Introduction
Underbite and mandibular protrusion are common dental and facial issues that can significantly impact an individual's appearance, chewing ability, speech, and overall quality of life. Seeking treatment from a reputable hospital is crucial for effectively addressing these problems. In New York City, several top - notch hospitals offer specialized care for underbite and mandibular protrusion. This article will introduce the top three hospitals in New York City known for their excellence in treating these conditions, covering their services, treatment methods, and other relevant aspects.
1. Mount Sinai Hospital
Comprehensive Services for Jaw - related Issues
Mount Sinai Hospital is a leading medical institution in New York City with a strong reputation for treating underbite and mandibular protrusion. The hospital's division of oral and maxillofacial surgery offers a wide range of services. One of the most common procedures performed here is orthognathic or corrective jaw surgery for overbites, underbites, and crossbites. This surgery involves moving the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible) to an anatomically correct position. This allows for a good occlusion (bite), the opening of the airway, and facial symmetry.
Patients who require orthognathic surgery typically exhibit a bad bite (malocclusion), facial asymmetry, or have moderate - to - severe sleep apnea. These conditions can lead to improper chewing, facial dysfunction, speech issues, joint pain, and sleep disorders if left untreated. Mount Sinai recognizes the importance of correcting these problems to improve patients' overall health and well - being.
Treatment Process
- Diagnostics: The treatment usually begins with an evaluation by the orthodontist and the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The evaluation includes x - rays, models of the dentition, photographs, facial measurements, and a complete analysis of the data. Mount Sinai uses the most advanced 3D x - rays and computer - assisted technology for treatment planning. Once the diagnosis and surgical plan are finalized, the information is used to communicate with the orthodontist, explain the plan to the patient, and obtain insurance approval.
- Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP): The VSP process starts with pre - operative orthodontic therapy. The goal of this orthodontic treatment is to level and align the teeth over the maxillary and mandibular bony arches, which can take 12 to 18 months. When the patient is ready for surgery, a complete workup is done using a cone - beam 3D CT scan and 3D photomorphometry. This enables virtual surgical planning, allowing the surgeon to “rehearse” the surgery in a virtual environment before performing the actual procedure in the operating room. VSP also helps predict the outcome of the procedure and is used for the design and fabrication of surgical guides with 3D printers to ensure the accurate transfer of the VSP to the operating room.
- Surgery and Post - operative Care: The orthognathic procedure is performed under general anesthesia in the operating room with the braces in place. Internal fixation devices (small titanium screws and plates) are used to connect the repositioned segments to the jaws. Patients usually stay in the hospital for approximately 1 to 2 days. After the procedure, training elastics are commonly used from the upper jaw orthodontic appliances to the lower jaw appliances to help the patient retrain to close into their new bite. The patient's diet is limited to a liquid or non - chew diet for four weeks to allow for undisturbed healing of the osteotomies. Patients return to the orthodontist 6 to 8 weeks after the surgical procedure to start the post - operative orthodontic phase, which can last from 3 to 6 months, aiming to “fine - tune” and perfect the final occlusion. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon will continue to follow the patients over time to monitor the outcome and manage any relapse of the treatment.
Other Jaw - related Conditions Treated
Mount Sinai also treats various other jaw deformities. For example, mandibular hyperplasia (prognathism), which appears as an excess of the lower third of the face, making it very prominent and may involve an underdeveloped upper jaw. Mandibular hypoplasia, characterized by a small lower jaw, an overbite (skeletal malocclusion), and may include a tall upper jaw and long - face syndrome. Maxillary hypoplasia shows as a small upper jaw with a shallow, concave midface and an underbite (skeletal malocclusion), and may be associated with a cleft of the lip and palate or other craniofacial syndromes. Additionally, they handle vertical maxillary deficiency (short - face syndrome) and vertical maxillary excess (long - face syndrome).
Treatment for Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders
Many dentists are trained in conservative therapies for TMJ, such as night guards and bite plates. However, if patients do not improve with physical therapy, bite plates, and/or medication, they should be referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. At Mount Sinai, the oral and maxillofacial surgeons have extensive experience in treating all stages and facets of TMJ disorders. The temporomandibular joint allows the lower jaw to open and close and functions differently from other joints in the body as it can both rotate and translate. Any malfunction of the disc or muscles in the joint can result in temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). Symptoms of TMD include disc displacement, clicking, deviation on opening, crepitus, limited opening, painful opening, muscle dysfunction, painful mandibular movement, muscle spasm, and decreased strength. The hospital offers a range of treatment options, including non - surgical therapy (medications, orthotic appliances, physical therapy, behavioral modification) and surgical treatment (arthrocentesis, arthroscopy, arthroplasty, total joint replacement).
Jaw in a Day Surgery
Mount Sinai is also at the forefront of developing innovative solutions like the “Jaw in a Day” procedure. The need to remove part or all of the upper or lower jaw can occur due to various reasons, such as cancer surgery, jawbone deterioration from radiation or certain medications. The traditional approach often leaves patients without teeth and unable to chew for several months, which impacts their mental health and quality of life. The “Jaw in a Day” procedure is an all - in approach to jaw tumor resection and reconstruction. It includes the same - day placement of titanium dental implants to anchor temporary teeth that look exactly like the patient's existing teeth. The procedure combines years of experience in surgical treatment of oral cancers with sophisticated computer - assisted planning software. Before the surgery, patients meet with a multidisciplinary team, undergo extensive scanning, and a virtual surgical plan is developed. The surgical team performs a virtual tumor and jaw resection along with harvesting and placement of the fibula. The actual procedure takes six to eight hours to complete, and healing typically takes between six weeks and six months. During this time, the team monitors the healing process, cleans the temporary prosthetic, and makes adjustments. Once fully healed, the temporary prosthesis is removed, and a permanent one is fabricated. The benefits of this procedure include enhanced overall well - being, faster healing without scarring or deformity, shorter time to return to regular chewing and diet, and a choice in permanent prosthetic options.
2. NewYork - Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Services
NewYork - Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital offers a comprehensive range of oral and maxillofacial surgery services, with an emphasis on orthognathic and reconstructive surgery related to underbite and mandibular protrusion. Their oral and maxillofacial surgery service covers the full spectrum of procedures in this field. This includes the surgical correction of facial deformities, which can effectively address underbite and mandibular protrusion problems. By repositioning and reshaping the facial bones, the hospital aims to restore both function and aesthetics for patients.
In addition to orthognathic surgery, the hospital provides services for other oral and maxillofacial conditions. These include the treatment of impacted wisdom teeth and extractions, management of facial, oral, dental trauma, and broken jaws, handling dental emergencies, performing dental implants, biopsies, apicoectomies, and treating temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ). They also offer maxillary sinus lift and platelet - rich plasma augmentation and bone grafting procedures.
Expert Team and Academic Affiliation
All physicians at NewYork - Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital are on the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College. This academic affiliation ensures that patients receive a high level of care based on the latest medical knowledge and research. In the familiar setting of their community hospital, patients can experience the level of care typically found in a leading academic medical center. The collaborative environment between the hospital and the medical college allows for a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, where different specialists can work together to develop the most appropriate treatment plans for patients with underbite and mandibular protrusion.
Contact Information
For patients interested in their services, the hospital can be contacted at 212 - 265 - 7788. The hospital's oral and maxillofacial surgery department is located at 170 William Street, New York, NY 10038.
3. Weill Cornell Medicine and New York - Presbyterian (Upper East Side)
Orthognathic Surgery Expertise
Weill Cornell Medicine and New York - Presbyterian (Upper East Side) have a team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons who are specialists in orthognathic or corrective jaw surgery for overbites, underbites, and crossbites. The goal of orthognathic surgery here is to correct developmental growth abnormalities of the jaws and facial bones. Patients with these abnormalities often have an imperfect positioning of the teeth when the jaws are closed, which can affect chewing, speech, overall health, and the esthetic appearance of the face. Surgical treatment is usually combined with orthodontics to achieve the best results.
Why Choose Weill Cornell Medicine
- Convenient and Individualized Care: Patients receive personalized care that is comprehensive and compassionate. The medical team is sensitive to the patients' needs and creates a supportive, comfortable environment while offering highly specialized care. This individualized approach helps patients feel more at ease during the treatment process and ensures that their specific concerns are addressed.
- Multidisciplinary Care from Leading Experts: Orthognathic surgeries require a comprehensive, collaborative approach from both orthodontics and surgery. The hospital's unique multidisciplinary approach coordinates complex care, providing focused support before, during, and after the surgery. This team - based approach ensures that all aspects of the patient's condition are considered and that the treatment plan is well - coordinated between different specialists.
Treatment Process
- Pre - surgery Evaluation: The first visits to Weill Cornell Medicine focus on determining exactly if and what jaw surgery the patient needs. The medical team collects data in the form of radiographs, measurements of the face and teeth, clinical photographs, and health history. They answer any questions the patient or their family members may have, analyze the data, create models of the patient's bite, and develop a comprehensive plan to correct the problem. Sometimes surgery involves repositioning only the upper jaw or lower jaw, and sometimes both must be realigned. A detailed timeline and plan are developed in collaboration with the patient.
- Pre - operative Orthodontics: Before the actual surgery, the patient needs to work with an orthodontist to move the teeth into the correct position within the jawbone. This typically involves six to twelve months of braces. During this time, the surgeon will check on the patient periodically. When the teeth are close to alignment, the surgery date is scheduled.
- Surgery and Post - operative Care: Surgery takes place at New York - Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell campus, which is one of the top - ranked hospitals in the country by US News and World Report. Patients can expect to stay in the hospital for one to two nights. Approximately six weeks after surgery, the patient returns to the orthodontist to finish aligning the teeth to the new jaw position. For the first six to eight weeks after surgery, the bones are healing into their new location. The patient is restricted to a diet of liquids and soft foods, and their activity is limited. The patient and the surgeon will discuss the return to full activity.
Cost and Appointment Information
The hospital does not participate with commercial dental insurance but participates with many medical insurances for oral surgery care. Patients can contact the hospital at (212) 746 - 5175 for more information. They can visit the hospital from Monday to Friday, 09:00 am - 05:00 pm, located at 525 East 68 St, Suite F - 2132, Department of Surgery, New York, NY 10065. The hospital also offers the option of a remote second opinion through their WCM on Demand Second Opinion service, where patients can connect with expert physicians and specialists who will review their situation, answer questions, and provide information to share with their primary care physician.
Comparative Analysis of the Three Hospitals
Hospital | Unique Services | Treatment Approach | Academic Affiliation | Cost and Insurance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount Sinai Hospital | Jaw in a Day surgery, advanced VSP for orthognathic surgery, comprehensive treatment of various jaw deformities and TMJ disorders | Multidisciplinary approach with close coordination between orthodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and other specialists. Use of state - of - the - art technology in diagnostics and treatment planning | High - profile medical center with access to a wide range of specialists across different departments | Standard insurance processing. Patients need to check with their insurance providers for coverage details |
NewYork - Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital | Full - spectrum oral and maxillofacial surgery services including orthognathic, reconstructive, and trauma - related surgeries | Combines academic knowledge from Weill Cornell Medical College with practical experience in a community - hospital setting. Multidisciplinary team for comprehensive patient care | Affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College, providing high - level medical care based on the latest research | Insurance participation details need to be confirmed. Physicians can assist patients in understanding the insurance process |
Weill Cornell Medicine and New York - Presbyterian (Upper East Side) | Specialized orthognathic surgery expertise combined with a focus on individualized and multidisciplinary care | Step - by - step approach from pre - surgery evaluation, pre - operative orthodontics, to surgery and post - operative care. Close collaboration between orthodontists and surgeons | Strong academic base with access to leading experts in the field | Does not participate with commercial dental insurance but many medical insurances. Patients should contact for specific details |
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mount Sinai Hospital, NewYork - Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, and Weill Cornell Medicine and New York - Presbyterian (Upper East Side) are among the top hospitals in New York City for treating underbite and mandibular protrusion. Each hospital offers unique services, has a distinct treatment approach, and benefits from academic affiliations that ensure high - quality care. Whether it's Mount Sinai's innovative “Jaw in a Day” procedure, NewYork - Presbyterian Lower Manhattan's comprehensive oral and maxillofacial services, or Weill Cornell Medicine's focus on individualized and multidisciplinary care, patients have access to world - class treatment options.
If you or someone you know is suffering from underbite or mandibular protrusion, we encourage you to explore these hospitals further. Contact the hospitals directly to learn more about their services, treatment processes, and insurance policies. Share this article with others who may benefit from this information, and take the first step towards improving your oral and facial health.