Florida Teen: Jaw Surgery ‘Will Change My Life’

By Dalia Colón -

There are things teens want, like more allowance. There are things teens need, like more sleep. Then things that fall in the middle.

For Samanta Weichhan, the thing is jaw surgery.

Samantha Weichhan's parents believe oral surgery will give her more confidence for a future career as a wedding planner. (Fresh Connect Solutions)

The 15-year-old’s lower jaw is a lot bigger than her upper jaw. (Think Jay Leno.) Her teeth don’t fit together, so she has trouble doing things a lot of us take for granted, like eating normally. Worse, Samantha’s protruding chin is the subject of whispers in the South Broward High School cafeteria.

Peter and Karen Weichhan had considered surgery to correct their daughter’s bite–and her confidence. They wanted Samantha to project when she speaks, to stop hiding her chin with her hair and yes, to enjoy the occasional chicken wing.

But their insurance company wouldn’t cover the surgery.

“I guess they think it’s more cosmetic,” said Samantha’s dad, Peter Weichhan.

In fact, lots of teens do get cosmetic surgery. Last year, American teens had 76,841 cosmetic procedures–up 3% from the previous year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Among ages 13 to 19, the most common cosmetic surgeries were:

Nose reshaping: 35,005
Breast reduction in men: 13,530
Ear surgery: 8,763
Breast augmentation: 8,525
Liposuction: 3,205

But for Samantha, orthognathic surgery–a.k.a. corrective jaw surgery–didn’t belong in this category, argued Dr. Jeffrey Blum.

“This is (in) no way a cosmetic procedure. This is a functional jaw deformity,” said Blum, a Miami Beach oral surgeon. “It’s kind of like if you have somebody that one leg is 4 inches shorter than the other leg, and they say to straighten it out is an aesthetic thing. No, it’s not an aesthetic thing. Yeah, you will look better if you’re standing straight on both legs, but point is, it’s a functional problem.”

Blum, along with South Florida orthodontist Dr. Margo Brilliant, will work pro bono to give Samantha get the jaw she’s always wanted. The teen will share her story Thursday on the daytime talkshow Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers.

“It will change my life because I feel I’d be more social with people,” Samantha said. “I wouldn’t be afraid to do things, and I wouldn’t second-guess about everything I do. I’d be more out there.”

Overgrown jaws are genetic; just look at the Austria’s Habsburg dynasty. Samantha’s brother and uncle have milder versions of her chin.

Last year, 1,070 teens had a chin augmentation procedure, down 8% from 2009.

Pre-surgical orthodontics: Samantha will have her wisdom teeth removed and will wear braces for six to nine months.
Outpatient surgery: Blum will cut the bone around Samantha’s jaw and move it into the proper position.
Post-surgical orthodontics: Another round of braces will fine-tune Samantha’s bite.

The whole process will take about a year, at which time Samantha will return to the Dr. Drew show to reveal her new look.

Parents, would you let your teen get jaw surgery? Why or why not?

This reporter can be reached at daliacolon@wusf.org.