open bite question. i thought were on here to help eachother

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#1 Post by **biggs** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 12:26 pm

i have a open bite. i used to have protruding front teeth but ive had braces treatment so theyre all allighned now.
ive been weraing a bite guard to help find a rest position for my jaw joint and upon wearing the mouth splint all my tmj pain is gone away. this now means that i do have a open bite and some how the open bite needs to be closed.
the question is how is the open bite going to be treated. i know it has to be surgery but im not sure what is the normal way.
if my upper jaw is moved vertically down it will make me look to toothy. im really worked up. any help plz???

#2 Post by **Emmauk** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 12:30 pm

I dont know about your particular issues but i have an open bite. To fix mine i am going to need the upper jaw rotated ( up at the back) and my lower jaw brought forward.

I think in all honesty the only person that can give you a proper answer would have to be a surgeon, an OD might be able to shed some light but ultimately a surgeon.

#3 Post by **geordie999** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 12:45 pm

I have an open bite as well - but I think everybody's issues are different. I was referred by my ortho to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon he knew and highly recommended. My surgeon came up with a treatment plan of moving my upper jaw forward a little, so my top teeth are in front of my bottom teeth, and in a years time he will do a bilateral sagittal split mandibular osteotomy to realign my bottom jaw. In the mean time the ortho is straigthening everything out. An ortho is a good place to start and will probably know a good surgeon that you can consult with.

#4 Post by **biggs** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 12:45 pm

Do you have a open mouth posture? My mouth is always open, i have to strain to make my lips meet.
i dont know if yours is the same but i can actually make a bite all my teeth meet and they look completly normal. its only that it is not the rest position for my tmj.
when my jaw and mouth are at rest it look as though i have retruded lower jaw.

#5 Post by **Audra** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 12:46 pm

They don't usually bring your upper jaw down. They cut a wedge of bone out.

Here's a youtube animation (not gross) to illustrate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NSKzkOdyk4

Why does part of the title of your thread say "I thought were on here to help each other"

#6 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 12:56 pm

There isn't a normal way because it depends on your other issues, and so it's all relative. I personally had upper jaw expansion, upper and lower and am now wearing elastics now specifically to firmly get rid of the openbite- but the openbite wasn't my only problem

I can't tell you that you need all of the above to fix your openbite, just because all of the above fixed mine (amongst other things, of course)

#7 Post by **biggs** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:10 pm

i really think that my lower jaw needs to be repositioned upwards. currently it rest with mouth being fully open. if it was repositioned upwards then it should close my openbite + open mouth posture. it should also let my toungue rest against the roof of my mouth. presently it rests agains my bottom teeth.

#8 Post by **biggs** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:12 pm

could this be done?

#9 Post by **Audra** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:12 pm

I might be wrong about this, but I was under the impression that the lower jaw could only be moved forward or backward, and that the upper jaw can be moved forward, backward, up or down.

#10 Post by **biggs** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:18 pm

my OS has me in total dark. i have no idea what to expect.
im due back to see him in a couple of week. been waiting three months now. its killing me.
at the very least if i knew what surgery to expect i could mentally prepare my self for it. but like this in total darkness its just too much.
god give me strength

#11 Post by **ReneG** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:26 pm

My teeth were realigned then my lower jaw was tilted upwards and brought forward.

You should really talk to your OS and get more information. In the meantime, don't stress about it!

#12 Post by **guitarchick1552** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:09 pm

I had a severe open bite from a NTI, a bite guard that covered my front six teeth, and my orthodontist is treating it just with braces and rubber bands. My bite opened up all the way to my last molar on both sides and the Damon braces are working wonders. (It was so open I could fit my finger through my front teeth while biting down.) I couldn't eat anything harder than mac and cheese for 12 months because of the open bite, thank you bad dentist, but since I started the braces three months ago I'm now able to eat real food again. This was a long process and I had to wait four months for my bite to start to close on its own before I could even get the braces, which included periods of wiggling, loose teeth and living on nothing but a liquid diet. I'm sure surgery would have been faster, but if you shop around for a highly skilled orthodontist you might just be able to avoid it. Granted, my bite will not be Hollywood perfect when I'm done with the 18 months of work, but I'll take that over surgery any day.

#13 Post by **Hyrule** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 3:19 am

I wouls start by an Ortho. Most of the OS wont take new patients unless they are refered by other orthos or doctors.

#14 Post by **biggs** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 4:13 am

ive been to a ortho. ive had braces in the past aswell. they didnt see anything wrong with my bite. they pretty much told me to get used to it and that everything will settle down in time. meaning the tmj pain will go away.
obviously this wasnt the case, as i have a huge gap between my upper and lower teeth whilst my mouth is closed in a restfull position.

my doc then reffered me to a OS who took some xrays and said i have a open bite. hence he gave me a mouth splint to rest the tmj and open out my bite.

#15 Post by **biggs** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:09 am

does anyone have pictures of an open bite would be greatfull of you can share.