Can upper crooked teeth be straightened without correcting an underbite?

Question

Can upper crooked teeth be straightened without correcting the underbite? I have been advised surgery to fix underbite and I am terrified with the idea of having to go for a surgery (I read lots of negative reviews of surgery and the pain it comes with)...So I was hoping that I will just go for braces to get straight teeth and skip surgery altogether..Will that be possible? Will not going for surgery affect the straightening of teeth? Please suggest.

Robert Waxler, DMD, MS · Answer

Most orthodontic problems are a combination of a tooth problem and a skeletal problem.  This is why it is easier to fix problems in growing kids rather than adults.Nobody has a perfect skeletal alignment..but orthodontists can move the teeth to compensate for the bones being out of place.  But, the further off the bones are the more compromising is needed.  At a certain point, it becomes impossible to obtain an ideal result without surgery. This doesn't mean you have to have surgery...sometimes we settle for what we call a "Hollywood smile"...straight teeth and an uncorrected bite....not perfect but better than nothing.

Can upper crooked teeth be straightened without correcting an underbite?

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