Is jaw surgery really necessary to correct my open bite?
Brace/Openbite
I have recently had braces applied to my top set of teeth to try and correct an open bite. I have been told that I will probably have to undergo surgery which will involve removing part of the bone in my upper jaw and reconnecting it with pins and plates. I have only recently (the past 2 years) suffered with an open bite, so my dentist (not maxillofacial surgeon) thinks the problem is connected to cartilage in my temporomandibular joint. I am bit concerned with having the surgery on my top jaw as it sounds and looks horrendous. I am not concerned with the option of having my lower jaw repositioned if this could correct the problem. Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
Dear Enquirer,
Open bites are notoriously difficult to treat with orthodontics alone and although improvement maybe achieved, sometimes they cannot be completely closed especially where the underlying factor is the facial skeleton which is why surgery maybe necessary to reposition the jaws.
Although this may seem daunting- it is carried out widely throughout maxillofacial departments and results with a combination of surgery and orthodontics where indicated provide excellent results.
With an open bite depending on your underlying skeleton you would have been advised as to which jaw(top/bottom/both in some cases) is necessary to operate on to achieve the best results from your orthodontist and maxillo-surgeon. This will have been decided to give you the best facial aesthetics and getting the teeth in their optimum position so this is why it may have been suggested to you that the top jaw maybe operated on rather than the bottom. For open bite cases- it is more common to operate on the top jaw to correct this issue.
It should be kept in mind that there is risk of relapse- so return of your open bite even after than treatment although I am sure this has been discussed with you by your clinicians. This is high in open bite cases as the soft tissue forces are still present after correction of the teeth and jaw position. But depending on the severity of your case you should be advised accordingly.
As for the cause of this issue being the TMJ, it is difficult to say but probably not. It is more likely that late growth of the jaws has occurred causing an open bite to appear.
I hope this helps,
Sunita
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