Past, current, and future Jaw Surgery patients Unite!
Julie Beevers
Member
Hi
I'm a 54 year old female - but I have an overbite - and would love to get it fixed. I've straightened my teeth via invisalign but my upper jaw stills sticks out and I have a gummy smile.
You are all youngsters!! Can somebody my age have it fixed, do you think? I am in good health as far as I know.
Kind regards
Julie
sarah1000
Moderator
Hi,
Anyone at any age can have the surgery as far as I an aware - as long as you are in good health for the operation. Im surprised that the dentist that did your invisalign did not mention about potentially having your jaw corrected.
When I wanted to just straigten my teeth I wanted invisalign but my dentist said he would not recommend it as it would not fix the problem - but it was my choice! He then referred me to a hospital. The only issue you may have is that they will potentially need to realign your teeth with fixed braces as the teeth don't just need to be straight but in the correct position for when the jaw is moved. I think someone on here had to braces on again after having their teeth straightened for a similar time as someone that had not straightened their teeth already as the teeth are corrected differently depending on the final goal - just straight teeth or correct position ready for jaw surgery!
It may be quicker though - everyone is different. They also need the brackets to fix the wires to during surgery!
Good luck :)
doggydog
Member
Yes it's true, people of all ages have jaw surgery. I remember seeing photos of one man in his 40's who had jaw surgery, and also read some posts from people who said they are in their 50's having surgery. I don't think age disqualifies you from having this surgery, but of course you need to be in good health because it is surgery.
I'm guessing that considering you have an overbite and have already had invisalign to straighten/align your teeth you may not need braces on for very long prior to jaw surgery if you choose to have it, although I think you would possibly need to have braces on for a little while still. It really depends if your teeth are in the correct position that they'll need to be for after surgery.
Please do visit an orthodontist and ask them all your questions, they will be happy to explain everything in detail that you ask them about and let you know your options. Best of luck!
glittermouth
Member
Hi Julie, I am 58, and will be having double jaw surgery sometime in the next 2-3 months. You are welcome to follow my progress. I, too, am looking for others who are closer to my age--we are definitely a minority! My ortho and surgeon are both confident that things will go normally.
I'm assuming that it may take me longer to get back to my normal energy level, but I'm most concerned with the numbness factor. I'm committed to having the surgery, though, so we will see!
Julie Beevers
Member
Hi there Glittermouth (would prefer your real name .. :-) )
I'm VERY interested to hear you are undergoing jaw surgery in the next 2 to 3 months and look forward to following your progress.
I have contacted my orthodontist and asked her to refer me to a surgeon which she says she will do. I can tell she thinks I'm crackers but I'm going to press ahead with it. I feel a bit embarrassed about things but people wouldn't think twice if I was having a big nose put right ... what's the difference?
Let's keep in touch!
Thanks for this forum, it's very good.
Kindest regards
Julie
glittermouth
Member
Hi Julie, my name is Lynn. It's funny, I thought my doctors were crackers! I knew I had a gummy smile, and intially that is all my ortho thought I would need to have done. Then, when I saw my OS, he suggested double jaw surgery for a "better outcome".
From all the research I have done over the months, having just the top done makes for an easier recovery, so maybe that is all you will need. Initially, my ortho suggested just upper jaw, but when I saw the surgeon, he said to plan on both jaws. I found out my ortho defers to the surgeon's opinion.
My next ortho appt is April 12, when molds will be taken to see how things are progressing. I'm looking forward to another consultation with the OS to see if he still thinks double jaw surgery is indicated. (I would be much less worried if it were just upper.)
thewife
Member
Hi Lynn and Julie,
My husband is 56 and just had upper and lower jaw surgery and 4 wisdom teeth removed 3 weeks ago. He has had an open bite his entire life and the only point of contact has been his wisdom teeth which had broken down. He researched his options for a long time before concurring with his ortho and surgeon that he needed to undergo major surgery. He is in excellent health and an active person who runs and lifts weights regularly. Healing has been slow post-op.
I created a blog to hopefully help others in a similar situation...
http://www.jawsurgeryupdate.wordpress.com
Vicki
BabyDoll
Moderator
My surgeon operated on an 80 year old. All went well & he did t have permanent t damage or Nythjng. The one difference is that I do believe it takes body linger to recover when ur older. But it's short term pain for long term gain :)
glittermouth
Member
Lynn, aka Glittermouth here. I am now 17 days post-op and doing very well. My recovery seems to be following the same pattern of normal recovery as those in their 30's. My age does not appear to be a major factor in my recovery, except that I did have a lot of bruising on my face, neck, and chest. In fact, I haven't seen any pics on any blogs that can even begin to compare to my degree of bruising! My OS says this is normal for older patients.
So all in all, I am pleasantly surprised that my recovery is going smoothly and would say to other older adults: don't let you age deter you. It is definitely something to consider, along with all the other inherent risks associated with surgery, but I listened to and trusted the opinions of my OS and ortho, and they were right--I did just fine.
I hope this information helps other patients who are considering this surgery later in life.
arqlizcarter
Member
Hi Julie Beevers
I had the surgery to correct my overbite I'm 30 years old. Anyone that is in a good health can have the surgery the only difference is that the older you are your recovery takes longer.
You must log in to post.
