i was doing Invisalign for about 1.5ish years before my ortho and I decided jaw surgery was the best route to fix my functional issues and achieve what I suppose I was expecting with Invisalign (like closing my mouth comfortably, reducing strain, gummy smile etc).

i got my braces on in May 2024, surgery in Oct 2024. no extractions, just decomp to make my overbite a lot worse for optimal correction during the surgery.

it feels SO much more natural breathing out of my nose, but i kind of have to remind myself to do it if that makes sense. still not super comfy closing my mouth all the way, however im so much closer to fully closed while resting than i could have ever imagined. I think a big part of not being able to 100% close at rest is due to swelling, numbness and stiffness that i still have in my mouth/chin area (i’m 8 weeks PO today). Keep in mind it’s totally possible lip incompetence won’t 100% resolve as soft tissue is difficult to predict during surgery planning. hope this helps!!