No Grinding-down Healthy Teeth, Better Jaw Line, Pain Relief, Headache Relief
Medically Reviewed by Sam Muslin, DDS, MAGD | Last Updated on 08/09/2024
Your general dentist, orthodontist, or "occlusion specialist" should not try to correct your underbite without first addressing your jaw alignment. The jaw needs to be moved back. Braces and aligners were designed to straighten teeth and not to fix underbites. Unfortunately, the default treatment is still underbite surgery, which is highly invasive, risky, painful, impossible to predict reliably, and NOW, in many cases, completely unnecessary.
Underbite symptoms and problems can severely impact your health and aesthetic appearance if left untreated. The photo shows common problems experienced by people with underbites. This patient has a large protruding jaw and an underbite, as well as a bi-lateral crossbite. His lower teeth have super erupted (moved upward) and his lower jaw is in front of his upper jaw. This patient's treatment was non-surgical, and none of his teeth required grinding or drilling.
One of the greatest advancements in modern dentistry is a non-surgical, non-invasive alternative to jaw surgery to correct the underbite. This treatment is a true bite correction and not just cosmetic camouflage with porcelain veneers. The treatment does not require grinding down healthy tooth structure and improves the natural facial features of the patients face. To learn more, watch as Dr. Muslin's video as he explains Non-Surgical Underbite Correction in a Month.
Actual patient treated without jaw surgery, braces or with porcelain veneers. He was treated with the only non-invasive method that corrects the bite with JawTrac® Ideal Jaw Position Technology and improves the facial profile: Dr. Sam Muslin's exclusive non-invasive method using VENLAY® Restorations.
Genioplasty or chin surgery cannot address the midface collapse, cannot correct the bite and cannot improve the color, shapes and length of the upper teeth. Going to a cosmetic dentist that does Invisalign®, root canals, dental implants, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, etc. will most likely not have the skillset to treat chin protrusions.
Dr. Muslin's comprehensive approach to chin protrusion starts with locating the patient's optimal bite and jaw position. In the photos below, the patient's chin looks larger in the "before" photo because the bite forces the chin forward and makes their chins look larger than normal. The chin looks smaller in the after photos because the bite and chin position is idealized with our JawTrac® Ideal Jaw Position Technology. Their side facial profiles are also significantly improved using this method with VENLAY® restorations that actually corrects the patient's bite and changes the shape of the face.
Examples of protruding chins and underbites corrected without surgery or braces, using the non-invasive Face Lift Dentistry® method with JawTrac® to find the best jaw position and VENLAY® Restorations to correct the bite.
Deciding how to fix an underbite is a truly personal choice. Your regular dentist, qualified oral surgeon, or orthodontist, will most likely suggest jaw surgery and braces. For some patients, this may be the best course of treatment. However, jaw surgery has risks, and there are potential problems after surgery. Patients miss work or school and spend a great deal of time going to the orthodontist for braces. You should weigh this up against a high-tech and proven alternative treatment to surgery for adult patients which offers an effective, predictable, and non-invasive option. This option, perfected over many years by Dr. Sam Muslin, is becoming increasingly more popular. This non-surgical option is known as the Face Lift Dentistry® method, using JawTrac® jaw alignment and VENLAY® restorations.
Correcting or treating prognathism depends on the severity of the jaw size problem. The greater the severity, the more surgery, and braces are indicated. However, many patients can have the only bite, face and profile correction method that is non-invasive and non-surgical.
Learn more about the Cost of Underbite Correction using non-invasive Face Lift Dentistry® with VENLAY® Restorations and the JawTrac® Alignment technology.
When patients go to their regular dentists for advice on how to treat their underbites, they are generally given a single choice: orthodontic braces followed by underbite surgery followed again by orthodontic braces. Very few patients are offered a non-surgical solution simply because dental schools do not teach this. Before you choose, pay attention to the following:
Cosmetic camouflage vs. real underbite correction - what is the difference? Porcelain veneers are cosmetic camouflage and do not improve the facial profile or the bite. Both underbite surgery and the non-invasive alternative treatment are real bite corrections. The severity of the jaw misalignment is part of the treatment decision. As an example, a patient with a severe underbite may choose the non-invasive method even though the results may not be as ideal as the potential of the surgery method.
There are some considerations to think through before attempting bite correction treatment for a malocclusion, such as an underbite. The first factor to consider is the age of the patient. According to the American Association of Orthodontics, an orthodontist should see a patient between the ages of 8 and 14.
The idea being that bite correction is more easily performed during a child's growth spurt. While baby teeth are still present, orthodontists can spot problems with jaw growth, lower risk to protruding front teeth, correct harmful oral habits, and guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position that promotes better oral health. Another factor a patient should consider is the physical dysfunction an underbite causes in their daily life. Some people experience speech impediments such as lisps, while others experience low self-esteem. Teenagers are extremely vulnerable to bullying and other teasing behaviors, and underbites can elicit undue stress at a particularly difficult time in their lives.
Secondly, a patient must consider the severity of the underbite. If it interferes with a patient's ability to chew or speak, or makes them feel self-conscious, then it may be worth considering. Since treatment plans for underbites can be lengthy, a patient must decide for himself or herself whether they can truly commit to treatment that takes years. They must also fully understand both the risks and benefits involved with the surgical method, porcelain veneers and cosmetic camouflage, or the non-surgical and non-invasive VENLAY® restorations method.
The treatment consists of braces for about a year, the protruding jaw surgery for the lower mandible and sometimes the upper maxilla, hospitalization and then braces to finish the treatment. Invisalign® can sometimes be used, but traditional orthodontics is most often recommended. Dental oral surgery or underbite surgery risk is considerable, as patients don't always heal predictably. The surgery cost is an issue but the underbite surgery alternatives are also costly. Sometimes the braces and surgery treatment require extracting teeth.
When a class 3 malocclusion cannot be corrected by braces alone, surgery is another option. Orthognathic or jaw surgery is a procedure that can be very complex depending upon the severity of the malocclusion and the cause behind it. In general, the surgery involves two possible procedures: cuts in the bone to realign the upper jawbone forward, or to cut the bone and repositioning the lower jawbone to realign the chin and lower teeth back.
Some cases may also require a combination of the two procedures. For those suffering from moderate to severe underbites, bite correction in the form of orthognathic surgery is an excellent option. However, since this is an extensive procedure, no one should commit to this lightly. One major factor is orthognathic surgery cost. Dental or medical insurance may or may not cover the entire surgical procedure. The lost opportunity and discomfort cost, due to the long healing and treatment process, often persuade patients to opt for the quick, non-surgical, alternative solution.
It's also important to understand that orthodontics may be required as part of the treatment plan after the surgery is completed. Finally, since various medical and dental professionals can be involved in underbite correction, good communication is vital. If surgery is required, the cost of the anesthesiologist, the orthodontics, and the post-surgery care are all contributing factors. Other factors to consider include:
With modern technology, you can get your underbite fixed without surgery and, in addition, get enormous cosmetic benefits that are not possible with underbite surgery and braces. Our patients can have facial support and an incredible smile above and beyond porcelain veneers and cosmetic dentistry.
Our patients have experienced non-surgical jaw alignment using JawTrac® and at the same time experienced wider smiles, facial support, lip support, and natural-looking white teeth using VENLAY® bite restorations. Welcome to the tried and tested underbite surgery alternative with the Face Lift Dentistry® method.
Dr. Sam Muslin's ability to design the teeth to support the face while developing the jaw position and facial profile while combining all of the cosmetic elements of traditional cosmetic dentistry into an elaborate treatment sequence that is easy for the patient may very will be the future of underbite correction.
With over 30 years of cosmetic and reconstructive experience and one of the world's most comprehensive before and after photo galleries he has "raised the bar" on comprehensive dental care.
There are a lot of cosmetic dentists but only one Face Lift Dentist®. Far too many people are physically compromised because of their bite and are suffering unnecessarily. VENLAY® restorations are non-invasive and a painless, safe and predictable from of treatment that correct bites, improve facial profiles and resolve many TMJ issues.
An underbite, also known as a mandibular prognathism, is a Class 3 malocclusion or bad bite and occurs when a person's lower jaw (mandible) protrudes or extends forward, and in front of the upper jaw (maxilla), giving the chin and lower teeth prominence.
Simply put, when your bottom front teeth overlap your upper front teeth, you have an underbite. Your underbite could be hereditary (skeletal) but may be the result of abnormal tooth formation and misaligned teeth. Whatever the reason, an underbite is bad for you and can lead to facial abnormalities and health problems.
Traditionally, the majority of underbite cases, and even overbite cases could not be corrected by non-surgical bite correction methods, such as braces or headgear.
The study of occlusion is the relationship of the contact between the upper and lower teeth. The position of the lower jaw and how the teeth guide the lower jaw to the best mechanical and physical position is the most critical component in the correction of malocclusion. When dentists talk about malocclusion, they are referring to how the teeth meet together. There is a close relationship between malocclusion and TMJ problems.
There are three basic classes of occlusion:
Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 malocclusions are mechanical imbalances that should be treated with the least invasive method. Jaw surgery is highly invasive, and porcelain veneers usually require a lot of tooth grinding. Fortunately there is now a treatment option that is non-invasive and non-surgical.
The patient in the first photo thought that jaw surgery and braces were the only choices with Class 3 malocclusion but she did not want the pain, loss of time and the risk of jaw surgery, so she searched and found the non-invasive and non-surgical method online and was pleased to discover that it was not too good to be true. In the second photo is a patient with showing his mandible in front of the maxilla with overlapping teeth and a prominent chin. He does not have teeth crowding but he does have a posterior crossbite, and he also refuses to have jaw surgery. He searched for alternative treatment as he did not want orthognathic surgery.
Some patients do not like the protruding lower jaw and the misaligned teeth. Others cannot function normally, have TMJ pain as headaches and they cannot bite into a sandwich with their front teeth. Many patients don't like the appearance of an underbite so they suffer from self-esteem issues. Others have a combination of problems both physical and cosmetic. The aesthetic and phonetic problems have a major effect on the patient's self-esteem. Here are some examples and related symptoms:
Prognathism, or protruding jaw, is a class 3 malocclusion whereby the lower jaw and lower teeth are in front of the upper jaw. This is referred to as a prognathic or protruding jaw. An abnormal protrusion or protruded mandible is when the entire dental arch of the lower is in front of the upper arch with varying degrees. A mild and moderate prognathism can be treated without surgery in most cases with the non-invasive high tech method. Severe prognathism generally requires surgery for the best result but even severe prognathism can be improved non-invasively and for many patients that refuse jaw surgery.
Prognathism is generally hereditary because of the difference in size between the large lower jaw and smaller upper jaw. Bad chewing habits and thumb-sucking generally do not cause the protruding lower jaw. Thumb-sucking often causes the chin to look small because the lower jaw is pushed back that is generally associated with an overbite whereas an underbite classically causes the chin to look too large because the jaw is protruding forward.
In its severe form, an underbite can distort the shape and appearance of a person's face, and even dramatically affect their speech. These extreme cases are also called skeletal malocclusions. Orthognathic surgery is mostly the best choice for an ideal result. However, many of our patients tell us that they have a severe underbite and were told that they require surgery with years of braces in order to get a correction. With evaluation and testing, we often discover the severity of the underbite is not extreme and can still be treated with non-surgical VENLAY® Restorations.
Braces cannot really solve the jaw size discrepancy without surgery, so teeth get extracted that should not be extracted and too often the teeth are tipped back towards the patient's tongue. The teeth may fit a little better, but cosmetically it leaves a lot to be desired. It is seldom, if ever, a sustainable solution.
No, Invisalign® cannot fix most underbites because the jaw position cannot be improved, the jaw size difference cannot be corrected, the crossbite and the occlusion cannot be corrected and the final bite compromised. Invisalign® cannot improve the chin size, the facial profile, the jaw position or the size and shapes of the teeth. To correct underbites, just about every oral surgeon and orthodontist recommends braces first, jaw surgery second and braces again over a 2 to 3 year period. Healing is not always predictable and there have been some very difficult complications after surgery, and some great successes. Invisalign® may be able to be used in combination with underbite surgery instead of braces.
Call for a consultation with one of Dr. Muslin's treatment coordinators. They can help you understand how the treatment will work for you, or you can make your appointment and Dr. Muslin will talk with you and show you how he can help you directly.
Face Lift Dentistry® Is The Future of Underbite Correction
Face Lift Dentistry® not only optimizes your smile, but it also optimizes your entire face! Call today and get ready to change your life. Face Lift Dentistry® results are Safer, More Reliable, Testable, and Far More Predictable Healthcare with enormous Cosmetic Impact.
Contact UsFace Lift Dentistry® fee is $40,000 per upper or lower arch plus any additional dental work such as fillings, gum work, dental implants, etc. Most patients get both the upper and the lower arches done simultaneously to maximize their results and get the most health benefits possible. Face Lift Dentistry® is dental health care that is tax deductible depending on your income, so we advise that you check with your accountant.
