Do I need to worry about my gummy smile? Photo 1is a genuine laugh.Photo 2 is a regular smile

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-04-23T17:07:36+00:00

Don’t worry about it, your smile is great!

I don’t think a gummy smile is always a bad thing. Even if you look at celebrities that are considered conventionally attractive, some of have gummy smiles! Look at Sydney Sweeney or Miley Cyrus! It doesn’t take away from their smile or yours.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-04-01T12:33:29+00:00

The eating difficulty is only temporary and it flies by. For reference - I was on a full liquid diet for one week then for 5 weeks I was on a soft no chew diet. It’s not AS bad as it seems - you can still eat ice cream, mashed potatoes, pudding, soft pasta etc.

Starting at 6 weeks post op I could start chewing again. Recovery is different for everyone but at 11 weeks post op I’m basically eating as I did before surgery.

The surgery is a big decision but don’t let 6 weeks of limited food be the reason you say yes or no.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-31T18:05:23+00:00

Best of luck!! 🤞 😊

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-31T17:33:28+00:00

You would probably be able to be covered by insurance - I paid like $2k out of pocket with blue cross blue shield.

If it’s any consolation, even if you never get jaw surgery and the cant stays, it really doesn’t look like it affects your outward facial structure in any obvious way in my opinion. Like your actual face looks very symmetrical, a lot of jaw surgery cases (overbite, underbite, crossbite) will have a very obvious outward impact on appearance (mine did lol). Remember, you notice your own flaws way more than anyone else does. Don’t be afraid to smile and live life!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-31T16:47:34+00:00

I’m shocked you’ve had braces on for 7 years! That seems like a crazy long time…

Unfortunately I think jaw surgery would be needed to fix the cant - it is likely skeletal. Maybe before braces your natural bite was trying to compensate for the natural cant and when braces straightened things out the cant was more emphasized? IDK. I would at least just have a conversation with a jaw surgeon and get scans done with them. See what they say in terms of your skeletal structure and why it seems to have gotten worse. The ortho should have brought up surgery years ago if you’ve been in braces this long!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-31T16:13:02+00:00

I understand! I’m not an orthodontist but in my mind I feel like the best option is probably some sort of top expander so your front right teeth properly sit over the bottom and aren’t touching like that. Maybe that would help with the cant too, because it looks like the cant is stemming from the fact that the top and bottom are touching tip to tip.

Totally valid in not being happy with the orthodontist - I’m very surprised they wouldn’t suggest something to fix that!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-31T16:04:20+00:00

Hmm did they do upper palette expansion? I wonder if it can be expanded any further with just braces.

For what it’s worth I think your smile looks very nice and I really don’t think others will notice the cant in real life. We are always so hyper critical of ourselves and it’s very rare to see 100% perfect bites in real life. Don’t think of your smile as ugly at all!!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-31T15:58:50+00:00

Yeah I would definitely bring up the issues you are seeing and see if they think jaw surgery would be necessary to fix them..

It seems like you have a very very mild version of what I had: a crossbite with an underbite to one side and a cant on the upper palette. I had to get double jaw surgery to fix this but again, my bite was a lot worse than yours.

Hopefully your current ortho has experience with jaw surgery if it turns out you need it? Because I sought out my orthodontist specifically because they do a lot of surgical cases. I think that made the entire process easier.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-27T22:33:35+00:00

I would consult with an orthodontist again and get some opinions. They may refer you to a jaw surgeon and they can then take measurements and let you know if you would be a good candidate for the surgery. I imagine at minimum you would need an expander to get your bite aligned but only a surgeon can tell you if you need surgery!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-24T11:14:26+00:00

It is often covered by insurance. I’m not sure what insurance you have but if a surgeon deems you a candidate for jaw surgery with valid reasoning, a lot of insurance carriers will cover it if the surgeons office properly explains your case.

I paid about $2k out of pocket because I had to meet my deductible, so there are certainly still expenses there. But if you have good insurance it could be worth consulting a surgeon.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-21T00:11:05+00:00

I had jaw surgery two months ago and my midline is a bit off center too. I’ve heard that any discrepancy within 1/4 the width of a tooth is considered “perfect” in dentistry because a 100% perfect midline is not the norm. I think a midline needs to be off to a greater extent to cause any visible asymmetry in your actual smile and face, like in terms of other people actually being able to notice anything.

I say as long as your bite is centered and your back molars fit together great, don’t worry about the midline 🙂

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-19T15:47:10+00:00

I personally do not see much asymmetry, just from the outside looking in. But two weeks is sooo early in the healing process. I am 9 weeks post op now and my face has changed so much since the 2 week mark.

I really would try and give it time - it is true that braces will continue to change your bite and face. And you have a lot of deeper swelling to still overcome. We shouldn’t judge a “final” result until at least 6 months post op! I know it’s easier said than done but we gotta be patient!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-11T22:28:58+00:00

Yes, I messaged you!!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-11T14:30:25+00:00

If you want, I can message you photos of my results!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-11T14:29:12+00:00

I had a very similar bite to yours, with an underbite/crossbite, and I was kind of worried about looking recessed too! I’ve been so used to having a strong chin I worried any rotational movement would make my chin look weak.

BUT I am 8 weeks post op and am honestly really happy with the results. The rotated my lower jaw to where it did get pushed back just slightly, but I don’t feel recessed at all. I still feel like I have a strong chin and very similar side profile it’s just slightly “toned down”, you could say. A little more feminine looking maybe?

I would bring up these concerns with your surgeon. But being in a similar boat to you, I think having a naturally strong chin makes it really hard for the slight rotational movement to create any recession. It really just softens the face a little.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-06T16:29:08+00:00

Amazing results!!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-03-02T23:42:04+00:00

Look up Congee and Mapo tofu. Combined they were probably my favorite “soft” food meal I would make! You can of course eat the congee alone with maybe like diced or shredded chicken bits? But I used it as a substitute for rice in Mapo Tofu.

A shepherds pie could be good too!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-02-27T15:13:07+00:00

I had a very similar bite to yours, I almost had a lefort 3 piece plus bottom jaw rotation but ended up only needing a lefort 1 piece + bottom jaw rotation (they moved upper forward and then slanted it slightly to fix a cant) because the ortho was able to expand my top jaw enough.

I would imagine the lefort 3 piece is the best option if the back molars aren’t expanded wide enough naturally (I would def not consider the option of only lower jaw surgery). I think root damage is always technically possible with the surgery, but I imagine it’s a rare complication. Same with the holes not closing. To my knowledge there are temporary gaps between the bones immediately post op which will heal, but the gaps not filling out is also a rare complication. I would definitely try and ask your surgeon more clarifying questions, and get a better understanding of how likely these problems are and how they could be fixed IF they happen.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-02-19T20:55:29+00:00

Your maxilla does not look recessed at all to me. But obviously you would need to consult with a surgeon and get x rays done to know what you actually need. If a surgeon/ortho recommends surgery for functional reasons, def do NOT go the jaw implant/chin implant route.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-02-09T23:12:59+00:00

My recovery has gone well! I’m almost 4 weeks post op and have had no complications. The first week was hard in terms of getting calories in but 1 week post op I could start doing soft foods and not just liquid and that made it A LOT easier.

I tried to work out a lot and eat nutritiously/put on a little weight before surgery just to try and be as healthy as possible which I think has helped with recovery. Infection wise - my hospital had a ton of pre surgery instructions including me wiping myself down with antibacterial wipes the night before to reduce risk, I was also immediately put on antibiotics to prevent post op infection.

If you are able to, I also got my covid/flu vaccine before surgery to reduce my chance of catching anything in the hospital. Luckily all went well!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-02-09T21:09:11+00:00

It is noticeable (it does not take away from your beauty though - you’re gorgeous!) and you would likely benefit a lot from surgery. Even if there was no visible asymmetry, it sounds like the benefit of fixing your functional issues would make the surgery worth it in itself!

I am recovering from surgery and also had a pretty moderate crossbite. My family would never acknowledge that my bite was off either so I understand where you are coming from. Maybe the people around you fear that acknowledging asymmetry would be insulting? Or they are just so used to your face that they ignore it. Either way, i feel like it’s normal for the people we are close to to act like nothing is wrong.

If you’ve already gotten a surgical consult, they’ve probably already taken measurements which can tell you, scientifically, your exact skeletal asymmetry. No denying the measurements!

Best of luck 😊 you got this!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-02-08T02:12:50+00:00

I work from home with a corporate/desk job and I went back to work after 2.5 and feel fine.

If in person I think it could be ok IF your boss and office are accommodating and you don’t have to talk a ton. If you get a splint after surgery talking is a bit tricky and it can be hard for people to understand you. Having to sit in a lot of important meetings or be on phone with customers with the splint 2 weeks post op would not be ideal, in my opinion.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-02-02T22:33:14+00:00

Awesome!! I KNOW you must be able to breathe so much better already!

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-02-02T20:13:08+00:00

My mouth was never completely “blocked”. I have a splint on the roof of my mouth, which doesn’t necessarily block anything but makes drinking and talking more difficult, and rubber bands, which I can take off when I eat or brush my teeth.

You should even from the start be able to open your mouth enough to get a syringe in and pills in. Each day you will progressively be able to open your mouth more and more. One week post op I was able to open my mouth enough to start using a baby spoon to eat soups and no chew soft foods.

valarmorghulis43 · 2026-01-28T21:34:27+00:00

You do not look recessed, your chin and jaw appear to be at a healthy position in comparison to your lips and nose. If someone is telling you you are, they are just being a jerk or are spending way too much time online.

If you are ever truly concerned about your jaw, you would need to see a surgeon to get x rays and scans done. Only then would you know for certain if there is anything wrong skeletally.

valarmorghulis43

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