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Question:
SARPE Surgery with veneers instead of braces? Hello, I am 24 years old and I need to get the SARPE surgery to correct my crossbite and narrow upper jaw.
I am wanting to fix this for cosmetic and medical reasons. I do not like my natural teeth and wanted to get veneers but venners will not correct my bite problems.
Is it possible that I could get the SARPE sugery and then get veneers after the surgey instead of the typical braces? I do not want to have to get the surgery, then braces, and then veneers.
...Visitor from FL
Answer:
Unfortunately, the surgically assisted maxillary expansion or SARPE will absolutely need to be done in conjunction with braces. Your teeth are currently lining up to your present malocclusion.
After the upper jaw is widen, to eliminate the crossbite, without braces the teeth will never fit together. The only way to accomplish this is with braces.
I usually have the braces and RPE placed on the same day and the surgery done within two weeks. You will require about 7-14 days of turning to eliminate the crossbite. A little turning is done immediately after the surgery and we start turning about 3-5 days after surgery twice a day for approximately 7-14 days until the crossbite is eliminated.
I will over-expand slightly to allow for some relapse after the appliance is removed. The RPE will remain in the mouth for about 6-8 months to allow for healing and stabilization. The aligning and leveling phase with braces can occur at the same time as expansion and stabilization with the RPE, essentially killing two birds with one stone. This will decrease your overall treatment time in braces.
You may find that after your teeth are well aligned and your bite is corrected, that you may not need veneers.
You need to understand that aligning teeth with veneers is destroying the natural shape and size of many
of your teeth. Veneers are very expensive and may need to be replaced sometime in the future, when it may not be financially feasible.
I will assure you that I have had many adults who were initially treatment planned for tens of thousands of dollars worth of veneers that elected to go through with orthodontic treatment instead. Once treatment was completed with braces, the teeth were bleached and sometimes a little crown lengthening procedure was provided to eliminate a gummy smile. They were amazed at how pretty their natural teeth could look... all done at a fraction of the cost of veneers.
Please go through the orthodontic treatment and expansion to correct the bite and straighten the teeth, and then and only then, if you are unhappy with the shape and color of your teeth proceed with veneers to improve your smile.
James J. Awbrey, D.M.D.
4895 Windward Parkway, Suite 200
Alpharetta, Georgia GA 30004
(770) 751-1688
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