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?

Question

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

Answer 1

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