Living with an underbite is nothing short of challenging. It can deeply affect your self-esteem and be just as damaging to your oral health. From having difficulty chewing food and speaking to the constant dull throb in your jaw, underbites tend to cause quite the trouble.
However, when it comes to treating this bite problem, most orthodontists recommend getting jaw surgery for underbite. But is surgery even necessary? How does it work? To learn more about orthognathic surgery, make sure to read this blog.
Is Jaw Surgery for Underbite Necessary?
The thing about malocclusion is that it comes in many forms. Sometimes, it solely affects the teeth, leading to a crooked or protruding shape, whereas other times, it takes your entire jaw under its hold. For an underbite, this typically happens in severe cases, where the jaw juts out abnormally, making your mouth look deformed. A jaw, or orthognathic surgery, then, is only needed if your jaw is misaligned. This is because the entire purpose of jaw surgery is to surgically reposition and reshape your jawbone, correcting it. But if the underbite is only because of your teeth, then it can easily be treated through traditional metal braces.
Signs You Need a Jaw Surgery for an Underbite
It can be tricky to identify whether or not you actually have to undergo an intrusive jaw surgery. Only an oral surgeon or an orthodontist is trained enough to recognize the signs indicating surgery. Nevertheless, mentioned below are some crucial signs you might need a corrective jaw surgery.
- Difficulty chewing or biting food.
- Protruding lower jaw.
- Uncomfortable space between top and bottom teeth when the mouth is closed.
- Dry mouth because of mouth breathing.
- Having trouble speaking or dealing with speech difficulties.
- Chronic jaw pain
How Painful is Underbite Surgery?
Due to the nature of the surgery, you are put under general anesthesia to combat the pain. This makes the entire procedure painless and simple. Not to mention, once the anesthesia wears off, you will be required to take pain relievers to soothe the dull ache.
However, it is important to note that while the surgery itself may not be painful, the aftereffects can be uncomfortable to deal with. It is common to experience discomfort and swelling post-surgery. But as long as you follow the surgeon’s instructions and are careful with the recovery process, the pain won’t last for long.
Bottom Line
All in all, jaw surgery for underbite is an intense treatment that works on correcting the position of your jaw by reshaping it entirely. This is because a severe underbite can be hazardous to your overall health. If not treated in time, it could even lead to other dental concerns, such as TMJ pain and teeth overcrowding.
Nevertheless, for more information on bite problems and how they can be treated, make sure to reach out to Rock Creek Oral Surgery at 832-930-7801. You can also drop by our dental clinic, located at 14119 Grant Road, Suite 140, Cypress, TX 77429, near Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, for an in-depth evaluation and care.