What are some reasons for getting this surgery?
What are the benefits?*
How old do I have to be?
You must be done growing before the produce can be done. For females, the age jaws stop growing is between 13 and 15. For males the age is between 16 and 18. Your surgeon will be able to tell you if you need to wait a year or two for growing to finish.
How long does it take to recover?
It will take 90 days for the bones to heal and fully fuse together. However, you will feel up to resuming to your regular life about 1 month after your operation. My surgeon recommended I take 2 weeks off of work and school and just let my face recover and my body recuperate after the surgery.
How long will I need to have braces?
If you had braces as a child or a few years ago, then you will probably be ready for surgery 3 to 6 months and for sure under 12 months. Unless you never wore a retainer and your teeth shifted back to where they were before. If this is the case or you have never had braces, it will probably take at least a year. My orthodontist said it is typical to have braces 12 months before surgery and then 12 months after. But people typically get their braces off sooner!
Do I have to have braces?
Yes. The orthodontist moves your teeth into the proper position so the top and bottom will fit together so when the surgeon moves your jaw(s), they can be secured in place with bands.
I already had braces, but decided not to get the surgery and now I regret it. Do I have to get braces again?
I have seen cases where the person religiously wore their retainer and their teeth were perfect, but they decided they wanted the surgery down the line or someone (dentist, etc.) told them they should look into it. They just needed to secure something to certain teeth on the top and bottom for the bands to be secured.
What will I be able to eat after the surgery?
When you have only one jaw done, your timeline for going back to a regular diet will look different when compared to someone who has had only one jaw done. My surgeon said I will be on a liquid diet (Ensure, fruit and vegetable juices, water, etc.) for 4 weeks. After that I will be on soft foods (anything that does not require chewing such as mashed potatoes and pasta) for 2 weeks. Once I am 6 weeks post-op, I can ease myself into my regular diet of bacon and fried chicken ☺
Will I be swollen?
Yes. The length of time depends of the procedure, the use of ice/heat packs, and how active you are after surgery. When I say active, I mean going for walks and not laying in bed all day every day the entire length of your recovery. Swelling begins after the surgery and peaks 3 days post-op. Most of the swelling will be gone after 2 weeks. You know your face the best, so you will be able to still see swelling for about 4 months post-op. However, other people won't be able to see the swelling after 2-3 weeks.
How much does jaw surgery cost?
This is an unanswerable question because each person will require something different that will effect the costs. It also depends on location, insurance coverage, and the type of procedure. I have heard that upper jaw surgery is more expensive because it is more complicated and takes longer. Will your upper and/or lower jaw need expanded? Do you need one or both jaws done? Do you also need a genioplasty? These are factors that will effect the overall costs. Also, when you have both jaws done, a hospital stay is typically required, which will also cost more. People who have double jaw surgery stay anywhere from 1-4 days and overnights in a hospital are not cheap.
I am having only lower jaw surgery. No expansion. No genioplasty. So, my costs are on the lower end. When I was at my consultation for the surgery, the woman who gave me my estimation said if insurance denied me (or if I didn't have insurance) the surgery would take place at their surgical center. This would make the costs cheaper as well.
My particular case:
- Jaws are positioned incorrectly*
- One or both jaws stopped growing too early*
- One or both jaws grew too much
- Problems chewing*, biting*, or swallowing
- Difficulty speaking
- Jaw or TMJ pain*
- Open bite
- Protruding jaw
- Receded jaw*
- Breathing problems*
- Gums are showing when you smile
- Not a lot of teeth are showing when you smile
What are the benefits?*
- Make biting and chewing easier and improve chewing overall
- Minimize excessive wear and breakdown of the teeth over years of use
- Correct facial imbalance, improving the appearance of deficient chins, underbites, overbites and crossbites
- Restore balance (symmetry) to middle and lower facial features
- Improve "gummy" smiles, where the lips don't fully close or pull upward and show large areas of the gums
- Improve "toothless" smiles, where the lips cover all the teeth
- Reduce the risk of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder and other jaw problems
- Repair and correct post-traumatic facial injury, defects and abnormalities
- Provide relief for sleep apnea
How old do I have to be?
You must be done growing before the produce can be done. For females, the age jaws stop growing is between 13 and 15. For males the age is between 16 and 18. Your surgeon will be able to tell you if you need to wait a year or two for growing to finish.
How long does it take to recover?
It will take 90 days for the bones to heal and fully fuse together. However, you will feel up to resuming to your regular life about 1 month after your operation. My surgeon recommended I take 2 weeks off of work and school and just let my face recover and my body recuperate after the surgery.
How long will I need to have braces?
If you had braces as a child or a few years ago, then you will probably be ready for surgery 3 to 6 months and for sure under 12 months. Unless you never wore a retainer and your teeth shifted back to where they were before. If this is the case or you have never had braces, it will probably take at least a year. My orthodontist said it is typical to have braces 12 months before surgery and then 12 months after. But people typically get their braces off sooner!
Do I have to have braces?
Yes. The orthodontist moves your teeth into the proper position so the top and bottom will fit together so when the surgeon moves your jaw(s), they can be secured in place with bands.
I already had braces, but decided not to get the surgery and now I regret it. Do I have to get braces again?
I have seen cases where the person religiously wore their retainer and their teeth were perfect, but they decided they wanted the surgery down the line or someone (dentist, etc.) told them they should look into it. They just needed to secure something to certain teeth on the top and bottom for the bands to be secured.
What will I be able to eat after the surgery?
When you have only one jaw done, your timeline for going back to a regular diet will look different when compared to someone who has had only one jaw done. My surgeon said I will be on a liquid diet (Ensure, fruit and vegetable juices, water, etc.) for 4 weeks. After that I will be on soft foods (anything that does not require chewing such as mashed potatoes and pasta) for 2 weeks. Once I am 6 weeks post-op, I can ease myself into my regular diet of bacon and fried chicken ☺
Will I be swollen?
Yes. The length of time depends of the procedure, the use of ice/heat packs, and how active you are after surgery. When I say active, I mean going for walks and not laying in bed all day every day the entire length of your recovery. Swelling begins after the surgery and peaks 3 days post-op. Most of the swelling will be gone after 2 weeks. You know your face the best, so you will be able to still see swelling for about 4 months post-op. However, other people won't be able to see the swelling after 2-3 weeks.
How much does jaw surgery cost?
This is an unanswerable question because each person will require something different that will effect the costs. It also depends on location, insurance coverage, and the type of procedure. I have heard that upper jaw surgery is more expensive because it is more complicated and takes longer. Will your upper and/or lower jaw need expanded? Do you need one or both jaws done? Do you also need a genioplasty? These are factors that will effect the overall costs. Also, when you have both jaws done, a hospital stay is typically required, which will also cost more. People who have double jaw surgery stay anywhere from 1-4 days and overnights in a hospital are not cheap.
I am having only lower jaw surgery. No expansion. No genioplasty. So, my costs are on the lower end. When I was at my consultation for the surgery, the woman who gave me my estimation said if insurance denied me (or if I didn't have insurance) the surgery would take place at their surgical center. This would make the costs cheaper as well.
My particular case:
- Location- Tennessee
- Procedure- Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy (BSSO)
- Surgeon Cost: $8,076.00 before insurance, $1,901.15 after
- Hospital Cost: $22,720.41 before insurance, $2,925.53 after
- Anesthesiologist Cost: $2,295.00 before insurance, $459.96 after
- Total Cost: $33,091.41
- Out-of-Pocket Cost: $5,286.64