Weight Loss Surgery - Jaw Wiring

Jaw Wiring Checklist

If you’re considering different options for fighting a weight problem, one of the more innovative and up-and-coming procedures is jaw wiring. Below is a checklist that will provide basic information regarding this procedure.

Background of Jaw Wiring
Jaw wiring has been used to help aid those with broken jaws for many years, but only recently has the background of this procedure been expanded to include weight loss. This strategy is still considered experimental by some, but early results have been positive.

Best Candidates for jaw Wiring
The best candidates for jaw wiring include those people who are otherwise healthy and have a BMI between 29 and 40. For those with a BMI over 40, other weight loss options would most likely be a better fit.

Uncertainty and Risk of Jaw Wiring
There is uncertainty and risk involved with jaw wiring, but those risks are extremely limited. For instance, one example of uncertainty and risk includes vomiting into the lungs, but there are no known cases of this occurring unless the patient has ingested large amounts of alcohol.

Planning for Jaw Wiring Surgery
Although jaw wiring is not considered to be surgery in the classic sense, you still need to partake in planning for surgery so that the process is completed smoothly. For instance, you’ll need to be ready for the temporary lifestyle changes and maintenance that is involved with managing the wires in your mouth, and your doctor will help you do so.

Preparing for Jaw Wiring Surgery
Preparing for surgery involves both physical and psychological preparedness. You need to remember that the result of this procedure is that you will not be able to eat solid food, and you’ll need to understand what you can and can not ingest while your mouth is wired shut.

Where Jaw Wiring Surgery is Performed
The answer to the question of where surgery is performed is an interesting one, as it can be done either at the doctor’s office or at a dental clinic that specializes in such procedures.

How Jaw Wiring Surgery is Performed
How surgery is performed involves several uniform steps. Basically, your jaw will be wired shut as if you have broken it, and the cycle will involve 28 days of wiring and four days without the wiring.

Anesthesia
As this is a common dental and corrective procedure, no anesthesia is necessary for jaw wiring. You will most likely be given a form of local anesthesia that will numb the affected area.

After Jaw Wiring Surgery
Post-op considerations are detailed in nature. Your jaw wiring program will generally last for six months, and afterwards you’ll need to maintain a regular schedule of counseling to make sure that your harmful eating habits are not repeated.

Jaw Wiring for Weight Loss Candidacy

If you’re considering the relatively new strategy of jaw wiring to help you lose weight, you’ll need to understand certain particularities that are involved before you make a final decision. The first set of criteria you must consider are whether or not you’re a good candidate for this procedure. Common questions in regards to this issue are, “How can I tell if I’m a good candidate for a jaw wiring?”, “How will I be evaluated for jaw wiring?” and “Will my insurance help offset the costs of surgery?” Each of these questions is answered below, but for more specific information as it relates to your situation, you should contact a medical professional for a consultation.

How can I tell if I’m a good candidate for a jaw wiring?

Good candidates for jaw wiring are people who are generally healthy in a medical sense and those who have a BMI between 29 and 40. Those with a BMI over 40 most likely need to consider a different strategy. The best candidates are also those who do not have any serious underlying psychological conditions that would hamper that person’s ability to stick with the program.

How will I be evaluated for jaw wiring?

Your evaluation for jaw wiring will consist of several steps. Your first step will be to have your BMI measured to make sure that you fall within the advisable limits. Secondly, you’ll need a full evaluation of your medical history and a full examination of your current state of health. Most candidates for jaw wiring also have some sort of compulsive eating disorder, and jaw wiring is available for those who simply can not prevent themselves from overeating.

Will my insurance help offset the costs of surgery?

Although there is no hard and fast answer to this question, the general answer is no, insurance will not cover jaw wiring. Insurance companies will cover any medical procedure that’s viewed as medically necessary, but will not cover those procedures or treatments that are seen as elective or cosmetic in nature. The best way to proceed is to speak to a medical professional regarding this issue, and he or she will be able to relate the need for jaw wiring to a compulsive eating disorder if one exists. That alone will not provide coverage, but it will improve the chances. You’ll also need to be sure to document any and all communication between you and your insurance company so that there is no chance for confusion should coverage become an issue.

Overall, there are three questions that are most prominent when it comes to jaw wiring candidacy. These questions are, “How can I tell if I’m a good candidate for a jaw wiring?”, “How will I be evaluated for jaw wiring?” and “Will my insurance help offset the costs of surgery?” If you’d like more specific information regarding how jaw wiring could be a good strategy for you, contact a medical professional for a full consultation.

Jaw Wiring Specifics

As you continue to consider the potential benefits of jaw wiring, you’ll need to research the specifics of the procedure itself. Specifically, three common questions tend to appear more often than any others, and these questions are, “Where are incisions placed for a jaw wiring procedure?”, “What are some variations to the common jaw wiring method?” and “What are some of the risks associated with jaw wiring?” Each of these questions is answered below, but given the relatively short amount of time that this procedure has been an option for patients, you need to contact a medical professional for a complete consultation.

Where are incisions placed for a jaw wiring procedure?

Jaw wiring is not a surgical procedure by definition, and there are really no incisions necessary. The jaw is wired shut much as it would be if the jaw was broken, and the wires are connected between the top and the bottom sets of teeth. Therefore, the risk of infections and bleeding as a result of incisions does not exist with this completely safe medical procedure.

What are some variations to the common jaw wiring method?

Given that this is a very standard procedure and the fact that jaw wiring as a means to fight eating disorders and weight problems is relatively new, there really haven’t been any common variations that have as of yet come to the forefront. Some doctors may prefer to set the bottom teeth before the top, and others may do the opposite, but the end result is always the same.

What are some of the risks associated with jaw wiring?

There are almost no documented risks involved directly with jaw wiring. In fact, the only recorded complications that have arisen have involved vomiting into the lungs. This scenario generally plays out when a patient has had too much to drink and can not handle the vomiting in a way that would alleviate any concern for drainage into the lungs. There have been other mishaps recorded, such as patients incorrectly removing the wiring, but in terms of evaluating the procedure in terms of risks, there are really none to be overly concerned with as long as the patient is responsible while the wires are in place.

Overall, three of the most common questions asked in regards to jaw wiring are, “Where are incisions placed for a jaw wiring procedure?”, “What are some variations to the common jaw wiring method?” and “What are some of the risks associated with jaw wiring?” General answers to these questions are provided above, but no two situations are exactly alike, which means that you’d be well-advised to contact a cosmetic surgeon for a complete consultation so that you can come to an informed and responsible decision.

Jaw Wiring Preparation and Recovery

Two often-overlooked but extremely important aspects to the jaw wiring process are the preparation and recovery periods. Common questions that arise in relation to these issues are, “What steps should I take to prepare for jaw wiring surgery?”, “What can I expect the day of surgery to be like?”, “How will I look and feel immediately following the surgery?”, “When can I pursue my normal activities again?” and “How long can I expect results to last?” Each of these questions is answered below.

What steps should I take to prepare for jaw wiring surgery?
Your preparation steps are extensive, and you need to make sure to follow them to ensure a successful process. Specifically, you’ll need to be prepared to completely change your diet, as you will not be able to eat solid food for a period of six months.

What can I expect the day of surgery to be like?
The day of your procedure will entail several emotions. You’ll feel a combination of fear, anxiety, happiness, excitement and anticipation. You’ll also be curious, and these are all normal emotions. The process itself will not take long, and you won’t need to stay overnight anywhere but in your own home.

How will I look and feel immediately following the surgery?
You may be somewhat sore after the procedure, which is also completely normal. You will also feel quite strange, as the sensation of having metal in your mouth is not something that is normally felt. You may feel a bit self-conscious, but the wiring is done with aesthetics in mind and will not be overly obvious to the naked eye.

When can I pursue my normal activities again?
The course of this weight loss procedure will last six months in most cases. The cycle entails 28 days of wiring followed by four days of no wiring. You will be limited to an extent during this time as you will not be ingesting a lot of food, and your vitamin supplements and liquid diet are designed to provide you with just enough nutrition to take you through a normal day. You’ll also be going through counseling during this time to measure your progress from a psychological standpoint.

How long can I expect results to last?
The answer to this question is entirely up to you. Going through six months of jaw wiring coupled with intensive counseling should have a lasting effect in regards to the importance of practicing proper eating habits. After the process is complete, you’ll need to maintain the discipline necessary to ensure that this process is a success.

Overall, examples of common questions in regards to preparing for and recovering from jaw wiring include, “What steps should I take to prepare for jaw wiring surgery?”, “What can I expect the day of surgery to be like?”, “How will I look and feel immediately following the surgery?”, “When can I pursue my normal activities again?” and “How long can I expect results to last?” If you’d like more specific answers to these questions, the best place to start is by consulting with a cosmetic surgeon.