AboutJoel S. Teig, DMD, FABOMS Expertise I am a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon available to answer questions related to tooth extractions, implant insertion, facial recontruction, facial and oral tumor removal, TMJ dysfunction and various successful treatments, including surgery if all else fails, and occlusal discrepancy requiring orthognathic or jaw surgery.
Experience Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon practicing for over 20 years. Assistant Clincal Professor at State University School of Dentistry.
Organizations American Dental Association, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Question Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you.
I had a jaw op when I was 19 because my jaw was out of alignment. I had metal plates drilled into my bone to keep my jaw in the new position.
I was told before the op, (only when I was booked into the hospital!) that there could be nerve damage, but it was made out to be the remotest possibility in the world.
After the op I had numbness in my face but everything but my bottom lip and chin returned to normal within a few days.
But my palate was lopsided and not only was my jaw *still* out of alignment but 1 year later when I had an op to take the metal plates out, (I believe they keep them in now,) the edge of my tongue on the left side also went numb.
It's all still the same today and I'm 37. The inside of my mouth is the size of a child's. Whenever I've been given a mould to bite into at the dentists, even the smallest is too big and it cuts into my gums at the back of my mouth.
I can't put into words how this operation affected my life. Suffice to say it totally destroyed all confidence I ever had in my looks and made me very introverted. It was the worst decision I ever made. I'm in tears just typing this. Most days I ignore it and just get on with things. I've kind of given up on being fixed.
But I wanted to ask you, in your professional opinion, is there anything that could be done for me, given that so much time has passed and I've had 2 ops already?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Answer Inga - Time is really not a factor. Most likely, your poorly aligned bones have created a continuing problem for you, but it should be able to be corrected and put you into a more natural, functional and pleasing position. Saying that, there are many oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the US who can assist you, although there are a few that are special and might be able to do better. You do not say where you live, but if you get back to me, let me know where you live, I'll try to find the appropriate surgeon for you.
