jaw surgery?

morganedge

Hi.
I think that my upper and lower jaws may be sitting to deep.
I've always disliked my smile and sometimes suffer from sleep apnea. I also struggle with certain words in my speech. I only just realised that it could be to do with the positionand maybe size of my jaws.

I know it's a big long process and i'm not sure that at my age (late 20's) I want to go through with wearing braces for years! (I gather that's what happens?)

However, how do I go about speaking to someone.

I see that there is a Oral & Maxillo Facial Surgery in my local hospital.
Can I just ring them up and make an appointment, or will they say that I need to have been referred to them by my doctor or something?

Or do I maybe ask my local NHS dentist first??

And what about costs? Will I have to pay thousands of pounds for it or will it be free?

I don't know anything about this.
Such a shame that it's taken me this long to realise what may be the root of some of my problems.

Fire_Fox

You generally need to be referred a dental department in an NHS hospital, sometimes those with a dental teaching department take cases directly. Your dentist can advise if the treatment is available on the NHS or only privately.

brook2jack

Actually any large hospital will have a maxillo facial unit it does not have to be a dental hospital but you cannot self refer.

Have you seen anyone about your sleep apnoea? Has it been diagnosed and treated properly? Have you attended a sleep clinic?

Any repositioning of jaws is always done in conjunction with braces (orthodontics). It is a long and complicated process and not an easy path with many possible complications. Orthognathic surgery is not to be taken lightly.The braces are normally on for some time before and after surgery. Many units will also want you to see a psychologist before treatment starts so they know you are fully aware of the implications of treatment.

Any dentist can refer you for an opinion and if you are considered as needing surgery etc it will be free of charge, although with braces etc it will take years of treatment.

So number one get your sleep apnoea diagnosed and treated , if necessary, number two get your dentist to refer you to the maxillo facial surgeons/orthodontists.

If your case is not clinically necessary you could be talking of £25,000 upwards to do it privately.

morganedge

brook2jack wrote: »

get your dentist to refer you to the maxillo facial surgeons/orthodontists.

Will this cost any money? (appointment with the orthodontist/maxillo facial surgeon)

brook2jack

If it is deemed clinically necessary no. But you need to get your sleep apnoea sorted first as no treatment will be done until this is diagnosed.

morganedge

brook2jack wrote: »

If it is deemed clinically necessary no. But you need to get your sleep apnoea sorted first as no treatment will be done until this is diagnosed.

Yeah, I guess so.
I only occasionally suffer from sleep apnea. I've not had it for probably 2 months now.
I also suffer occasional sleep paralysis, but again, not for a few months (and i'm not even sure if that can be due to my jaw issue?)

I don't know whether they'll think it's medically necessary.
I'm guessing they won't, and , to be honest, the operation sounds like such a long process, i'm not sure i'd even want too. Not now i'm not a teenager or even in my early 20's.

If I relax my mouth and bite, my lips are still slightly open.
If I then close my lips so that they touch, it looks unnatural and a large crease forms on my chin under my bottom lip.

When I read an American website about orthognathic surgery, it said that this alone would be reason enough to operate, but i'm guessing that's not the case in the UK.

I'm more concerned about it getting worse as I get older, as I read that there is a loss of support for the overlying soft tissues of the cheeks in someone with symptoms like mine which would make me look really rather ugly.

Toothsmith

morganedge wrote: »

When I read an American website about orthognathic surgery, it said that this alone would be reason enough to operate, but i'm guessing that's not the case in the UK.

Bear in mind that in America, surgery is 'sold' in the marketplace just like a new car or a bag of apples.

Such surgery is very expensive and very profitable for the 'providers'.

It is marketed, and advertised, and hospitals will be competing for patient's dollars.

In such a situation, the patient's best interest comes a bit lower down the list of priorities than in a country where the state is providing the healthcare.

Not that state provision tends to put patient's best interests right at the top in every situation either!