Many people suffer from the dental condition of overbite teeth. It is a condition in which the lower part of the lower jaw protrudes beyond the edge of the upper teeth, creating an overbite.
Under normal circumstances, the overbite teeth do not cause any pain or discomfort, and there are no obvious signs that you have this condition.
Although many people with overbite teeth choose to let this condition go untreated, it can quickly become a condition that causes discomfort and even can make it difficult to eat normally. For this reason, and in some cases, it is important to get your overbite teeth surgery as soon as possible.
In most cases, you can return to regular activities within a few weeks of surgery. Your recovery period will depend on the nature of the overbite teeth surgery that you have chosen to have done. Usually, you will be able to return to work within as quickly as 6 weeks after having the procedure done.
According to the general considerations about jaw surgery by the National Institutes of Health, several complications are possible such as nerve injury, blood loss, or even relapse. That being said, there are also big benefits to it and the procedure is much faster than other methods to treat overbite that we’ll see in this article.
If you are unsure whether you should have your overbite teeth surgery performed, you may want to ask your dentist for advice. They can tell you whether the condition warrants such a procedure, or whether you are just a bit overbite. If they decide that it is a good candidate for corrective surgery, they can help you find a qualified orthodontist in your area who can perform the treatment.
Overbite Surgery – The Principal Benefits
Orthognathic surgery, also known as jaw surgery or overbite surgery, is essentially performed to correct a variety of dental issues. Of course, there are other options you can look into before getting the surgery.
However, surgery is sometimes the best option when jaw issues can’t be corrected with traditional treatments such as braces.
According to Mayo Clinic, the best main and most important results of overbite surgery are:
- A more balanced appearance around your lower face
- Improved sleep, better breathing, as well as chewing and swallowing.
- Improved speech
- Teeth function better
- Higher self-esteem
These are only some of the benefits you can get with jaw surgery.
Complications Associated With Overbite Surgery
While serious risks and complications aren’t common and rather rare, it is still possible to experience after-surgery complications. In fact, the most common complications associated with jaw surgery, or overbite surgery more specifically are:
- Possible excessive bleeding
- Teeth damage
- Temporary tingling or numbness. This can mostly occur around the chin, the nose, cheeks, tongue, or lips.
- Possible infection around incision areas.
- Nausea
In addition, it is important to note that jaw surgery can lead to long-term risks. For instance:
- Relapse of original disorder in the jaw
- Possibly poor-cosmetic results
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disorder
- Nerve damage. This can result in sensation loss in areas around the jaws (chin, cheeks, tongue, or even nose and lips)
Sure, an overbite surgery can be pricey and very much worth it in most cases. However, as you can see, and just like most other surgeries, there are complications to keep in mind. For this reason, you might want to check all the options and all the possible risks with your dentist or orthodontist beforehand.
According to the full jaw surgery guide by the British NHS, the most common risks associated with an orthognathic treatment are lip numbness, possible infection of the plate underneath the gums, and relapse after surgery. Needless to say, these are certainly complications to keep in mind in addition to the ones above.
Lastly, bear in mind that small complications will certainly occur after the surgery, and that’s completely normal. In fact, you might experience stiffness, swelling, and overall discomfort in your jaw. But, these will pass over time and doctors usually prescribe tablets to ease symptoms.
How Long Does It Take To Recover From Overbite Surgery?
If you’re thinking of getting jaw surgery, then you should know about the whole recovery process. First of all, when having jaw surgery, you’ll get general anesthesia and that will also keep you off work or school for at least a few days.
After the surgery, all patients remain at the hospital for at least 1 night and up to 4 days at the hospital to receive proper after-surgery treatment.
So, how long does the full recovery last after an overbite surgery? The full recovery can last between 6 and 12 weeks for most patients.
Of course, the longer it lasts, the more complex the operation was. It is important to note that the recovery speed varies from patient to patient, and a proper follow up is needed.
Lastly, after your days spent at the hospital, you’ll receive proper eating and drinking instructions from your doctor. For all jaw surgery patients, they’ll need to undergo a liquid diet in order to start their recovery.
A liquid diet is necessary after undergoing jaw surgery. In fact, for most cases, a liquid diet is required for a few days at least. After that, a soft food diet may be necessary for a month to 6 weeks.
What does having a liquid diet mean? It simply means that you won’t be allowed to have proper food. No soft or hard foods are allowed. You’ll be able to get smoothies, drinks, soups, and other liquid foods to have your daily recommended intake of nutrients.
After a few days to up to 2 weeks, you’ll have a follow-up appointment with your orthodontist that will give you the green light to start eating soft food again.
What Is The Quickest Way To Recover from Overbite Surgery?
While the overall recovery from an overbite surgery isn’t very long, depending on the operation outcome, there are ways to make it even quicker.
To start with, and during the 24 hours after the jaw surgery, we recommend getting some medications prescribed by your orthodontist and surgeon. Needless to say, don’t forget to take them as instructed by him.
Also, stick to a very strict liquid diet. Only having water, broth, or light juice can make your recovery faster.
Sure, coffee is allowed too but it can have a negative impact on your teeth and, therefore, we recommend sticking with juices.
After that, and during the first week after surgery, you will want to take ibuprofen every six hours to reduce pain as well as swelling. Unfortunately, swelling will be worse during the first week, and for this reason, we might want to crush ice in a towel and apply it on your jaw for 15 minutes.
Lastly, for the first week, we highly recommend you to follow a strict dental cleaning routine as well as keeping a healthy liquid diet with smoothies, lots of water, and herbal teas (avoiding alcohol and drinks rich in artificial sugar).
To sum up, the fastest way for an overbite surgery is to take your prescribed medication and ibuprofen, rest a lot, keep a healthy liquid diet, and brush your teeth with a baby toothbrush.
How Much Does Overbite Jaw Surgery Cost?
The cost of an overbite jaw surgery depends on the patient’s condition as well as the amount of correction needed. Also, the depth of the surgery and the eventual follow-ups are to be considered as well.
It’s also important to note that overbite surgery is only one of the possible solutions to correct your jaw. However, it is the most convenient if you can afford it, and you won’t need to spend several months wearing braces or a clear aligner.
The overall price of overbite surgery is usually over $20,000. More specifically, it often costs $40,000 or more, depending on the city you have the surgery, the amount covered by your insurance, and your dental condition.
That being said, the price can decrease if your child has overbite issues from childhood and if treated early.
Lastly, you can also factor in the level of expertise that the surgeon has. If you are having a surgical procedure that requires a lot of experience from the surgeon, you will probably be asked to pay more.
In fact, the cost of an overbite jaw surgery is affected by the level of expertise and skill that is involved in the surgical procedure.
Is Overbite Surgery Painful?
When people think of overbite teeth surgery, they typically think of a dentist making an incision, and it is therefore very painful. How painful is an overbite jaw surgery?
Of course, as you could expect, any surgery has its level of pain and discomfort. However, during the entire jaw surgery procedure, you are under anesthetics. For this reason, no pain is felt and that’s most likely the best news.
As mentioned previously, there are common side effects that can be experienced after the surgery such as swelling and numbness, and that’s completely normal.
In an overbite surgery, the surgeon cuts high around the upper lip inside your mouth. After that, he lifts the gum tissue and cuts the bone on the upper jaw. This eventually allows him to move the jaw in its correct position. Once your jaw is in the correct position, surgeons place screws and plates inside your jaw for it to remain in the correct position over time.
According to research by the National Institutes of Health, approximately 80% of patients with orofacial pain and temporomandibular joint disorder that went through jaw surgery didn’t experience any pain after 1 year.
It’s important to note that not everyone can undergo this treatment, and overbite teeth surgery isn’t recommended for everyone.
Your dentist may have to perform a number of tests to make sure that you’re okay with the procedure, and your insurance may need to be checked as well.
What Are The Alternatives To An Overbite Surgery?
Having an overbite surgery is a fast and convenient way to have your jaw put in the right position and correct several issues related to it. However, as covered before, jaw surgery can be very pricey.
For this reason, it’s normal to look into valid alternatives. These are the best alternatives to an overbite surgery you should consider if you want to avoid it and its cost:
Traditional Braces
There’s no need to introduce traditional braces and their endless list of benefits. Among all the benefits you can find in braces, you’ll also find that it can correct an overbite.
Sure, you’ll need to wear braces for an extensive period of time (sometimes more than 2 years) but they’re significantly cheaper compared to jaw surgery. Additionally, if you suffer from crooked teeth, braces can help correct both issues.
As per Mayo Clinic, braces can correct overcrowded teeth and gaps between teeth as well as overbite, underbite, and other jaw misalignment issues.
Applying Home Teeth Aligners
Home teeth aligners are another valid and convenient alternative to jaw surgery to correct an overbite. Aligners are cheaper than braces and cheaper than surgery and they’re invisible so you’ll be able to wear them anywhere.
In addition, you won’t need to adjust your diet, unlike braces where you’ll have to avoid hard foods and sugary snacks. Also, you’ll be able to take off your aligners when eating and brushing your teeth, and that’s definitely a great alternative to suffer from a jaw surgery recovery.
Sure, the main purpose of a teeth aligner is to straighten them. However, it is more than capable of correcting a mild overbite. Though, you’ll need to visit your orthodontist if you have a severe overbite condition.
Tooth Extraction Surgery
This is another one of the valid alternatives to jaw surgery that you should consider. While a tooth extraction procedure is still surgery, it is way cheaper and the recovery is faster than actual jaw surgery.
Some patients suffer from an overbite because their jaws aren’t big enough to contain all their teeth. For this reason, this can lead to crooked teeth, crowded teeth, and, in some cases, an overbite.
Removing teeth from the jaw will create more space on your jaw and, therefore, provide a more aligned and corrected upper or down jaw. Note that, after a tooth extraction surgery, wearing braces is needed to properly correct overbite and place your jaw in the right position.
Our Conclusion
This is everything you need to know about overbite surgery, the benefits, the complications, the cost, and more. Of course, we recommend paying a visit to your dentist or orthodontist before actually getting into the surgery procedure.
Obviously, if you have the budget for an overbite surgery and you want to avoid wearing braces for a long time, it is a valid solution.
Is overbite surgery painful? Not really, because you will be under anesthetics.
Are there complications to a jaw surgery? Just like in other surgeries, complications might occur.
To conclude, if you’re looking for a convenient and quick solution to an overbite, then jaw surgery is certainly an option to consider. Of course, note that braces might be needed after surgery in some cases and depending on the patient’s dental condition.
More to know: 10 Best Home Teeth Aligners to Straighten Your Teeth the Right Way
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