Damon vs. Surgery

[supereasy]

Hello All - this question goes out to anyone who has or had an underbite and chose the Damon brackets instead of surgery.

I know for many it has improved their bite from a class III to a class I, but did it do anything aesthetically for you as well besides straighten your teeth and position them correctly? Since the brackets don't move bone, does your jaw still hold the appearance of the underbite or was it improved at all, even slightly?

Any feedback on this is appreciated. Thanks

[Sunny]

Supereasy if your bite is the result of jaw problems, you'll need surgery to correct the problem. If your bite is the result of dental problems, your jaws ill not be in a class III, only your teeth will be and the archwire can do the treatment.

You're right that archwires can only correct the alignment of teeth. Orthodontics on it's own cannot change the structure of the face as it can't do anything to bones, that's the work of surgeons.

[supereasy]

Hey Sunny - thanks for the reply. I believe my situation is not dental but i have an ortho who says he can correct my class III with orthodontics alone. he recommends this as my underbite is not bad aesthetically and since i'm 40 now. I dread the thought of getting into braces at all at my age, but the feeling of the bite has gotten worse oddly enough over the last year or so and i'm starting to experience some soreness in my jaw at times. i'm consulting again with the surgeon to ask more questions as that's the route i'll probably take...i figure if i'm going to do this at my age, i want to get it right the first time. anyway, thanks again for the feedback.

[Sunny]

My class III treatment (plus impacted canine, crowding, gaps, cross bites) started at age 47 and I was happy to finally have the opportunity to get my bite sorted. Surgery was not an option for me and my ortho was able to use my moulds to show me what he hoped to achieve. There have been a few treatment hiccups along the way and I now 'mostly' have a class I bite ... and I'm thrilled! My treatment will hopefully be over at the end of this month and then it'll be upper and lower bonded retainers and removable retainers for life ... and I can't wait!

Good luck consulting with the surgeon and if you're still not totally happy, make sure you consult with more ortho's and surgeons until you are!