Open bite fixed without surgery?

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#1 Post by **beth1966** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:01 pm

Hi - was just reading about Clo's open bite and all the frustrations of the braces not working etc. I don't know all his background -- but I have an open bite, from TMJD. My jaw shifted and my feet dont meet now. My ortho said he believes he can correct it with orthodontia but is that possible? Are there various degrees and causes of open bites and some require surgery and some do not???

No one has ever mentioned surgery to me for this. When I bite down I can't make my front teeth meet. i don't know if that is an anterior open bite or not?

#2 Post by **Raven78** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:27 pm

My ortho is giving me braces mainly for my open bite. I think he said about 4mm. I also have the TMJ stuff to deal with.

He told me it would take about 17 to 25 months to close the open bite.

Also It depends on alot of factors too. From what my ortho told me and what I have read. You really have to stick to the game plan. If they give you heargear or rubberbands and you dont use them it will take longer.

And yes there are factors that can make it worst like thumb sucking and tongue thrusting (where you push your tongue against your teeth when you talk and eat.)

#3 Post by **loulou123** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:42 am

I had a quite big open bite before braces (from thumb sucking) and intially was scheduled for upper surgery to fix this (along with the lower), but my orthodontist managed to fix the issue, using various things so the upper surgery was not needed.

#4 Post by **joney** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:40 pm

Beth

My openbite (anterior) has been fixed with elastics and they closed the bite really quickly within 2 weeks. I had 4 months with 24 hour wear and now just wear the elastics at night. I'm hoping that I won't have a relapse when the brace comes off but if I do hopefully they won't relapse too much.

#5 Post by **Drama Queen** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 2:40 pm

I had an open bite which was mainly to do with sucking my thumb as a child and also because I have an upper tongue thrust. None of my front teeth met when I closed my mouth only two of my back teeth met and I was able to stick my tongue out of the gap at the front (quite a party trick!). My open bite was closed by using a combination of elastics starting about the 4th month I was in braces right up until now, and the braces are due to come off this Thursday. I have noticed a real big difference, all my teeth now meet and there is no gap for my tongue to poke through.

Lau xx