H
HeavenHound
Iron
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- Jan 7, 2024
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(Chatgpt used for clarity and punctuation as English is not my first language.)
Greetings, everyone,
I’m not entirely sure how to begin, so this is going to be a rather long post. I used to be a skinny kid and had a skeletal overbite from a relatively young age.
Around the age of 15 or 16, I started becoming more handsome compared to my younger self. My maternal genetics have always leaned toward a bonier structure, with sharp, long, and thick cheekbones, a pronounced jaw, and a sharp ramus angle. At 15, my face began developing all these features.
The issue was that I had a relatively good-looking face despite the overbite. I had forward-grown, long cheekbones and a sharp jawline that complemented my upper face.
Unfortunately, my teeth have always been problematic. I also had facial asymmetry—my left side was higher, had sharper bones, and showed a well-defined masseter muscle compared to my right side. On the left, my teeth were particularly odd. There was a single molar in the center (where one premolar and a molar should have been). In front of it was one premolar, and behind it, there was a molar that was tilted inward and essentially unusable.
I used the central molar and the premolar in front of it for chewing. Over time, the central molar became infected. Since I was young and careless, I ignored it. One day, while eating, it cracked and started hanging loose. I pulled it out myself—it came out along with what seemed like part of the root or a vessel, which was severed. I discarded the tooth without understanding the consequences of tooth loss and the implications of missing teeth.
Because the rest of my teeth on that side weren’t functional, I started chewing exclusively on my right side. Over time, the single premolar on the right also tilted inward. Gradually, I noticed my jaw shrinking, but I didn’t pay much attention at first. As the shrinkage became more pronounced, I started researching online and found information suggesting that bone regrowth is possible with dental implants. However, I later realized that these sources were referring to the alveolar bone, not the basal bone.
As more time passed, my jaw continued shrinking, and the atrophy spread to my upper face. My once high, long, and sharp cheekbones now appear “melted” and short. My facial muscles have vanished. My jaw has become round, tiny, and recessed, with significant volume loss in all dimensions, likely due to disuse atrophy. I can even feel the atrophy occurring sometimes—it’s a strange sensation, almost like irritation, and I often find myself rubbing my face.
At my peak, I used to receive modeling offers from startup fashion brands and garnered significant attention from women. Now, I’m unrecognizable from my former self. I did get a CBCT scan of my jaw and consulted an OMFS (oral and maxillofacial surgeon), but they dismissed my concerns about aesthetics. Instead, they repeatedly suggested a BSSO (bilateral sagittal split osteotomy). They didn’t even review the 3D model from the scan or acknowledge my concerns about facial atrophy.
My question is: Are there any surgical options to restore my facial dimensions and structure? I don’t have any pictures from my peak facial aesthetics, just one photo from when I was 16-17, but it’s taken from a poor angle and of my less favorable right side.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. My life has been severely impacted by this, and I’m desperate for any guidance.
TL;DR: Facial atrophy caused by tooth loss has devastated my appearance and life. Are there surgeries that can restore my facial structure? I’m happy to answer questions in the replies.
Greetings, everyone,
I’m not entirely sure how to begin, so this is going to be a rather long post. I used to be a skinny kid and had a skeletal overbite from a relatively young age.
Around the age of 15 or 16, I started becoming more handsome compared to my younger self. My maternal genetics have always leaned toward a bonier structure, with sharp, long, and thick cheekbones, a pronounced jaw, and a sharp ramus angle. At 15, my face began developing all these features.
The issue was that I had a relatively good-looking face despite the overbite. I had forward-grown, long cheekbones and a sharp jawline that complemented my upper face.
Unfortunately, my teeth have always been problematic. I also had facial asymmetry—my left side was higher, had sharper bones, and showed a well-defined masseter muscle compared to my right side. On the left, my teeth were particularly odd. There was a single molar in the center (where one premolar and a molar should have been). In front of it was one premolar, and behind it, there was a molar that was tilted inward and essentially unusable.
I used the central molar and the premolar in front of it for chewing. Over time, the central molar became infected. Since I was young and careless, I ignored it. One day, while eating, it cracked and started hanging loose. I pulled it out myself—it came out along with what seemed like part of the root or a vessel, which was severed. I discarded the tooth without understanding the consequences of tooth loss and the implications of missing teeth.
Because the rest of my teeth on that side weren’t functional, I started chewing exclusively on my right side. Over time, the single premolar on the right also tilted inward. Gradually, I noticed my jaw shrinking, but I didn’t pay much attention at first. As the shrinkage became more pronounced, I started researching online and found information suggesting that bone regrowth is possible with dental implants. However, I later realized that these sources were referring to the alveolar bone, not the basal bone.
As more time passed, my jaw continued shrinking, and the atrophy spread to my upper face. My once high, long, and sharp cheekbones now appear “melted” and short. My facial muscles have vanished. My jaw has become round, tiny, and recessed, with significant volume loss in all dimensions, likely due to disuse atrophy. I can even feel the atrophy occurring sometimes—it’s a strange sensation, almost like irritation, and I often find myself rubbing my face.
At my peak, I used to receive modeling offers from startup fashion brands and garnered significant attention from women. Now, I’m unrecognizable from my former self. I did get a CBCT scan of my jaw and consulted an OMFS (oral and maxillofacial surgeon), but they dismissed my concerns about aesthetics. Instead, they repeatedly suggested a BSSO (bilateral sagittal split osteotomy). They didn’t even review the 3D model from the scan or acknowledge my concerns about facial atrophy.
My question is: Are there any surgical options to restore my facial dimensions and structure? I don’t have any pictures from my peak facial aesthetics, just one photo from when I was 16-17, but it’s taken from a poor angle and of my less favorable right side.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. My life has been severely impacted by this, and I’m desperate for any guidance.
TL;DR: Facial atrophy caused by tooth loss has devastated my appearance and life. Are there surgeries that can restore my facial structure? I’m happy to answer questions in the replies.
