'relaxing' lower jaw into natural position

[Sallee]

I'm getting braces because my top front teeth point in and they push my bottom teeth in. Since I got a molar onlay years ago, I've found that my bite has sunk in at the back too, giving my face a rounder look than before. A while ago my dentist put me in a retainer thing that blocked my lower incisors from locking into place behind the top ones. After 2 weeks my lower jaw relaxed, came forward to its old position and felt great. I looked like my old self too. So he told me if I get braces to pull those top incisors forward, my jaw should naturally move forward too once there's room.

My ortho says that's absolute BS. He says once the top ones are out of the way, my jaw will stay in the same place and I'll have an overbite. He suggested closing a gap at my upper canine instead of leaving it open for a bridge/implant, to reduce the future overbite.

I've said no because 1: I don't want my midline to be that far off since correcting my midline is one of my reasons to have braces, and 2: I actually think the dentist is right!

Aparently the use of these kinds of retainers to predict the future is a controversial topic. does anyone here have any opinions or experience with this?

[TMJJill]

I actually wore a lower mandibular repositioning splint prior to getting braces. It brought my lower jaw slightly forward and a bit to the right. My bite issue was more TMJD related though. I chose braces to help me re-establish my bite. I'm finishing my treatment and my lower jaw is now 3 mm forward which has resulted in my facial/tmj muscles being happier and not in constant spasm like they used to.

I will say that it took me a very long search to find a good functional orthodontist who has a lot of training and experience in proper treatment of bites. He has a fellowship in Craniofacial Pain which was a good fit for me. He has been all about helping me really understand my underlying issues and helping me find a solution that fit me.