Why can’t doctors just perform jaw surgery to move and align teeth quickly then let it heal, as opposed to people having to get braces or Invisalign?

2.07K views

Edit: Did not expect this to get so many responses. I’m currently several months into Invisalign so have been super fascinated by teeth stuff and was just curious if there was a surgical way to do it, even if it meant way more money, time, and risk. Thank you to everyone who answered!

In: Biology

27 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The same reason you don’t swat flies with a flamethrower. The amount of damage and potential health risks of surgery vastly outweigh the benefits.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The doctor would have to drill all new sockets for your teeth and fill in the old sockets, reconnect blood and nerves. You would be taking some massive reconstructive surgery. Essentially rebuilding the jaw. I don’t even know if we have the medical technology to be able to accomplish this.

I think I would rather be kicked in the nuts once every day than go through that process

But moving teeth with braces, the jaw reformers itself to accommodate the shift in teeth also moving blood and nerves

Edit for typos since I’m exhausted

Anonymous 0 Comments

Without addressing whether or not that would actually be possible, a radical surgery has a lot of risks involved and it would be much more expensive than the existing alternatives. A cosmetic surgery like that would not likely be covered by insurance and people would be left with a bill to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars and a major, major infection risk among other things

Anonymous 0 Comments

Teeth actually float in your jaw so braces are far cheaper, less painful and simpler than a massive multi layer surgery. My mother actually massaged our gums as children and taught us all to do it on a daily basis. It worked!

Anonymous 0 Comments

They can. When I was a child they suggested breaking my jaw to align my teeth better. Guess who still has crooked teeth

Anonymous 0 Comments

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Don’t need surgery. There’s a technique called Mandibular Expansion, but it’s only useful before the plates fuse at around 16 years of age.

Imagine a hat or shoe stretcher for your jaw… I think I would have preferred it to my surgery and recovery.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889540620300056

Anonymous 0 Comments

If you don’t align the teeth before moving the jaw the bite will be wonky and the teeth won’t sit correctly on top of each other

Anonymous 0 Comments

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Anonymous 0 Comments

You have 2 rows of 14 trees each. They’re crooked. Would it be easier to tie a rope pulling on them and let them grow straight themselves, or dig them all up and replant them? For extra credit, which is better for the tree?

EDIT: Thanks y’all for the collection of awards. If you *really* want to say thanks and have an extra $5, donate it to a shelter to help victims of domestic violence, a Children’s hospital, STEM programs, or the advocacy group of your choice that promotes equality for indigenous, black, brown, trans, women, or fucking anyone and everyone. We’re *all* people, and we’re all in this together.