Can braces fix an underbite?

Sorry to hear that you are in discomfort. I will need to know more about your jaw pain to diagnose the cause of the pain. Having an underbite does not cause the jaw to be painful, unless there is another issue such as bruxism (grinding as night) where some patients wake up with aches in their cheeks and muscles of the jaw.

Another possible cause of jaw pain is temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), which occurs when there are problems associated with the joints at each side of your jaw (connecting the jaw to the skull).

Braces are able to treat underbites, however it would depend on the severity of the underbite. Again, we would need to assess if the underbite is more dental/tooth in nature, or a more severe skeletal/bone problem. Braces treatment alone will be able to treat the mild to moderate cases of underbites. For the more severe cases, jaw surgery may be required to correct the underlying imbalance of the jaws.

I would advise you resolve the jaw pain first, visit your dentist or an oral maxillofacial surgeon, who can diagnose the root cause of the pain. It would be best to start braces only after the jaw pain has resolved.

Hope this helps, all the best.

Kind regards,
Dr Geraldine Lee

Underbite is a form of malocclusion. It can be a result of dental alignment, or due to a jaw bone issue.

To determine whether it is of dental origin or jaw bone, your dentist will need to do a thorough examination, including an X-ray to analyze the situation. This diagnostic step is important because it determines the course of treatment.

Braces can effectively resolve underbite problems if it is due to dental alignment. However, if the problem arises from your skeletal bone, braces alone may not resolve the issue.

Is the pain that you are experiencing coming from the joint? It is common for any form of malocclusion to eventually lead to jaw joint pain.

It is unfortunately a worrying sign - you should seek advise from your dentist as soon as possible. Hope this helps in your decision making!

Orthodontic treatment with braces can be used for correcting mild to moderate cases of underbites. A combined orthodontic and orthognathic surgery (i.e. jaw surgery) approach may be more ideal for more severe cases. It is best to consult an orthodontist who can perform a full examination of your condition and work out with you on the best approach to treat your underbite.

Jaw pain can be due to various reasons. It is important to ascertain the root of the jaw pain and to manage it before you start on any form of orthodontic or orthognathic treatment.

For more information on orthodontic treatment, please join us at our 'Smile.Sparkle.Shine' public forum at NDCS on 24th of March 2018. http://bit.ly/2DQuCh6