Metal Mouth Message Board

So the Ortho says I have an underbite causing my bite to be "about half a tooth off" and is suggesting surgery. I am really questioning the need for surgery/recovery for "about half a tooth", it just sounds extreme. Would you opt for surgery or getting close with braces and calling it good?

How is your bite? Do your teeth cut your food properly when you bite, as in when you bite a sandwich, do you actually bite into it, or do you more-or-less tear it to get a bite? Can you bite into an apple and get a piece?

If your bite is fine, and it's just off-the-midline, it may be nothing to worry about. Many people, (including myself! ) have their upper and lower jaw that are off-midline. But, since there is no functional problem, then there is no problem. (I am on this board because of my son, not for myself.)

Maybe you can ask your ortho more questions about what he is suggesting, since it sounds like he didn't fill you in with all the reasons behind his suggestion.

abcdebbie wrote:So the Ortho says I have an underbite causing my bite to be "about half a tooth off" and is suggesting surgery. I am really questioning the need for surgery/recovery for "about half a tooth", it just sounds extreme. Would you opt for surgery or getting close with braces and calling it good?

Hi. from my experience a measurement of half a tooth is not trivial if you consider that it can take only a few millimeters to make a big difference in a bite. I mean I had my upper palate broken into three pieces just to have it widened by something like 3-4mm, and yes, it's a world of difference. If you are are seriously worried about it, I'd consult with an oral surgeon and determine if your problem is skeletal or not first. Also, you could get professional opinions(from your ortho, different orthos, different oral surgeons) on the consequences of what will happen if you do or don't opt for surgery. If you really do end up needing the surgery to acquire a more functional/proper bite but choose to forego the surgery, you might end up with problems in the future that you might not foresee now but that an oral surgeon could tell you about. On the other hand, you might find out you don't need surgery after all or come across some other orthos/surgeons with good non-surgical alternatives.

Anyway, yeah, I dunno. Perhaps your ortho is a perfectionist (and that's a good thing really!) and wants to achieve a class 1 bite for you but knows that orthodontics alone can't do it in your case.

Does your underbite bother you in any way? Is it physically/aesthetically noticable?

I think Sue's post is very insightful (and is making me think...LOL), but my story is that I have an overbite by a full tooth. I also have an overjet. This is because my lower jaw isn't as far forward as it should be, however, my ortho says she can fix it pretty well with just braces and I'm okay with that. For me, I never had a problem eating or anything and since I have no pain or anything, I wouldn't get approved for surgery as a medical necessity, so braces are just fine for me. If I were you (and as Sue suggested), I'd get a few more opinions.

Good luck!

Thanks you for the replys!

I started my ortho journey for cosmetic reasons, I have gaps in the front at the top and always thought I had a slight overbite because of them. I was completely unaware of any bite issues. I have never had trouble eating/biting into anything, no jaw pain or unexplained headaces. I am currently wearing elastics to pull the bottom forward. When the Ortho talked about the surgery, he painted a horrible picture of hospital stays, jaw wired shut, pain meds........... I will seek a second opinion.