Michael van Gerwen's dental problems explained as darts champion undergoes year of dental surgery

Michael van Gerwen is champing at the bit for more glory at the PDC World Championship after a year ravaged by surgery.

The three-time champion is one of the most recognizable faces in the sport with his charming smile and supreme talent making him a firm favorite with Ally Pally fans.

He was a heavy favorite to win a fourth title in London last January before suffering a surprise elimination in the quarter-finals.

The Dutchman was beaten 5-3 by Englishman Scott Williams, who then lost to eventual winner Luke Humphries in the next round.

Van Gerwen suffered from jaw pain during the tournament, following an unsuccessful dental operation in the summer of 2023.

He underwent another operation this year before making his comeback in August – winning the Players Championship 21 at Wigan a month later.

Van Gerwen is now heading to another final after coming through the tournament, but he looks very different from normal.

Why did Van Gerwen have surgery?

“Mighty Mike” had an underbite, where his upper jaw was smaller than his lower jaw, which affected his biting, breathing and sleeping.

He explained last year: “I am going to have an operation during which they are going to break my upper jaw and my lower jaw. Put them on top of each other.

“Then it’s all about recovery. Two more years in two years. So I'm almost done.

“Between the first operation this year and the second, there must be at least one year.

“That’s because my upper jaw is much smaller than my lower jaw. My underbite is over a centimeter long.

“Even a slice of ham, I can’t even bite properly. And because my upper jaw is too small, you also get less oxygen through your nose.

“It creates headaches. Less sleep. Things like that.

“You have to plan things, especially with my schedule. I can still eat. But only you bite badly. You're not eating the way you should be eating.

“It’s the same thing as the year before with my carpal tunnel syndrome. It had to happen. There are no other options. For me, it's not really a big deal.

“Given what I've been through, I sometimes underestimate that. I say to myself, “Why am I so hard on myself all the time? » But that's how I am.

Van Gerwen's second operation took place after the World Matchplay, which saw him take another break from the grueling darts schedule.

In an interview with AD, he revealed: “They're going to break me and reset my upper and lower jaw.

“My upper jaw, they will move it forward six millimeters and my lower jaw, they will move it back only three millimeters. I have a big underbite, a penny bowl, as they call it. This bothers me a lot.

“Anyway, while eating, but your teeth also wear down and you snore more because of it. I'm looking forward to it. I can't bite into a slice of ham yet. We get tired of it at some point. After this, I hope to put an end to all physical ailments.

Van Gerwen is in the final part of a long treatment, but the discomfort is still disrupting his performance.

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After his World Series victory against Jonny Clayton, he told De Telegraaf. “It was a struggle from the beginning, but I didn't feel good all day.

“In front of the home crowd you put extra pressure on yourself anyway. I've been playing great the last few weeks, but I've been losing games while throwing an average of over 100. Sure, there's more in the tank, but anything that doesn't help you move up becomes an irritation minor.

“Anyone who's ever had a root canal and knows what it feels like, I can say it's a small boy compared to what I've been through.

“It really didn't feel good, but it has to stay that way. My lower jaw seeks and wants to return to its former position. I had a severe underbite. A steak or a tough baguette is always forbidden.

Van Gerwen beat Callan Rydz 5-3 in the quarter-finals before eliminating Chris Dobey 6-1 in the semi-final to advance to another final.

During Friday's flagship final, Luke Littler or Stephen Bunting await you.