Metal Mouth Message Board

I just wonder how many here have inherited their misaligned jaws directly from a parent/grandparent. Neither my mother/father, nor grandparents have any problems with their bites, so I assume that it's a recessive gene carried from earlier on. I asked a surgeon about this and he said that it sometimes can be environmental - sucking on thumb as a child etc. but I didn't have any habits like that (and I have an underbite anyway).

Can you see exactly where you inherited this from, or like with me does it -seem- out of the blue?

Just curious!

I have the same problem you do. No one in my family/grandparents ever had problems with their bites or jaws and I never sucked my thumb or anything, but I'm the only one who needed braces. But I'm also left-handed and no one in my immediate or extended family is left-handed, so I guess I'm just weird.

I was adopted as a child. When I met my "birth family" it explained much of my jaw issues:
My mother has this same jaw
2 of her sisters(my aunts) have it
My sister has it
One of my cousins has it
All of them have it seriously(not just slightly) and it's the first thing noticed about their faces.

It wasn't obvious on either of my grand parents so who knows where it originated.
In my case, mine is most definitely inherited.

It's interesting how it works out isn't it? Some people have it in their immediate relatives, some don't.

I hope I don't pass it on to any prospective children I may have I would hate for them to go through this.

When I said this to one of the surgeons I was talking to, he said make sure you marry a husband with a strong jaw and small chin!

Instead of marrying for love over money, I guess I married for love over a good jawline, because my husband's jaws and teeth need work too, although he has told me many times he would never choose to go down this path I've gone down!

I've had 3 different orthos and every one ha asked me which of my parents I inherited my underbite from as apparently my specific jaw problem is always inherited from immediate family. Both my parents have perfect jaw alignment/teeth though! If I didn't look so much like both parents I would worry I was adopted as I always joke I am the black sheep of the family as I am the only one out of my immediate family, including parents and my 3 siblings to have orthodontic work, wear glasses or have a an autoimmune thyroid condition which is also supposed to be inherited from parents. It's funny how genetics work out sometimes!

crumble wrote:I've had 3 different orthos and every one ha asked me which of my parents I inherited my underbite from as apparently my specific jaw problem is always inherited from immediate family. Both my parents have perfect jaw alignment/teeth though! If I didn't look so much like both parents I would worry I was adopted as I always joke I am the black sheep of the family as I am the only one out of my immediate family, including parents and my 3 siblings to have orthodontic work, wear glasses or have a an autoimmune thyroid condition which is also supposed to be inherited from parents. It's funny how genetics work out sometimes!

When you say 'specific jaw problem' do you mean there is something else coinciding with your underbite, or are you talking about underbites in general?

p.s. I know what you mean about being the black sheep! I clutch on to the fact that we all have the same hair colour and noses.

My mother has had a lefort and bsso as well, and her brother and mother also had the same problems, but never had the surgery. I probably won't have kids, which makes me sad. I'd feel horrible dooming them to this bs.

isolde wrote:
When you say 'specific jaw problem' do you mean there is something else coinciding with your underbite, or are you talking about underbites in general?

Just a plain old underbite as far as I'm concerned, I'm still no expert after my surgery, because its all done free on the NHS here I find UK patients are not as wise to their actual condition and surgery details as US patients tend to be. I just refer to the fact that each of these orthodontist have just looked at me with a doubtful expression on their face when I have assured them that neither of my parents, or siblings or anyone is my family to my knowledge ever has had orthodontic problems, like am I really sure,maybe Ijust never noticed it before or their dentists failed to notice it either

My identical twin sister has the same jaw as I do (although I think my underbite is a bite worse considering I also have some misalignment). I inherited my awesome jaw from my mother. My youngest brother has a noticeable underbite as well.

My grandfather! He had an underbite! My dad has a slight overbite though.

My 5 year old has an open bite just like me. He doesn't have the recessed chin thank God but the open bite is definitely there. He has never been a thumb sucker or had a dummy so obviously he has taken after me. I am always looking at his teeth when I brush them, hoping that they will miraculously fix themselves once he loses his baby teeth. I am so fearful that he will need surgery when he gets older and it hurts me to imagine he will have to edure such horrible pain and discomfort.

indecisive1 wrote:My 5 year old has an open bite just like me. He doesn't have the recessed chin thank God but the open bite is definitely there. He has never been a thumb sucker or had a dummy so obviously he has taken after me. I am always looking at his teeth when I brush them, hoping that they will miraculously fix themselves once he loses his baby teeth. I am so fearful that he will need surgery when he gets older and it hurts me to imagine he will have to edure such horrible pain and discomfort.

It must really feel awful! Of course he doesn't understand these kinds of things yet, but you will know.. At least your kid's lucky - when he gets old enough, the procedure will perhaps be even better and less uncomfortable than it is now