Orthodontics - Orthognathic surgery

Orthodontics - Orthognathic surgery > My story > FEBRUARY 13, 2012 - Appointment with my surgeon for my jaws

My story

FEBRUARY 13, 2012 - Appointment with my surgeon for my jaws

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Hi all,

I went to see my surgeon this morning for the scan that he wanted me to undergo after talking to my orthodontist last week. The 3D images obtained of my head were quite impressive! Since we were both there, my surgeon started off by reviewing the healing of my jaws from the surgeries in 2008. Everything is fine, the cut lines are barely visible anymore, which confirms a good bone calcification. Only my plates and screws are still very visible on X-rays and scans like the one I underwent this morning!

He also confirmed that the condyles on each side of the mandible (lower jaw) are fine, which means that they are at the right place and they don't show any signs of deterioration. (A condyle is a little rounded projection on the upper end of the mandible that articulates with the temporal bone to form the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) on each side). In summary, this means that I don't have arthritis nor arthrosis on both TMJs. It's very good news! My surgeon then proceeded with a physical examination of my TMJs by asking me to open and close my mouth while he was trying to detect an anomaly. He came to the same conclusion: the TMJs behave correctly despite the pain that I feel and the crepitations that I hear.

He immediately saw the diastema (space) that I had detected and which alerted everyone a few days ago; it was very visible on the scan images. He also showed me how much my right upper and lower teeth do not touch anymore! He told me that when someone goes through big orthodontic treatments and an orthognathic surgery like what I underwent, nature sometimes (not always!) tries to go back. He thinks that by proceeding with the orthodontic treatments started by my orthodontist last week with the removal of my wire retainer, everything will go back to normal in a while. For the moment, he prefers waiting to see if my pain will subside and if the malocclusion that appeared will correct itself with the closing of my diastema. He also suggested to me not to go see websites on the internet about TMJ disorders. I didn't say anything, but I couldn't resist making him a large guilty smile... He smiled and he told me: "You already did it, didn't you?!" Me, not get information on things that happen to me and are about medicine or dental medicine, yeah right!! He told me that in this field, websites contradict themselves a lot and that in the end, patients worry more than anything else... Well, I will have been worried, I cannot help wanting to know more!

My surgeon observed the deviation of my mandible to the left when I open my mouth. He told me that he is not worried about that, because with the big movements that he imposed to my jaws during my surgeries, it is possible that my mandible underwent a little rotation that was not there before and which makes it deviate a few millimetres. My dentist got worried, because usually, a jaw that deviates can mean that there is a problem. In my case, it is not as alarming, because I probably have my surgeries to blame.

My surgeon gave me his OK to put my scan images on my website. He's the one who even suggested it! I was not sure about wanting to show my facial bones to the whole world, but I must admit that the images are quite impressive and they could give a good idea to those who visit my website before their own surgery!

So, I just have to wait to see if my diastema will close in the following weeks. The story is not over, to be continued at the end of March!

Marie-Hélène

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