And so the adventure begins...

So I began with a consult with the oral surgeon on staff.

No matter what, I needed braces again. I would also need two bottom teeth pulled.

My teeth were pulled May 2006 and braces went on July 2006.

However, I needed to make a decision from the start as to whether I would proceed with the surgery. If I was going to have surgery then the braces would actually make my overbite worse over the next 18 months. This was because they would try and move the lower teeth back in my jaw so the jaw can move farther forward. If I decided not to have the surgery then the braces would focus on masking the overbite. They would use rubber bands from upper to lower jaw to try and correct the overbite but they could never really fix it.

I decided to go for it. I knew up front that it may not be covered by my insurance. I was told it would cost around $5k per jaw. I began saving $10k just in case. After a very long process , my insurance company denied the claim. I went through the appeals process with United Health Care and did not have any luck. They felt it was cosmetic surgery for both jaws. So I went to the surgeon and told him it would not be covered and to let me know how much it would cost. What I was told is that I had way underestimated the cost. He had thought they would at least cover the hospital stay and anesthesia even if they didn't cover the surgery itself. Since they were not covering any of it then I was looking at $5k for each jaw, $10k for the hospital stay, and $10k for the anesthesia.

I remember sitting at my birthday party talking to my whole family about $30k for essentially cosmetic surgery. I had so looked forward to this, but $30k was a big difference from $10k. Even if I could come up with the money, would I want to. How could I justify an expense on myself like that....

I went back to the surgeon to talk to him about the cost. He said that Kaiser may cover it. Kaiser does them often and as long as I fit a certain parameter, I may be covered. I didn't want to put off the surgery for 8 months to switch to Kaiser just to find out they didn't cover it. So, I booked an appointment with a Kaiser surgeon prior to becoming a member and he assured me my case was extensive enough to be covered. He was not sure about the upper jaw so it may be $5k for just his fee.

So I was all set. Just had to sit back and wait to switch to Kaiser and for my teeth to be ready.

Introduction

Hello,

My name is Tina (aka Trixie). I am writing this blog as a record of my long journey to my new face. When I was a teenager I was often teased for my extreme overbite. People would refer to me as a chipmunk or bugs bunny. I was often asked what’s up doc? When I was in my early teens I had braces put on. I had them for 3 years. I was told I had a small mouth and my teeth were too crowded so they pulled 2 of my upper teeth to help correct my jutting front teeth.

As it typically goes I did not wear my retainer after I was done with my braces so the new smile did not stay how it should have. My lower teeth started crowding each other out. I had always hated my smile, even after the braces, because it was very gummy. I never liked my profile either because my chin was so small. In photos it made me look like I had a double chin.

I had brought this up to many dentists and orthodontists over the years. I had one tell me about a procedure where they could cut the muscles in the top lip so it wouldn’t stick up so much and cover my teeth more. Seemed a little odd to me. One day after a cleaning my dentist suggested I look up something called orthognathic surgery. He said it was a pretty extensive surgery but it could correct my overbite and gummy smile.

He explained that they would essentially cut the bottom jaw, slide it forward and then reattach it. This is called mandibular advancement. This would correct the overbite and the small chin. I would also need the upper jaw corrected as well. This meant they would cut the upper jaw all the way around, remove a layer of bone, and reattach it higher than it was before. This is maxillary osteotomy. He explained I would need to be wired shut up to 6 weeks.

This all sounded very scary but also very exciting. I had always wanted a modeling career and was told I was photogenic but not to smile very large. So many of my photos are of me looking serious and sexy.

This blog is to help all of you out there considering the surgery or something like it. I will be posting throughout the journey to help you understand what is in store for you. Remember though, we all heal differently and all surgeons do it differently.