Correcting Overbite with Braces Jaw Surgery

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Understanding Overbite and Overjet
3. Causes of Overjet
4. Types of Procedures to Correct Overjet
5. Indications for Jaw Surgery
6. Complications of Jaw Surgery
7. Age Range and Candidacy for Jaw Surgery
8. The Timeline of Jaw Surgery
9. The Role of Orthodontics in Jaw Surgery
10. Final Thoughts

Understanding Overbite and Overjet

If You have been told by your orthodontist that you need jaw surgery to correct your bite, or if you are simply interested in learning more about orthodontics, then this article is for you. In this article, we will be discussing the different types of procedures that can be done to the lower jaw to correct an overbite, which is more correctly termed as an overjet. We will be talking about when this treatment is done, why it's indicated, the complications, the age range, if you're a candidate, and what to expect. We will cover all of that and any other questions you might have on today's episode of braces explained.

An overbite is how much your upper and lower teeth overlap each other in the vertical dimension. Overjet, on the other HAND, is when your upper teeth are further forward compared to your lower teeth. This is also called a class two bite. In this article, we will be focusing on overjet, which is a more proper term for an overbite caused by the lower jaw being too far back.

Causes of Overjet

A class 2 bite can be caused by a number of different things. It can be that your upper jaw is too far forward, your upper teeth are too far forward, your lower jaw is too far back, your lower teeth are too far back, or a combination of two or more of these things. In today's article, we will be focusing on the last one, which is a class 2 bite caused by the lower jaw being too far back. This is called an underdeveloped mandible, a receding mandible, a retrognathic mandible, or simply an underdeveloped lower jaw.

Types of Procedures to Correct Overjet

Rubber bands can be used to bring the upper teeth back and the lower teeth forward if it's a very minor class 2 bite. If it's a little bit more severe, something like a forces or extractions can be used to make it so those upper and lower teeth fit together. However, orthodontists can only move teeth within the bones. If the upper jaw is too far away from the lower jaw or vice versa, your orthodontist can straighten the teeth out within their individual arches, but they can't push the teeth out of the bone. This leaves us with only one option to correct where the bones are in relationship to one another so that you can have a stable aesthetic and functional bite, as well as a nice profile.

Jaw surgery is basically a procedure that's done by an oral surgeon that works with an orthodontist to correct the positions of your jaw. This could either be the upper jaw, the lower jaw, or a combination of both. Orthognathic surgery or jaw surgery is rarely done without orthodontics. This is because the orthodontist is needed as part of the team in order to set up the teeth in the proper position so that when the surgery is done, the teeth can fit together.

Indications for Jaw Surgery

Jaw surgery is indicated with orthodontics whenever your upper or lower jaw are either too far forward or too far backward in relationship to one another. If you have a class 2 bite, you can imagine that this makes the bite actually worse. What we're going to be doing is bringing the lower teeth backwards so that they're upright over the bone, and the upper teeth forwards so that they're upright in the bone so that when we actually do our jaw surgery, the teeth are in the right spot within the individual bones, and the upper and lower jaws are in the correct position with relation to one another.

Complications of Jaw Surgery

Complications that may arise if you have a lower jaw surgery include lip paresthesia, which means that you're not going to have any feeling of your lower lip, and this may or may not return. This is because there's a nerve that travels inside the lower jaw and is called the inferior alveolar nerve. Other things that can occur include infection, limited range of opening, and joint issues.

Age Range and Candidacy for Jaw Surgery

You want to make sure that you're not growing when jaw surgery is being performed because if you're still growing and the jaw surgery is done, then it's going to totally throw off everything. In females, the lower jaw continues to grow throughout the teens, and in males, it actually goes into the early 20s. Once you're done growing, there really isn't an age that's too old to have the jaw surgery done, but you must be a healthy candidate for the surgery.

The Timeline of Jaw Surgery

Jaw surgery cases usually run anywhere between 18 to 24 months, some being shorter and some being longer. The jaw surgery is usually done at the two-thirds mark. Your orthodontist does a lot of the decompensating work to line up the teeth and getting them in the proper position within the bones, and then you have the jaw surgery. After the jaw surgery, the orthodontist works to finalize the bite, getting the teeth to fit in their new ideal position within the new position of the jaws, as well as correcting any relapse that might have happened during the surgery.

The Role of Orthodontics in Jaw Surgery

Orthodontics is necessary before jaw surgery in order to put the teeth in the right spot within the bones and do what we call decompensate because we're trying to get the teeth out of their compensated zone. We want to get them into their stable zone so that once we move the jaws, the teeth are situated in a healthy position within the bones.

Final Thoughts

Jaw surgery is a complicated topic, but it is necessary in some cases to correct an overjet. If you have any questions about jaw surgery or orthodontics, be sure to talk to your orthodontist or oral surgeon. They will be able to answer any questions you may have and help you determine if jaw surgery is right for you.

FAQ

Q: What is an overjet? A: An overjet is when your upper teeth are further forward compared to your lower teeth.

Q: What is jaw surgery? A: Jaw surgery is a procedure that's done by an oral surgeon that works with an orthodontist to correct the positions of your jaw.

Q: What are the complications of jaw surgery? A: Complications that may arise if you have a lower jaw surgery include lip paresthesia, infection, limited range of opening, and joint issues.

Q: What is the role of orthodontics in jaw surgery? A: Orthodontics is necessary before jaw surgery in order to put the teeth in the right spot within the bones and do what we call decompensate.

Q: What is the age range for jaw surgery? A: You want to make sure that you're not growing when jaw surgery is being performed. Once you're done growing, there really isn't an age that's too old to have the jaw surgery done, but you must be a healthy candidate for the surgery.