Open Bite

[Denise]

Our daughter has an "open bite". Has anyone else
been through this and how do they repair it. She's five and had a
palateoplasty at the age of one.

[Pareen]

Hello. I am 20 and was born with cleft lip and palate. I had
an open bite and it was repaired with maxillofacial surgery.
Basically my upper jaw was broken into 3 sections and pulled
forward and adjusted to fit on top of the lower jaw which was
moved back. Then I was wired up for 1.5 months, on liquid diet
the whole time. I went down to 98lbs!!! Anyway, although I will
never forget the pain and trauma, my smile is wonderful after
additional periodontal and prosthadontic surgery) and I can eat
food without breaking it and being self-concious about eating in
front of people. Hope everything works out.

[Anonymous]

Five years ago (I was 13 then), my orthodontist told me that I
had developed an "open bite." He suggested surgery that
would cost approximately $20,000. Being a
"college-bound" student, I didn't want to spend that
much money on my teeth (My open bite was approx. 9mm). Obviously,
my parents didn't either. During the next couple of months, my
parents called around and I visited 5 dentists and 1 surgeon for
a "second opinion." They all stated that the only
solution would be expensive surgery. However, only one dentist
said he could fix it within a year for much less- about $4,000.
So my parents decided to go with his plan. Basically he took out
4 teeth (from the back) and clamped my mouth shut with rubber
bands (I had braces @ the time). Within a year, my open bite had
disappeared. However, I now have a "gummy smile." My
upper jaw was forced to move down b/c of the strain of the rubber
bands in order to meet my lower jaw. As a result, my face grew
slightly longer and my chin is not prominent anymore. Because of
this face shift, I had also developed somewhat of a double chin.
This is definitely not b/c of my weight (I'm 5'8 and 128 pounds).
As for your daughter, I definitely think you should weigh the
consequences. Although these changes may seem drastic, I'm
definitely average looking. I don't know your payment options for
surgery since I live in a different area and this was 5 years
ago...however, I'm glad I took this treatment instead of a
$20,000 surgery. However, I do realize your case is much
different. The braces were advantageous to this correction. You
might want to discuss this w/ as many dentists/surgeons you can
b/c your child is so young. Good luck on your decision!

[bryancarlson@comcast.net]

I read your post about the cost of surgery for open bite. Our son has a open bite he has had braces for 3 years and has had one surgery to widen his upper jaw and his next surgery is Aug. 1st. to bring his jaw forward. Our insurance would not cover it. Through the internet I found Shiners Hospital For Childern. Thay do not care if you have insurance or not. There is no charge. They cover all costs. They will pick you up for your apointments and bring you home.(we live in MI. & my sons Dr. apointments and surgerys are in Chicago.)They have a wing for parents to stay in while they are there with there child when they have there surgery.(only one parent can stay at the hospital.) They will help with the cost of braces. I would never have had the money to pay for everything. The cost would have been around $40,000.00 to $50,000.00.These people are wonderfull. My son loves to go for his Dr. apointments. He looks forward to seeing all the kids. The whole place is set up for kids. They have hospitals in many states. The web site is www.shinershq.org I hope this helps. good luck.