Regarding my serious jaw problem..response highly appreciated - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

Chucky89 · 07-18-2007, 04:40 PM

Hi everyone,

I made a post a few months ago regarding my gastrointestinal problems, and they have improved to some degree so that I'm happy with. The problem i have today is with my jaw and chin structure. It all goes back to about 4 years ago when I was obsessed with having a cut face and looking good, so i began to do jaw exercises where I would squeeze my jaw muscles for about 5 minutes each day and i did this for about a year. At the time i didn't have any problems with my jaw/chin i just foolishly thought I could structure my face to my own personal preferences. Sometime after that ( I really am not sure) i feel that my chin structure began to look weak. Now to avoid looking bad I try to make sure i'm always full, because as foolish as it may sound, the skinnier I am the more obvious my weak chin is and i do what i can to disguise it and on certain days i kind of do. But the main problems with it are

1. my jaw occasionally hurt and causes discomfort
2. there are days when i have trouble speaking as in prononciation and mumbling
3. i am a good looking guy but on certain days my chin looks really weak and it hurt my facial appearance especially from the side

*some additional info: had braces already and head gear
have a slight overbite but I've seen ppl on tv who have massive overbites yet their chin and jaw structure doesn't even look bad

Ok so, being only 22 i told my parents about it..went to the dentist (since i haven't been in 2 years), they discovered i need to have a root canal done as well as have my 4 wisdom teeth (which i don't even feel ) removed. I am trying my best to convince my parents that i need to have an implant placed, and they do somewhat believe me but what makes it difficult is that the problem is so obvious yet they keep telling me "nobody is pefect"

Anyway, I was wondering if someone here can tell me if it would be ok to have a chin augmentation (implant) done before i have my wisdom teeth removed. My parents claim that the problem will go away when i have the teeth removed but i keep telling them one thing has nothing to do with the next. I'm always walking around with my tongue pushing my upper teeth to create a look that nothing is wrong with my chin structure and i just can't keep doing it much longer. It also hurts my confidence.

thanks in advance, hope to hear something from somebody

Thelma-Louise · 07-18-2007, 07:49 PM

The braces probably caused the "weak" chin - it happened to me as well. Instead of a chin implant I had chin augmentation where my chin was separated from the jaw and moved forward and then wired in place. New bone eventually fills in the gaps. The results were great and I don't have a foreign object in my face. Supposedly this procedure does not alter your bite.

That aside, your jaw hurting and the pronunciation issues indicate something is not right - could be the previous orthodontia or your teeth shifting due to wisdom teeth erupting. I would first go back to the ortho and have that checked out. If you do proceed with the chin augmentation - try and find a plastic surgeon with a dental background or an OS trained in orthognathic surgery.

Chucky89 · 07-19-2007, 09:22 AM

Thanks a lot for the response Thelma. Funny enough I visited my orthodontist about 2 years ago, when at the time I wasn't as concerned about my structure as i am today, questioning whether my braces or headgear had any impact on my overall facial structure today. All he told me was that (I admitted at the time that I didn't wear my head gear every single night, just missed a few nights) that might have been the reason. The thing is i have a brother who was completely difficult when it came to wearing his head gear..he was even worse than me wearing it like once every few days and he never had any braces done.

Regarding my wisdom teeth, they are barely peeking through right now. About 3 years ago when I was noticing something wrong with my jaw/chin, I doubt any wisdom teeth were even existent. My belief is that I caused the damage to my jaw on my own through my "stupid" jaw squeezing exercises which at times were a little bit painful. I really dont' know what to think.

I am going to europe in september for a wedding with my family, where I will also have my wisdom teeth removed because the cost of the work is only a quarter there compared to here in north america. I don't know how long it takes to book a consultation and actually arrange the operation date but I am wondering if its possible to have the implants done before the dental work since I strongly doubt one has anything to do with the other.

thanks again and would appreciate as much input as possible

Thelma-Louise · 07-19-2007, 01:22 PM

It usually depends on the drs schedule in terms of having the surgery done so you should be searching for the dr now and get it booked - I think it took about 6-8 weeks from the point of consultation, having blood test done prior to surgery to check for any existing infections or illnesses, having specific xrays done (my dr did not have the xray equipment so I was sent elsewhere) and the actual date of surgery. Plus you need a few days to recuperate. Don't be surprised if you develop a numbing and/or tingling sensation in the lips and chin area afterwards - its from nerves being severed during surgery - they take anywhere from 6 months to a year to regenerate. I used to rub both very vigorously before going to bed in hopes of stimulating the nerves and it helped quite a bit. You should ask the dr if whether this can be done before the dental work.

Chucky89 · 07-19-2007, 02:05 PM

I'm not exactly sure but I would suspect that it would take longer to recover from chin implants than having wisdom teeth removed. Given that the wedding is in less than two months and i haven't even made a consultation yet, it looks pretty obvious that I wouldn't be able to have any surgery done prior to the trip. Plus it would probably be best if i had the WT removed first.

anyone here know of any good doctors in ontario. and also, what kind of prices are we looking at here, for chin augmentation