it, on a monthly payment plan. The surgery and medical was all covered by our insurance, which is kind of unusual. If anybody is planning to have it done, you will need around $40,000.00... or will have to work to get your insurance to approve it. They won't do it unless they know they're going to get paid. Whatever you do, DON'T tell your insurance company it is cosmetic, as they will use your own words against you and deny it. This isn't cosmetic, and nobody in their right mind would go through all that, for purely cosmetic reasons.





Good luck with it.





If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me through Yahoo Answers.








I♥♫→mia☼☺†








P.S. It is called orthognathic surgery. LeForte is the name of the procedure.