Jaw Surgery is Not Your Only Option!

Non-Invasive Face Lift Dentistry^® vs. Jaw Realignment Surgery

Face Lift Dentistry^® transforms the bite for a better jaw position, whereas jaw correction surgery alters the jaw for a better bite position. The Face Lift Dentistry^® Method leverages dental healthcare and has aesthetic advantages beyond porcelain veneers that optimize both cosmetic goals and jaw functionality. Patients benefit from a comprehensive approach that can create results not available from other treatments like jaw surgery, braces, clear aligners, porcelain crowns, or porcelain veneers. We see patients that had "patchwork" type treatment like aligners, surgery, braces and/or veneers that never reached the optimized level of care that Face Lift Dentistry^® strives to achieve.

The Face Lift Dentistry^® Jaw Surgery Alternative Explained

The Face Lift Dentistry^® treatment methodology relies on two basic principles:

• First: Allowing your jaw to move into the optimum JawTrac^® jaw position is the key to success. Most patients have a bite that forces their lower jaw into a bad position contributing to aging, jaw pain, wrinkles, and appearance. This is why porcelain veneers will fail, as veneers cannot improve bites or jaw positions. Many patients with jaw alignment issues are experiencing problems because of how the bite forces the lower jaw into unnatural positions. The positioning of the lower jaw has an undeniable impact on profile appearance, TMJ pain, breathing, self esteem, and overall aesthetics.
  
• Second: Redesigning your teeth shapes to get the optimized bite that will support the jaw in the new JawTrac^® position. In simplistic terms, Face Lift Dentistry^® non-invasively transforms the bite by bonding individual VENLAY^® bite restorations to improve the shapes and sizes of your teeth, whereas orthognathic jaw surgery alters the shapes and sizes of your jaws to try to fit your teeth.

Face Lift Dentistry^® When Other Treatments Failed

Most orthodontists and dentists are taught that braces and jaw surgery are the only available methods for treating conditions like TMJ issues, misaligned jaws, crossbites, open bites, overbites, and underbites.

If you talk to a traditional dentist or orthodontist, they will offer treatments such as orthotic appliances, night guards, aligners, braces, porcelain crowns, jaw surgery, veneers, or full mouth reconstructions. Unfortunately, these treatments, from our experience, have a much higher failure rate, take a very long time, and can be painful and can be highly invasive. Patients undergo multiple treatments, with dismal results after the second or third attempt. We have seen a patient that wore braces for 11 years and just could not take it any longer and patients with a mouth full of porcelain crowns and veneers that are making them crazy. At this point, after being told they now needed jaw surgery, patients are looking for an alternative to jaw surgery.

When they find Face Lift Dentistry^®, and can see the patients that are happy with their results on one of the worlds largest displays of documented before and after treatment videos, they have hope that this treatment will soon become one of the mainstream standards of care, with dentists and orthodontists suggesting it as a proven alternative to jaw surgery and braces.

Benefits of Face Lift Dentistry^® Jaw Correction

Non Invasive Treatment: Traditional jaw surgery cuts your jaws to improve the bite. Other invasive methods drill down healthy teeth, which usually permanently compromise healthy teeth. Face Lift Dentistry^® provides an option to avoid these invasive techniques through a non-invasive treatment method.

Faster Treatment Time: Since you don't have braces, aligners, or healing time from surgery, this treatment is completed much faster and is much safer compared to other treatment options. Most patients are done with their treatments in about a month.

Proven Results that are Tested: You don't really know how your face will change after jaw surgery, so there is a potential risk that besides surgical failures, the cosmetics might not turn out in the way you were anticipating. On the other hand, Face Lift Dentistry^® is more predictable because we always test before we treat. This testing increases the likelihood of a successful outcome because you will see the changes to your face during the JawTrac^® jaw position testing phase.

Getting Your Maximum Genetic Potential: All of us have a maximum genetic potential, but most of us have never experienced it. Imagine having the right size teeth with the best possible angle and shape that augment your bone structure and facial anatomy. Then imagine having those teeth designed to idealize your facial proportions, jaw position, facial profile and also coordinate functionally with your jaw joints or TMJ, which help you physically feel better. Each patient can achieve their ideal JawTrac^® jaw position using this unique technology that is combined with a doctor that has over 40 years of experience with this level of health care. We call this Getting Optimized.

The Disadvantages and Risks of Corrective Jaw Surgery (Orthognathic)

Can jaw surgery go wrong? Before you rush into a recommended corrective jaw surgery (also known as orthognathic surgery), it’s important to understand the potential risks of this treatment. Here are a few of the most common disadvantages that can occur after jaw surgery:

• Lengthy Recovery: Expect weeks or even months of recovery time after this major surgery followed by months or years of orthodontic braces or aligners. One of our recent patients missed work for six months after jaw surgery.
• Facial Swelling and Pain: As with other types of invasive surgery, you can expect pain, discomfort, and visible swelling.
• Wound Complications: There is a risk of complications with surgical wounds, such as extensive bleeding or slow healing. You may not like the appearance of your face after surgery, and you will have permanent metal screws and brackets attached to the jawbones that hold your jaws together for healing.
• Nerve Damage: If the surgical method injures the nerves, then you might never have feeling in that part of your face or jaw again.
• Diet Adjustments: You can only eat soft foods during recovery while your mouth is wired shut. One of our patients could not bite into a burger for nearly a year!
• Anesthesia Reactions: Different medications are necessary for anesthesia, and some patients have negative reactions or side effects.

Jaw Conditions We Can Treat with Face Lift Dentistry^®

As you learn more about how Face Lift Dentistry^® works, it's easy to see that a variety of orthodontic and dental conditions can be treated with this method. Here are some highlights showing practical applications using this treatment method:

• Making a Small Chin Bigger: If you are self-conscious about your profile because of a receded chin or deep overbite, you need to know that most of the time, your bite is the source of the problem. In most situations, the chin isn't as small as it appears. Instead, the appearance is affected by the bite causing your chin to look small.
  
  You probably don't need overbite jaw surgery to correct a small jaw. Instead, a JawTrac^® jaw position is used to realign the jaw position. We test this alternative to show you the facial changes before starting treatment with VENLAY^® restorations, showing you what to expect in the appearance of your profile.
• Correcting Open Bites: Two classifications are used to categorize different types of open bites: anterior (the front teeth don't touch) or posterior (the back teeth don't touch). Contrary to popular opinions, it's not necessary to schedule jaw surgery or undergo years of treatments to correct either type of open bite.
  
  With Face Lift Dentistry^®, an open bite treatment only takes two visits, lasting about four days per visit. This method can help all teeth make contact in an ideal bite by improving the sizes, shapes, and cusp positions of the teeth. Instead of surgically breaking the jaw and repositioning it, this method offers another option to fit your teeth to the jaws (rather than fitting the jaws to your teeth).
• Treatment for an Underbite (Protruding Jaw): An underbite means that a patient's lower jaw protrudes or sticks out beyond the upper teeth, affecting the profile by making the lower jaw look much larger than it actually is. In the past, jaw surgery has been a standard recommendation – a process of breaking the lower jaw and breaking the upper jaw, and moving the jawbones to make the upper arch bigger.
  
  Face Lift Dentistry^® helps you avoid jaw surgery with a treatment that requires no surgery, no drugs, and no invasive drilling or cutting. Non-surgically and Non-Invasively, JawTrac^® moves the lower jaw into the ideal position that improves the shape of your entire face. We then test this position to check for cosmetic improvements and pain relief before bonding VENLAY^® restorations to improve the shape, size, and cusp positions of your teeth for the new jaw position.
• Facial Collapse Causing Premature Aging: Aging faces are caused by aging teeth and, in some cases, bite reconstructions that made the bite worse. The positioning of the jaw is important because it affects the way the tongue sits and how open the air passageways are. When the teeth start to wear down with age, there is less room for the tongue, which compromises the airway passage. The result: problems sleeping, speaking, neck pain, headaches, TMJ pain, and breathing issues because of the reduced space for the tongue with a jaw in the wrong position mostly caused by worn-down teeth that are too short.
• Small Teeth, Worn Down Teeth, and Deep Overbites: An overbite can cause a person to age more quickly due to a sinking jawline from a shrinking bite. The teeth are too short to support the face and jawline, so facial collapse becomes inevitable. It starts much earlier than you think. Although jawline surgery is often the default treatment recommended by other dentists, Anti-Aging Face Lift Dentistry^® offers the better solution as it corrects the underlying alignment and structure to reverse the impact of aging at the source.
• Treating Headaches and TMJ Pain: Often, chronic TMJ pain and headaches are impacted by the jaw's positioning from your bite, causing jaw misalignment. Dr. Muslin's solution is mechanical in nature without surgery or drugs. If you are experiencing a mechanical mismatch in the bite and jaw joints, it causes tension and pain. The muscles in your head and neck are working to compensate for these mechanical issues, causing TMJ problems that contribute to headaches and TMJ pain. We see a lot of patients the porcelain veneers that are causing bite dysfunction.
• Cosmetically Compromised: Not only do patients have headaches, but they can have cascading results that affect posture, breathing, stress, and appearance. Chronic strain in the head and neck areas undeniably impacts pain and posture issues because of ongoing stress and tension. Face Lift Dentistry^® helps by positioning the jaw to where it was meant to be. When you are compromised physically, you are also compromised cosmetically.
• Jaw Clicking and Popping: When the jaws close together and the lower jaw is pushed back by the upper teeth, it reduces the airway passages and makes the chin look smaller. This mechanical mismatch is often the cause of click popping and clicking. Jawline surgery should be the last treatment of choice, which is why many people pursue Face Lift Dentistry^® as their first option. Patients fly in from all over the world and get treated much more quickly than any other choice.
  
  As with other health problems outlined above, the combined use of JawTrac^® and VENLAY^® restorations corrects the bite and jaw alignment. When the jaw positioning is improved, it often reduces the occurrence of popping and clicking.

Your Choice: Orthodontics vs. Jaw Surgery vs. Face Lift Dentistry^®

When you need to improve jaw alignment and jaw positioning, it's essential to learn about treatment options before choosing the treatment that a dentist may have recommended. Education is empowerment, giving you a complete understanding of your choices, treatment timelines, and the long-term results you can expect.

Here is an overview to help you compare traditional orthodontics, jawline surgery (orthognathic surgery), and Face Lift Dentistry^®:

• Traditional Orthodontics: Traditional orthodontics, including either braces or Invisalign, are often used for correcting the appearance and positioning of crooked teeth. These treatment methods require months or years of treatment and have limitations in the options to treat TMJ type of problems or change the cosmetic appearance of your face.
  
  One of the notable drawbacks to traditional orthodontics is how this treatment impacts your speaking, smiling, and eating function throughout the treatment. Also, most orthodontic methods don't address the root cause that is affecting your face, jaw position, profile, smile, and jawline because its focus is getting the teeth straight. Patients want far more than just straight teeth, which is why so many patients are getting Face Lift Dentistry^®.
  
  The shocking truth is that traditional orthodontics often have long-lasting, damaging effects that are quite challenging to resolve in the future. With orthodontics, the priority is to create straight-looking teeth, but the Face Lift Dentistry^® method goes above and beyond just straight teeth because we don't just optimize smiles; we optimize entire faces.
• Corrective Jaw Surgery: Another standard recommendation is to use jaw surgery to change the shape and placement of the jaw. Through this treatment, anesthesia is used to put you to sleep, then the surgeon cuts the jawbone and moves the pieces to change the shape of your jaws.
  
  Anytime a surgical method is used, significant risks could affect your health and appearance after the surgery. You will have months of recovery after surgery, with ongoing pain and discomfort as the bones and tissues heal.
  
  One of the most significant disadvantages of jaw surgery, besides the pain, risk, loss of work or school, social life is put on hold, wearing braces, etc., is that you can't test the treatment before the procedure. Too often, patients go through surgery and ongoing recovery, only to find that they are unhappy with their cosmetic appearance and jaw function after jaw surgery.
• Face Lift Dentistry^® Jaw Surgery Alternative: It's not necessary to surgically cut the jaw and spend a year or two to fit your teeth to the jaws with braces. Instead, Face Lift Dentistry^® improves your jaw position and the shapes, sizes, angles, and color of your teeth with a porcelain layer bonded to each tooth separately.
  
  This alternative to jaw surgery offers many advantages, helping you achieve the ideal results with minimal amounts of pain, and it does it in a matter of days instead of years. You can avoid complications and related medical issues by addressing the underlying jaw imbalances in a treatment that can be completed in about a month. The truth is: Face Lift Dentistry^® is a viable, quality, and proven option to address common dental and orthodontic problems.

Phases of Treatment with the Face Lift Dentistry^® Jaw Surgery Alternative

If you decide to move forward with Face Lift Dentistry^®, the treatment includes several phases to achieve the desired results:

• Phase 1 - Consultation: Face Lift Dentistry^® is the ideal treatment choice for just about everyone. Dr. Muslin will discuss how you can be treated and your options of treatment. You will be able to see the new shape of your face and your new jawline.
• Phase 2 – Work-Up: If you decide to move forward, this appointment usually takes about 2 ½ hours to get the following: Comprehensive Exam, Dental x-rays, JawTrac^® jaw position appliance, jaw imaging with and without JawTrac^® and testing your new jaw position overnight or longer. We also get models of your teeth, about 50 photos from all angles and expressions, and a video of your talking. You test the appliance overnight, and then we complete a follow-up evaluation the next day. If the first night goes well, then we can often start the treatment the next day. The treatment timing depends on the complexity of your care, with some patients requiring more time due to extensive dental work that is required that other patients don't require.
• Phase 3 – Starting Treatment: Now that you've completed the consultation, experienced the improved shape of your face, and experienced the physical improvement of the new JawTrac^® jaw position, we can move forward with the treatment. If you don't require a lot of dental work (you have healthy teeth and gums), this process can be quite fast. Typically, we recommend 2 to 4 days to get through the first three phases – consultation, workup, and starting treatment.
• Phase 4 – Finishing Treatment: It takes Dr. Muslin 3 weeks to design and create the high-tech VENLAY^® bite restorations, and you will need to fly in three weeks later on a Sunday to be seen on Monday and stay until Friday to complete your care in a remarkably short period of time. Finishing treatment is completed over four days:
  
  Day One: We slide the VENLAY^® restorations on the teeth so you can evaluate the cosmetic appearance of the restorations. Then, it takes about three hours to bond the upper restorations.
  
  Day Two: We bond the lower restorations and tune the bite.
  
  Day Three: One hour in the morning to tune your bite and another hour in the afternoon to work toward total comfort, functionality, and cosmetics.
  
  Day Four: We optimize cosmetics by shaping the edges of your teeth for your style and fine-tuning function (chewing, smiling, speaking, and comfort). Our goal is to send you home with as close to a flawless result as possible. This is not "patchwork" dentistry like porcelain veneers; this is comprehensive Anti-Aging Face Lift Dentistry^®.

Is the Face Lift Dentistry^® Jaw Surgery Alternative Right for You?

It's no surprise that Face Lift Dentistry^® is the option most people choose when comparing this treatment with other solutions like surgery and/or lengthy orthodontics or full mouth restorations that drill down your healthy teeth. Most of our patients have already had clear aligners, braces and/or jaw surgery, porcelain veneers, or full mouth porcelain crowns that failed. Dr. Muslin has extensive experience in all phases of dentistry, is a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, and has recommended jaw surgery to just a few patients.