I Have Bimaxillary Protrusion. Should I Get Jaw Surgery or Braces? (photo)

Question

I am a 21yr old F.Black&German.It was always credited to me sleeping with my mouth open&tongue pushing my front teeth.In my youth no dentist ever saw it as a problem&never recommended braces when asked.I first heard the term BP when I was 19 .I finally have the means to get braces but upon researching this I am stuck.Most of what Ive read has said that BP can only be fully fixed with surgery.Getting braces means losing 4-6 teeth&looking older with a dished-in face? Is surgery my best option?

Clark L. Jones, DDS, MSD · Answer

In Black patients a certain amount of "bimaxillary protrusion" is normal and part of the genetic make up.  When it is too severe and the patient doesn't like the excessively full appearance conventional four first bicuspid extraction orthodontic treatment is an excellent option.  I think it would be very unlikely that you would have the so called "dished-in face"that you asked about.   I would be very reluctant to recommend surgery in a situation like this since the problem is mainly the position of the front teeth and not the jaws themselves.  Many ethnic groups NEED more fullness and lip support such as Asian, Filipino, Hispanic and others and can look extremely handsome with the front teeth positioned more forward in positions that would not work well for European ethnic groups.  INDIVIDUALS within ethnic groups also vary and can tolerate various amounts of fullness so some of this a subjective personal decision about "how you want to look". Have the orthodontist show you before and after pictures of similar patients to help you decide.   That I what I do for my patients so they can visualize the effect on their appearance they can expect to see.

I Have Bimaxillary Protrusion. Should I Get Jaw Surgery or Braces? (photo)

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I Have Bimaxillary Protrusion. Should I Get Jaw Surgery or Braces? (photo)

Answers (1)

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Everything you need to know about Braces

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.