Underbite Fixed WIth Braces Only

[toddmichaelNY]

Hey Gang - I thought I would share my experience.

I had an underbite since a little kid and in highschool is when my jaw began to grow even more.

I saw about 5 orthodontists and they all said I needed surgery, so we slapped braces on the bottom just to fix some spaces and I decided to leave it, since my family could not afford the surgery.

Well here I am 30 years old and making OK money so I decided to fix the one thing that has always bothered me.

Again, I saw about 3 orthodontist and 1 oral surgeon and they agreed I needed surgery.

Until I got one more opinion and this orthodontist said he could fix my bite with just braces.

If he couldnt' get it with just braces than we would do surgery mid way and go back to braces after.

About 8 months into my treatment, my top teeth were above my bottom. I was really impressed.

Now 2 years later, my bite looks perfect and I get them off shortly. WIth the use the of archwire, rubberbands, etc. he made it happen...

Just goes to show that you can never get enough opinions...

I'll see if I can find some before and after pictures.

[mariahfromchicago]

That's great! :)

[Sunny]

Great that your teeth have progressed so quickly!

I started treatment with a minor class III ... my teeth met biting edge to edge. As my arches rounded, the class III became more obvious, and my upper teeth closed touching the back of my lower teeth. My orthodontist has used archwires and elastics and my front teeth and right side are now in a class I bite, but the left side is still class III unfortunately.

My progress has been slow, and I've been assured this is not due to my age ... I started treatment when I was nearly 48. My progress is mostly affected due to the roots of my teeth being long ... which is usually a good thing, but often slows orthodontic movement. Also I've an impacted upper right canine, that has refused to move, and the decision had to be made to move all teeth behind it forward ... very slow!

Great your braces will be off soon! Congratulations on having consultations until you found the person you felt most comfortable with!

[Zoso]

Congratulations! Sounds like you've got just the results you're looking for!

My only word of caution to others reading your story and hoping for the same for themselves is that they should be sure to raise with any orthodontist the subject of the stability of the results. Sometimes these issues are just dental (all about where the teeth are) and a really nice, and stable result can be achieved using orthodontia alone. But if there is an underlying skeletal issue, then often a purely orthodontic approach can lead to results that whilst looking good are not stable in the longer term. Naturally too there will be cases that fall somewhere on the borderline.

[Stephanie]

you are absolutely right.. hence why my husband had braces on twice.. and even then not a perfect solution to his underbite.

[braceface]

Your story really helped me. I was told the same thing and can understand how discouraging it is to have surgery as an only option. I recently got 2 quotes one for $9,950 with invisalign - he almost guaranteed a perfect bite, but I don't have $9,950. So I have another quote from another dentist and with the removal of some wisdom teeth I should have a class 2 bite. I'm a little worried about wearing metal braces at 31, but I want it to be over quickly so that's what I opted for. Tomorrow I get my impressions. I hope I am just as happy with my resul as you are with yours.

[Stephanie]

do you have an underbite? If so I would not rely on Invisalign to fix this for $10,000!.

I would expect your results to be better with the metal braces even though both do not really guarantee anything. It really comes down to the experience of the ortho and how will yoru teeth are to the treatment.

Good luck and don't sweat metal braces.. you can even get ceramic (clear) on top... time flies by!

[HeadJam]

Find out about the Damon system, even faster. Less pain too. Faster = less cash

[Zoso]

The marketing machine behind the Damon system likes to boast that it is faster than any other system. But those claims don't hold water. Self-ligating bracket system (and Damon is far from being the only such system) might be able to trim a month or too off a typical 18 - 24 months estimated treatment time, but they can't work miracles. And, as I mentioned, this is not unique to Damon - the same advantages hold for other SL systems.

As to less pain, this is entirely unsubstantiated. Speaking for myself (and I had one arch treated with an SL system, the other with traditionally tied brackets) I could detect no difference - and that makes sense, since all of these systems rely on the same sorts of archwires, powerchains, springs and so forth. And, again, even if there were a reason to feel that a SL system made for a less painful time in braces, the fact is that Damon is far from being the only such system.

Also, these systems tend to be more pricey than traditionally ligated systems, so what you gain in trimming a couple of months off the timeline, is often consumed in the higher cost of the brackets themselves.

[HeadJam]

OK well I'm gonna keep the thoughts in my head that it hurts less. Thanks anyways. I'm gonna like the convenience of the pop-open, pop closed. I studied civil engineering at university, so I'm very intrigued by the mechanics of it all this time round.

Plus, they're nice and small. I'll be getting the latest generation of them

[Zoso]

The doors can be convenient, although I had some assistants who were so nimble-fingered they could change ligs out darn near as fast. Also, the doors become extremely inconvenient if you are one of the unfortunate souls who produces tartar at such a rate that the doors get jammed closed. Doesn't happen to many, but happens to some, and also seems just a little more common with Damons than with some of the competing brands, that have different "door" designs.

Also, small size can sometimes be a mixed blessing. One instance I recall was someone who came close to needing their brackets changed out towards the end of treatment because they were almost too small to get the job done - the mathematics of levers comes into play.

I didn't mean to come down on you like a tonne of bricks. It's just that there is a mythology springing up around Damons, based on their massive amount of marketing, and it can cause some people to choose an orthodontist for the wrong reason - there are many factors about your choice of orthodontist that do matter, but the brand of brackets he or she prefers to use is not one of them.

[HeadJam]

Well we'll see what he recommended. Thx for speakin' engineerspeak with the leverage, etc. Check out my blog to see the smile that's getting them (hopefully). Nothing's 100% though.

[ToothMarketeer]

True, many orthodontists use Damon brackets, so choosing a doctor based on the type of brackets they use might be ill-advised. However, if your chosen doctor ascribes to the Damon System's philosophy of treatment (and does not simply use the bracket,) you should be in for a good experience. The Damon System approach is all about using lighter forces and lower friction. I've spoken to hundreds of Damon patients and of all the fixed-appliance treatment options available today, I think it's well worth considering.

[Zoso]

True, many orthodontists use Damon brackets, so choosing a doctor based on the type of brackets they use might be ill-advised. However, if your chosen doctor ascribes to the Damon System's philosophy of treatment (and does not simply use the bracket,) you should be in for a good experience. The Damon System approach is all about using lighter forces and lower friction. I've spoken to hundreds of Damon patients and of all the fixed-appliance treatment options available today, I think it's well worth considering.

Do I spy a Damon rep?

Good lord - to read a post like this, you'd think that any orthodontist who doesn't subscribe to the Damon Syatem is using rusty fence wire, and tightening patients' braces with the aid of a fork lift truck! The Damon System is not the only system that relies on lighter forces and lower friction, and anyone who claims otherwise is either mis-informed, or lying.

[derek954]

Hello i am new to this forum, can whoever started this post please email me photos of your bite before and after the braces? I have a class lll underbite mostly to one side of my jaw. I am 27 years old and currently looking for alternatives to jaw surgery to correct my bite. My teeth meet mostly edge to edge, i think my upper jaw is to small. Is there anybody who has sucessfuly treated a similar bite with braces only? Has anybody using damon braces experienced any expansion of your bite? Thankyou for any info

[Sunny]

Hi Derek

I responded to your question in the damon section and recommend you start a new thread in your quest to learn more about class III correction.

My bite met edge to edge before I started treatment and was classified class III dental. This meant it could be corrected using ortho treatment without surgery. As my lower teeth came into alignment and my arches rounded, my class III did become worse, but elastics have corrected that and I now have a class I on one side, with more work needed on my right, due to a non co-operative impacted canine.

I have ligating brackets and my bite has expanded, as can be seen by the collages of my arches in my blog. It's the archwires, not the brackets, that achieve this expansion, and therefore most people should achieve some expansion, unless there arch is already correctly expanded.

Good luck with your search for more information. :thumb:

[Zoso]

Remember though that there is a limit to how much expansion of the arch can be achieved in this way. Conventional wisdom is that in adult cases you can get a little more apparent expansion using a palatal expander, but a lot of this often amounts more to tipping the teeth than moving them outward. It's commonly held that for true palatal expansion in adult cases, you would need to have surgery to allow the two halves of the palate to move outward (bone grows back in between) in the same way that it can in kids.

If you are talking about expanding in a front to back sense, rather than laterally (ie how wide the arch is) then that's another question again. There are appliances and techniques that can be used to bring the teeth forward or backward. But, like lateral expansion, how much can be done is limited - the teeth are anchored in a bony structure called the alveolar process, and you can only move the teeth within the extent of this bony structure. Also, you cannot move the teeth too close to the edges of this, or else the results can tend to be unstable and (worse!) you can find yourself left with tooth roots that have a thin and fragile covering of gum tissue - not good!

[theman2]

Hey Gang - I thought I would share my experience.

I had an underbite since a little kid and in highschool is when my jaw began to grow even more.

I saw about 5 orthodontists and they all said I needed surgery, so we slapped braces on the bottom just to fix some spaces and I decided to leave it, since my family could not afford the surgery.

Well here I am 30 years old and making OK money so I decided to fix the one thing that has always bothered me.

Again, I saw about 3 orthodontist and 1 oral surgeon and they agreed I needed surgery.

Until I got one more opinion and this orthodontist said he could fix my bite with just braces.

If he couldnt' get it with just braces than we would do surgery mid way and go back to braces after.

About 8 months into my treatment, my top teeth were above my bottom. I was really impressed.

Now 2 years later, my bite looks perfect and I get them off shortly. WIth the use the of archwire, rubberbands, etc. he made it happen...

Just goes to show that you can never get enough opinions...

I'll see if I can find some before and after pictures.

Hey, I have a question, now i have an underbite and my dentist said i should get surgery to fix my underbite but i don't want to. now can you tell me where this orth of your bother is. My email is garytheman2@hotmail.com

Thank you

[Sunny]

Theman I recommend you consult with some more ortho's if you're not confident with what your ortho is recommending. Hopefully this will help you make the best decision for you and your bite! :toast:

My underbite was dental and therefore could be fixed with braces. If it's a result of the way your skeleton has developed when you were younger, it's a surgical issue, if you want stable results. My treatment probably woud have been a lot faster if I'd had surgery, but it wasn't an option for me.

My ortho has helped me achieve a class one on my left, and nearly a class one on my right ... still working on that side, with the use of the archwires and class three elastics. These elastics go from the top molar to the lower canine and help move the upper teeth forward in the arch and the lower teeth back in the arch. It's been a slow process, but it's happened and still happening ... which is exciting!

Good luck! :thumb:

[Bukowski]

Hi everyone,
I've had an extreme underbite (my bottom front teeth completely cover my top front teeth) since birth and recently saw an orthodontist who assured me he could fix it with the damon system alone and no surgery. I have been researching this over the past few days and it seems I can't find any evidence that this is possible. There are so many people getting jaw surgery to correct bites that don't seem even close to as severe as mine.
Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[Sunny]

Hi Bukowski!

If your bite is the result of your skeleton, you'll need surgery to correct it properly. If it's dental, like mine was, braces with plenty of elastic wear can correct it ... how stable the results will be, depends on your bite and the skill of your ortho.

At this early stage, I recommend you consult with a few ortho's, at least another couple, and listen to what they recommend. Hopefully you'll find an ortho you feel is both skilled and supportive.

To sort out if a bite is skeletal or dental, you will need x-rays and each ortho may prefer to do their own. Still ask if you can have your x-rays, as that way you can show them to the next ortho and not have to pay for more.

Good luck! :thumb:

[Bukowski]

Sunny,
thanks for the quick reply. I will consult another orthodontist. I have spent hours upon hours searching for answers and it doesn't seem to me that the damon system would be capable of correcting a severe class III only a minor one. He did seem awfully confident though.
Cheers
Buk

[Sunny]

Great that you will consult further Bukowski. :)

Please be careful of any ortho who tries to push a 'system' at you. Brackets don't move teeth ... so it won't matter what brand they are, if the ortho can do it with one brand, he can be done with all brands ... or the other way ... if he can't do it with one brand, he can't do it with any brands.

Good luck finding someone you can trust and make sure you ask questions about skeletonal vs dental, surgery vs non surgery, relapse etc.

Good luck! :thumb:

[osamawad]

My case is similar to yours.
i have an underbite
but with crowded misaligned teeth
my ortho was not sure that i can make it without surgery .
but he decided to go through braces treatment only.
now i think my bite is quiet fine.
but i am delayed by teeth being aligned

good luck

[annabella]

I am with Sunny & Zoso. From what I read the adult bones have been fused since adolescence so if your jaw really needs to be expanded surgery is the most likely solution.
That is why most teen have expanders done by 13/14 before the palate is fully fused. It seems older teens to but it seems usual adolescent age. And braces can expand as well especially if you don't require a great deal of space <6mm but you guys know better.
I know that I wouldn't want surgery either. I hope you find a solution that keeps you healthy and happy.
Good searching.

[ashleigh]

When I was around 12 years old, I had braces to fix my underbite. I had a slight underbite and didn't have an overgrown or pertruding bottom jaw. However my first ortho only push my top front teeth forward. I no longer had an underbite but I was still not pleased with my smile and the way I look in pictures. When I was around 20 something, I decided to get braces again. Before I had gotten braces on, I had all my wisdom teeth removed. My ortho then suggested I get 2 teeth romoved from the top and 2 removed from the bottom and so I did. After 2 years of braces and no surgery, I was very pleased with the results. My ortho had straigthen my teeth and corrected my bite. Now when I look at my before and after pictures, I am very pleased with the way I look and I even think that I look so much more attractive. So I do believe that in some cases with a slight underbite can be corrected with only braces. Btw, I have a 6 year old son and he was also born with an underbite and all of his baby teeth are straight but spaced apart. Hopefully, his underbite is just slight like mine and can be corrected without surgery and only with braces.

[Sunny]

Ashleigh it's great that your problem was dental, as that means braces alone can correct it. It's fantastic that you finally have the bite and profile you longed for!

[A.Marie]

Hello :D
I had an under-bite also, and they said that the best option would be surgery or headgear. Since, at the time, I was going into middle school I protested the headgear and my mum didn't want the surgery. So I got this neat little retainer that expanded to widen my top jaw. So with braces, rubber bands, and about 3 retainers my under-bite was fixed! But now I have this other problem. My upper 2 front teeth have really small roots so they don't want to move them anymore to fill in the gaps, so after my braces come off, I'm getting crowns on! So, since I'm going into my 2nd year of high school, the whole process took around 4 years! There are always other options :clapping:

[ashleigh]

A.Marie, congrats on your new smile. But remember that it's very important to keep wearing your retainers as recommended by your ortho for the first year or so; also after that, you will need to continue wearing them every night if you don't want your teeth to move. Btw, do you know if you can still wear your retainers after you get your two front teeth crowned?

[eeej2009]

Hi. I'm 29 and going through the same process. I have a slight class III underbite and need braces or surgery. I found one orthodontist who says surgery is not needed (out of 2 orthodontists because we're limited here).

[abbaker]

I have a slight underbite as well, and other ortho's said surgery was the only way of correcting it (when I was about 17), which prevented me from getting braces at all until about a week ago (I'm 22 now). My new ortho said he could do it with just elastics and maybe powerchains if that doesn't work (I could be wrong on that terminology, those chains they kind of screw into your bone). My bottom teeth are pretty straight but my top teeth have some large gaps in them (from the underbite). My ortho said that jaw surgery would "wreck" my face and make me look less attractive anyway! So I'm extremely glad I didn't get surgery done when I was younger. And no extractions or anything, also I was born without wisdom teeth so I don't have to worry about that either! Yay! haha

[Sunny]

abbaker it's great that your problem is dental and not a result of the growth of your skull.

The screws that are put in your bone are TAD's and they can be used to do amazing work that archwires can't do alone.

Good luck with your treatment!

[jaytourist]

I also had a cousin who had the same problem with yours. But it was fixed i think by orthodentist. :)

[supereasy]

Hi abbaker - that's awesome you won't need surgery. i'm in a similar situation...slight underbite with class III on one side. i consulted 3 orthos and 2 surgeons. only one ortho said he thought we could achieve what i needed w/out surgery. of course all the surgeons said i needed it, but that's what puts food on their table so i expected that from them. the ortho i'm going with was very candid and said surgery would make it perfect and using the braces (damon system) would not. but i'm not looking for perfection either. i figure, give it a try with the damon system. surgery or not i was going to have braces, so it was kind of a no brainer to at least give it a try. anyway, i'd love to see a better picture of you to see how slight your underbite really is. if you can send, my email is inkpen2011@yahoo.com -- thanks!

[abbaker]

I posted a link to my blogspot acct on your profile under "Visitor Messages". I think I'll be getting TAD's at my adjustment in a couple of weeks- I'm scurred! lol

[Pearly White]

I am a female girl who is 21-years-old living in Sydney, Australia. I have gotten ceramic braces to fix my underbite class III malocussion.

You're welcome to check my progress on my website at http://saybraces.blogspot.com/

Feel free to leave questions or comments on my blog! I promise to update often.

I have currently had braces for 3 months. My before photo and after 3 months of braces photos are below.

Before.jpg After 3 months Braces.jpg

[Sunny]

Your blog is great Pearly White! :wave:

Your teeth/bite on the sides looked great at the beginning of treatment, so it's fantastic you're getting your class III sorted. You look to be at class I already ... which is fantastic! Your progress is outstanding!

Good luck! :thumb:

[Pearly White]

I thought I would make a bump, update post. I've added a few more entries to my blog Say Braces! and my progress has been coming along nicely since.

4 months to the day of wearing braces, and I couldn't be happier! My underbite is well gone and my teeth have come into a nice bite. A few little adjustments, here and there to teeth positioning, and I should have a perfect smile--here's hoping--in no time!

This photo was taken about a week ago.

[Sunny]

Your bite looks amazing! You were so lucky your bite was a 'fake' Class III/edge to edge ... as this means outstanding results can be obtained with relative ease. Congratulations!

[Pearly White]

Your bite looks amazing! You were so lucky your bite was a 'fake' Class III/edge to edge ... as this means outstanding results can be obtained with relative ease. Congratulations!

Thank you so much! YAY! Fake teeth.

I am definitely blessed. My jaw/bone structure is normal, so my results have really been fantastic.

:lips:

[Pearly White]

Update!



They're coming off in less than a month! I am a happy girl.

Say Braces!: 7 Months, 25 Days—18 Days to Go!

[Pearly White]

My braces are coming off in 4 days! Do you think they're ready?

I'm so excited for it!





Say Braces!: 9 Months, 6 Days—They're Coming Off!

[lightskinnnn38]

Congrats!!! I hope you show us your teeth after debanding! :)

[Pearly White]

More @ Say Braces!

[lightskinnnn38]

CONGRATS on getting your uppers off!! Your teeth look beautiful!

[Pearly White]

Thank you for the compliments @lightskinnnn38!

9 months and 22 days later, my braces are finally off!

What do you guys finally think?



These photos are a before during and after look at my teeth.



More photos and the story @ Say Braces!: Before and After Braces—Braces Off, Underbite Fixed and The Perfect Teeth

Happy smiling! :D :party:

[loran_aine]

I can not see any of your photos nor access your blogs. Maybe because they are restricted in where I am now. (PRC) Anyway, I have underbite problems and it started to happen when I was in high school. I thought it was just because I wore retainers just for show and to look cool, but lately I found out that it's hereditary since my brother and sister have it, too. I was told to get braces in high school by a dentist, but I ignored it because I didn't have money. Now, I'm 25 and earning okay to afford braces. Now my underbite grew even worse and there's a snap from my jaw whenever I open my mouth wide like to yawn or something then close it. I was told that my case is not only about the teeth but the jaw, so I need a surgery. I found out the need for surgery last year only (2011) by a dentist in China. I was skeptical about it since I wasn't too familiar about the surgery. I asked another opinion from a dentist, a bone doctor and a surgeon. I even had 3D CT scan of my head, maxilla and mandible (upper and lower jaw) Altogether they are willing to help me out with the surgery, but then their quote is too expensive that I don't think I could ever afford it. (I would afford it if I'll forget that I have a family to support back home. hehe) Also, the dentist sort of discouraged me to have the surgery because they think I look good despite of that and that I have no broken teeth whatsoever. They don't want to ruin my face since the surgery would dramatically change that way I look. I think these doctors know what they're saying, but I am not aiming for perfection. I just want my teeth to look how they were before. Normal. Now, I'm frustrated because if I won't get surgery then I'm just going to die with this. Grow old with this without even trying. I will never give up looking for answers that I am comfortable with and to look for hope. I hope I could get this fixed without having to go through surgery. It's really, really frustrating because they sound like there's no way I'll ever fix this if I don't have the money to spend for the surgery.

Anyway, I am really inspired by your post, Sunny, and by the other successful stories. I hope I could also get the same results if I do try braces on. I'll try it again back home.



Congratulations for having the new smile!


Keep up the good work!