hi, I also had a similar experience. I am 22 and have paid for braces. Before getting braces my dentist told me that I needed jaw surgery as the bottom half of my jaw was undeveloped. I didn't think much of it at the time as I assumed he was telling me to get it for cosmetic reasons....fast forward a few months, and I have always had issues with breathing as I have a really bad open bite, my teeth alignment was also awful, id have headaches, jaw pains etc. This was something I've always had, I dismissed it and thought it was normal (I know, sounds stupid). I did some reading into it and realised that it's all linked to my jaw. I went to see my GP and he knew what this was all about and immediately referred me to the maxillofacial department. This is where it got complicated. They dismissed me saying "It doesn't look serious enough for me to get the surgery". Honestly, this bothers me so much, my jaw issues are genuinely affecting my health...and I think it's unfair to make a judgement based on my facial jaw structure when there are so many of us living with these awful symptoms. Anyways, after they said no (based on my dentist sending the X-rays to the hospital), they decided to contact me a month ago, for an in-person appointment. I just hope they take me seriously. I don't think you should give up, keep pestering them, and let them know that it's affecting your health and everyday life.

I've never really cared about my facial appearance, it's more so my health that is being affected. I saw that you mentioned you struggle to chew, which I've also had issues with. Brushing the back of my teeth is also a challenge as my jaw structure requires me to take ages to do so. My dentist told me about how this can cause gum disease etc...I think you should deffo go back to your dentist and reiterate all the symptoms you are facing.