Jaw Surgery

While many bite problems are the result of problems with tooth alignment, occasionally, a bad bite can come from misaligned jaws. This means that the bony bases supporting the teeth are not properly positioned relative to each other, causing the lower and upper teeth to fit together incorrectly. The orthodontic term for this is a “skeletal discrepancy,” and it can cause problems like underbite, overbite, crossbite, or jaw asymmetry.

In severe cases, skeletal discrepancies can cause poor facial balance, which can affect aesthetic appearance as well as mouth function. In this case, patients may need surgical correction of the jaw to position them properly and achieve proper facial balance.