Hey there,
I had jaw surgery in either 2004 or 2005 (so it's been about 5 years) and I so do not regret it. It was life changing. Anyways, I had an overbite, they moved both my upper and lower jaw forward...I now have plates/screws.
However, I've been doing a lot of research and am sort of freaking myself out! I have indeed noticed that in old photos/videos, my jaw line seemed to be a bit more forward/stronger than it is today. Could just be my imagination - it's subtle - but I also recall my surgeon saying they did it a bit more forward than they should have, and I think this must be to account for the "expected" relapse.
I don't really give a crap about that. What I'm worried is...could I ever relapse? Or am I just past that point? I believe I have TMJ and I think I still grind my teeth at night when I get stressed. This was known (or at least speculated) at the time of my treatment, though, so I know it was considered. I was never given any indication I'd have to worry about the future (no complications at time except for some numbness around lip I still sort of have).
Anyways, am I just being paranoid, or has anyone else had these kinds of worries? I feel like I'm constantly checking myself out in the mirror to make sure things are okay, and constantly evaluating how I hold my jaw, which just makes me more stressed...which we know isn't good for your teeth/jaw. I still do those old habits - open-mouth resting position, teeth grinding...but the problem is I don't know if it's a new thing or something that's always been there.
Anyways, wonder if anyone who had it 5 to 20 years ago have anything to say?
