Hi there!
I'm officially back to brace face again but with a whole new outlook. I'm super excited to begin this 18-month journey and without jaw surgery. It's helpful that about a year ago I was in braces for the first time so this isn't new to me. I wish everyone who is on the fence about jaw surgery would find my blog and also another blog I just found. Link below.
https://mybraces4vme.wordpress.com/tag/vertical-maxillary-excess/
After all the research I've done for over 5 years on TAD's I finally found real results that aren't only in publications but met people with the same problem. For those who find this post and only read this one I am going to sum up my diagnosis since I was 18 (10 years ago).
I noticed my gummy smile at 18. Saw an orthodontist who immediately diagnosed myself as having Vertical Maxillary Excess and only jaw surgery can fix. Since I was 18 I chose not to go that route and look for another way to camouflage this. I then found a cosmetic dentist and underwent lip repositioning surgery for around $4k. What an absolute waste since my problem wasn't an over hyperactive upper lip. Avoid this treatment as the relapse rate is EXTREME and mine only lasted for 6 months. Next 3 years went by and I came back to the jaw surgery route. My gummy smile only got worse and my mouth breathing wasn't ever brought up as the main cause. I researched myofunctional therapy but not enough data on adults for appliances to fix vertical growth only horizontal growth. After 3 orthodontists and traveling to Austin, I decided to go through with the jaw surgery route. After braces for 2 months and the worst communication ever from an oral surgeon and orthodontist plus not to mention 6 teeth being extracted? I canceled my treatment. My next option was to visit an ortho specialist for Biobloc in Michigan. He put me in an appliance to expand my upper jaw in hopes to bring my lower jaw forward but this wasn't a fix because it wasn't my problem. All of these treatments were just another temporary fix and ones that cost me over a total of $10k when you add this up with travel and down payments. The Biobloc forced my teeth forwards and created a massive overjet (great so pissed). Seeing the overjet made me so angry I just cut them off cold turkey (worst patient ever but they should have refused to help me). So then is when I researched TAD's more. I knew TAD's existed but I couldn't find any ortho who would do this (with results and photos to prove) on adults. That is until I found Dr. Frost. Dr. Frost is an artist and he practices this alternative and has flawless results.
So to sum up my diagnosis of the above:
Mouth Breather; Chronic Allergies; Vertical Maxillary Excess (Gummy Smile); Narrow Arch/Palate; Lip Incompetence/Mentalis Strain; All my damn teeth; Over jet; Front teeth non symmetrical; Brain Fog; Sleep Apnea; Low Self-confidence Reveal picture of my current Damon Braces! One gummy smile and one closed mouth posture.
