The Beginning

I'm a 27-year-old wife and mother, and I'm about to get braces and go through orthognathic surgery to correct an open bite jaw issue.  I'm going to share my story and show my progress on this blog.  I hope it will help someone else!


This all started several years ago when I went to see an orthodontist.  I had just gotten a "real" job and decided I wanted invisalign to straighten my teeth.  My teeth are fairly straight, but my canine teeth stick out a little.  I had braces when I was 11-12, but since then I had a wisdom tooth grow in on my top right side.  That has caused some crowding, and my right canine sticks out a little.  Other than that, my teeth looked pretty straight to me.  I figured I'd get invisalign and in a few months, I'd have a perfect smile.  Sweet! 

At the appointment they took a lot of pictures and x-rays.  Then the orthodontist sat down with me to discuss everything.  "We have a problem here," she said.  "I understand you are concerned about the aesthetics and the slight crowding, but you have a more serious issue involving your jaw."  HUH???  "Your jaw is misaligned, and you have an open bite.  This cannot be treated with invisalign.  You will need braces and surgery."  SAY WHAT?!?!?!?!  I cried.  I left the appointment in tears.  At that time I couldn't commit to the braces and surgery.  I was planning to go back to school in the fall.  I was already a single mom to my then 3-year-old daughter.  I didn't have any extra time or money to deal with it.  So, I put it off to the side at the time, and decided I'd go through with everything when I finished nursing school.

I graduated nursing school about 18 months later, but in the meantime, I'd gotten engaged!  I definitely didn't want braces at my wedding, so I put it off some more.  When we got married, we decided to wait one year before trying to have a baby.  I wouldn't have enough time to complete my treatment and get the surgery before that year was up, and I certainly couldn't have surgery while I was pregnant, so it got pushed off again.

Then, about 2 months ago, my husband and I went in for a regular dental check-up.  The dentist addressed my issues and told me that she would recommend me getting an orthodontist's opinion.  I decided that I really wanted to get a second opinion too.   A few days later I visited another orthodontist for a consultation.  They did the same work-up as the first time.  Lots of pictures.  Lots of x-rays.  Then the orthodontist came into the room, and told me the same exact thing that the previous one had said.  BUMMER.  I didn't cry this time, because I pretty much knew it was coming, but it still stung a little.  This time, he explained the timeline of how the treatment would go, as well as showing me x-rays of my jaw.  He even had a little video thing that showed which part of my jaw would have to be removed and how it would fix the problem.

After that appointment, I realized that it was kind of a now or never situation.  If I get the treatment now, my baby will be about 18-months-old at the time of surgery.  Even though I plan on breastfeeding until she's two, I know I'll be able to give her pumped milk and "pump and dump" for a few days following my surgery while I'm on any medications.  I wouldn't feel comfortable having the surgery any sooner, with her being any younger than 18 months. (The soonest I could have had the surgery would have been August when she's 16 months, and I'm in weddings in August and September, so those months were out anyways).  I also don't want to wait too much longer, because we probably will have one more baby.  I can't have the surgery while pregnant, so I need to do it before my baby gets too much older.

So, as much as this is going to suck, I have to bite the bullet (pun intended) and begin the treatment to correct my open bite.