Metal Mouth Message Board

At the ripe old age of 46 I am finally getting braces this Wednesday for a myriad of problems with my teeth including crowding, excessive spacing, and a crossbite. However, the real reason I went to the Ortho was to inquire about the correction of an underbite that has plagued me my whole life. I was certain all these years that surgery was the only answer and so have put this off year after year. Well, I finally got up the courage to consult with an Orthodontist and have had x-rays and molds completed. On the second consultation the assistant informed me that based on the review of my x-rays the Ortho is confident that there is a 90% chance that my bite will be corrected just with braces (top & bottom) alone. On this website I've read so many stories about others who have been braced in preparation for jaw surgery but I have not found anyone who has had this problem corrected with braces alone. I am so afraid that I have my hopes up only to be disappointed but at the same time I do trust my Ortho and believe in what he says. Is it at all common or possible for braces alone to solve this problem? I also have 2 missing molars on the bottom on each side that I will eventually be getting implants for. Could this have been a factor in his prognosis? I appreciate any comments you are willing to provide as this is a HUGE deal for me and I'm scared to death. Thank you.

Hey brendaj,

I also have(had) a class III underbite and it's gone and I did not have oral surgery. My original plan was to have invisalign up top and ceramic bottoms because of my underbite. Instead of surgery, I had one bicuspid extracted from each side of my mouth on the bottom. It took about 6 months for the gaps to fill in completely and they were not noticable unless you looked directly in my mouth. Now the gaps are closes, I have a normal bite and hopefully only 2 more weeks of braces to go! Good luck.

mike d
How long after your braces went on did it take for you to notice a change in your bite? I've had mine on about 1 1/2 weeks and I swear I've got the tiniest amount of movement already. Mind you, my front teeth top & bottom are still hitting each other like they used to but I have this feeling that I can almost get one of the top ones over the bottom. Could be I just want it so bad that my imagination is getting away from me!

CLAmom

Haha I know how you feel, I was the same way. I could not force my top over the bottom before braces no matter how hard I tried. Once I got the extractions and the powerchain, I was biting normal within the next visit back to the ortho. It was amazing. If I force my underbite back with my jaw I wonder how I ever ate before. Good luck, you'll see movement quick!

Dr. J

I was wondering if you have an opinion on this topic. Perhaps you have experience with non-surgical correction of an underbite?