What is the role of surgery in closing the tooth gap?

Question

Hello doctor,

I currently have braces on, and they removed two teeth from the bottom row because I have a smaller upper jaw, and they are attempting to make it look more normal. I decided belatedly that this kind of treatment was not what I wanted, and I wanted to go for the surgery route. However, my teeth have already been removed. They have not started closing the gap yet, and I was looking to switch to a new orthodontist to start a new treatment plan, and wanted to ask if it was too late in my treatment, or what would be best for me to do right now.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

Based on the description of your situation, you seem to have a class III relation, which is a backwardly placed upper jaw and forwardly placed lower jaw, and a difference in size as a smaller upper jaw and larger lower jaw. It could also be a combination of these situations.

The treatment plan is influenced by factors like the extent of the problem, the amount of growth left, and the patient's requirements.

As per your age, growth changes cannot be done with appliances alone, and you have two options for now. They are camouflage treatments where teeth are extracted depending on the clinical situation, and the other is orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery).

As you mentioned, teeth are already removed from the lower jaw, but the spaces are not closed.

However, the teeth removal process is irreversible.

You can surely take a second opinion and express your willingness for surgery, and decide on your best treatment plan. If the teeth removal was unwarranted, you will most likely have the treatment plan of jaw surgery and then braces treatment for final detailing. Regarding the extracted teeth, you can discuss with the doctor and plan for prosthetic replacement in the lower jaw.

I hope this information helps you.

Feel free to ask further queries.

Thank you.