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How Oral Surgeons Correct Common Bite Problems

Did you know your oral surgeon can give you a beautiful, even smile, even if you have a bite problem?

A mild underbite, overbite or open bite may not seem so bad, but dental and skeletal irregularities can lead to a host of long-term dental issues. If your jaws aren’t properly aligned and your teeth don’t line up as they should, you have a greater chance of uneven tooth wear, speech issues, difficulties with eating, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems and facial distortion.

Oral Surgeons Correct Common Bite Problems

Many of the most common bite problems can be resolved through orthognathic or corrective jaw surgery, performed by a qualified oral surgeon.

How Do Oral Surgeons Correct an Underbite?

With an underbite, the lower jaw extends farther than it should. As a result, when the mouth is closed, the bottom teeth partially overlap the upper teeth.

To correct an underbite, otherwise known as an extended chin or protruding lower jaw, the surgeon moves the chin back to align properly with the upper jaw. After separating and modifying the bone, the jaw is fixed into position with titanium plates and screws.

How Do Oral Surgeons Correct an Overbite?

An overbite is basically the opposite of an underbite — the upper jaw sticks out, so the upper teeth partially cover the lower teeth.

Corrective jaw surgery to correct an overbite, or weak chin, involves similar orthognathic procedures as surgery for an extended chin. The jawbone is separated and modified so that it sits in proper alignment, then screws and plates are used to fix the chin into position.

How Do Oral Surgeons Correct an Open Bite?

With an open bite, as the name suggests, the upper and lower teeth don’t meet in the front when the mouth is closed. Typically, with this condition, the molars are the only teeth that meet.

Treating an open bite can be more of a challenge than correcting an underbite or overbite. Corrective jaw surgery for this bite problem often involves removing bone tissue in the upper jaw before moving the jawbone into the proper position and securing it in place with plates and screws.

Correcting a bite problem through orthognathic and orthodontic procedures can take several months, or some cases, years. Working with a well-established local oral surgeon ensures that you’ll receive the highest standard of care throughout your long-term treatment.

In the greater Salt Lake City area, Dr. Partridge and Dr. Maxfield at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Utah are the go-to professionals for bite problems. As specialists in corrective jaw surgery, both are fully trained, board-certified surgeons with more than 10 years of experience successfully serving northern Utah patients.

To discover how corrective jaw surgery can solve your bite problem, contact our Cottonwood Heights, South Jordan or Tooele office and schedule a consultation with one of our oral surgeons today.

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