Will I get get a suboptimal result?
Orthodontic timeline:
Braces and palatal expansion (child)
Orthodontic relapse due to not wearing retainer (adolescent)
Nothing (pre teens)
8 extractions- wisdom teeth x4 (late teens)
Regret
Orthodontic treatment with airway focused orthodontist. Considering pulling my profile profile/teeth forward to close extraction spaces, opposed to pushing them back to close extraction spaces, or getting implants. Considering aligning my bite orthodontically or surgically with orthognathic jaw surgery, my teeth have to be aligned a certain way for my jaw to be corrected surgically vs purely orthodontic correction of bite
Did not get implants. I decided to go down the orthodontic route, I regretted that decision so then I decided to go backward down the surgical route after talking to a surgeon, she said I would get a Lefort 1, BSSO, and genioplasty and it was probable it would all be covered by insurance. I only had about 2 orthodontist appointments moving my teeth going down the orthodontic route before the switch.
My question:
I'm a 21M. My concern is whether I may now get a suboptimal result because of:
A. Initially starting down the orthodontic camouflage route before reversing course toward surgical treatment (even though it was only ~2 appointments of movement)
and/or
B. Having had extractions in the first place.
I’m mainly wondering:
- whether these factors can limit final skeletal/aesthetic outcomes,
- whether surgery can still achieve a strong result after extraction history,
- and whether brief orthodontic “back-and-forth” treatment planning meaningfully compromises anything long term.
I’ve attached before/after photos.
LEFT: Pre Extractions | RIGHT: Post Extractions (I also gained 20 pounds)
