I'm 19 years old, and I have a fairly severe open bite. I have constant pain in my jaw, and it pops whenever I open my mouth. I currently wear a splint, which I have had for about a year. It helps, but not as much as it used to. I also take a type of supplement to keep my joint from deteriorating (it's for arthritis). I haven't always had an open bite. I had braces for two years in middle school, and when they were removed my bite was normal, and my teeth were straight. I guess since then my bite has gradually opened, and a few years ago I realized that my teeth don't fit together. I had pain in my jaw for a couple of years, but it was tolerable, until a little over a year ago. I had a constant headache and pain in my joint (mostly on the right side). My orthodontist reccommended a TMJ specialist, and he made me a splint, and after several months of visiting him, he said that I would need to have surgery to close my bite. He said this would relieve strain on my joint and end the pain. Naturally, as a teenage girl the thought of braces (again), major surgery, followed by my teeth being wired together didn't appeal to me. I went to the oral surgeron, and he backed up the specialist and wanted to do the surgery. When we found out that it would cost over 30,000 and that our insurance probably wouldn't cover it, we backed off of the idea for a while. The splint was working then, and I decided that I would try to ignore it. A year later, the pain is getting worse. If my doctors can prove that the surgery is a medical necessity, which it obviously is, they will have to pay for the surgery. Now I've decided that if I'm going to do it, I want to get it over with as soon as possible. The soonest would probably be next summer, when I'm out of school for several months. If I'm going to go through with it, I need to while I'm still on my parents insurance (and while I'm still at home so my mom can take care of me when I'm helpless). I really want to hear anyone's opinion on this type of surgery, if you or someone you know has had it, was it successful for you, would you reccomend it, etc. Thanks so much for your time! I hope someone out there who can relate...
welcome to the board, and im sorry to hear of all that you've been going thru. im 22, so i understand how you feel.
it's my understanding that it's an especially bad idea to do surgery when you already have articular changes [osteoarthritis] to your condyles. because you gradually developed the openbite, it's probably because your condyles are changing.
are your discs displaced? do they pop/click?
surgery is not a quick fix, and i have a very biased opinion about it. in most of my research, TMJD patients end up a lot worse, and one surgery usually leads to more surgeries because of the development of scar tissue and so on.
if i was in your position, i would get multiple opinions, have xrays/mri/tomograms and other diagnostic testing done to see what exactly is causing you problems.
anyway, i'd try to exhaust all reversible and conservative avenues before even considering surgery because of all of the risks and unknowns.
take care and im sure someone else will be able to help you out here
My orthodontist reccommended a TMJ specialist, and he made me a splint, and after several months of visiting him, he said that I would need to have surgery to close my bite. He said this would relieve strain on my joint and end the pain. A year later, the pain is getting worse. If my doctors can prove that the surgery is a medical necessity, which it obviously is, they will have to pay for the surgery. Now I've decided that if I'm going to do it, I want to get it over with as soon as possible. The soonest would probably be next summer, when I'm out of school for several months. If I'm going to go through with it, I need to while I'm still on my parents insurance (and while I'm still at home so my mom can take care of me when I'm helpless). I really want to hear anyone's opinion on this type of surgery, if you or someone you know has had it, was it successful for you, would you reccomend it, etc. Thanks so much for your time! I hope someone out there who can relate...
If you are smart you will NOT allow surgery to be done on you. Your TMJ specialist who claims that surgery will end your pain is a straight out liar. A good majority of people who have had surgery still have as much pain as they had before surgery and many have more pain than before surgery. Surgeons of course will push surgery saying it will "cure" you because after all that is how they get rich, by doing surgery. I know you will do what you want to do but you'd be wise to take warning from those on this board who have allowed surgeries to be done on them. One TMJ surgery nearly always leads to a second, third, fourth...endless surgeries. Please consider this decision very seriously before agreeing to this type of surgery. You are young and have alot of years ahead of you. You certainly don't want to make your suffering worse than it already is. The best of luck to you.
Tiffany
The only reason I'm actually considering the surgery is because I talked to my dentist about it. He's a close family friend, and he wouldn't recommend it if he thought it would do more harm than good. He showed me pictures of other patients who had successful surgeries, and he recommended an oral surgeon. The way I'm seeing it right now is this: I am only 19, and judging by how much more pain I'm in now, compared with a year or two ago, I can't keep going in the direction I'm going in right now. It's terrifying, though, and I would love to get around surgery. At this point, for me, if I decide not to do the surgery now, I may never have the opportunity to once I'm married, having children, etc. I don't know what to do! All I know is constantly taking advil and wearing this splint will not work for the rest of my life.
The only reason I'm actually considering the surgery is because I talked to my dentist about it. He's a close family friend, and he wouldn't recommend it if he thought it would do more harm than good. He showed me pictures of other patients who had successful surgeries, and he recommended an oral surgeon. The way I'm seeing it right now is this: I am only 19, and judging by how much more pain I'm in now, compared with a year or two ago, I can't keep going in the direction I'm going in right now. It's terrifying, though, and I would love to get around surgery. At this point, for me, if I decide not to do the surgery now, I may never have the opportunity to once I'm married, having children, etc. I don't know what to do! All I know is constantly taking advil and wearing this splint will not work for the rest of my life.
I don't mean to insult your friend but I'm telling you I have heard from SO many people who said the exact same words you are speaking right now. They were assured by people they trusted that surgery would fix their TMJ. Since that first surgery they have had many more surgeries. Your friend is probably very well meaning but he has never had the surgery. Professionals will never tell you the truth about what condition people end up in from this type of surgery. And you're right, you are young but if you have surgery and mess up your TMJ further your life will seem longer than it is now. You think you can't be in more pain than you are in now. You're wrong, your pain can be much worse and once your TMJs are messed with they are NEVER the same again. I know you will do what you want but I'm giving you advice from someone older than you are and from someone who is a TMJ sufferer and has watched others suffer more from surgery. It's a huge MISTAKE but you have to make your own choices. I wish you the best of luck in your choice.
Tiffany
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