1st meeting with surgeon

September 23

Yesterday I had my first consultation with my maxillofacial surgeon.  I know its early out!  I just got my braces on 2 months ago and I was told to expect at least 1 -1.5 years before my teeth/bite/mouth are ready for surgery.  BUT... I just needed to talk to him.  All the website, journal articles, and blog research has only left me with more questions about what exactly will be happening to me personally and what I can expect as my prognosis.  I also really feel that its important to encourage my healthcare providers to act as a team.  To further that, I feel like if I'm on everyone's radar (or just somewhere in their patient files) they are going to watch out for me and something I may need is less likely to slip through the cracks.

So I met with the surgeon who actually put on gloves and looked at my mouth and my bite.  He then sat down and reviewed my x-rays with me.  And wow was that a shocker!  I knew I had a dental malocclusion and I thought that I had understood why this malocclusion led to my TMJ dysfunction. But what a difference an educated discussion made on my understanding!

Turns out I will need double jaw surgery.

There are typically 4 reasons someone needs this surgery (a part from trauma) and I've got 3 of the 4!  I've got the overbite, the overjet/open bite, and the asymmetry....wheee!  The only one I am missing is the underbite, which would be awfully hard to have at the same time as an overbite. The Dr gave me a brochure that looks like its from the 1980's "Your Orthognathic Surgery" I'll have to upload some pages next chance I get.  Essentially:
1. Serious Operation with all inherent risks
2. Inpatient hospital stay ~ 2-3 nights
3. I'll be out of work for 2-3 weeks
4. Liquid -> soft food diet for several months
5. My face/profile will change

Apparently I am still rather upset about the double jaw surgery, because I am really struggling and find myself reluctant to write tonight.  But I have about 1 year to a 1.5 years before the orthodontics will have done their work and my teeth will be where they should be for the surgery, so that should be plenty of time to come to terms with everything.