Jaw surgery, also known as orthognathic (or-thog-NATH-ik) surgery, corrects irregularities of the jaw bones and realigns the jaws and teeth to improve the way they work. Making these corrections may also improve your facial appearance.
Jaw surgery may be a corrective option if you have jaw problems that can't be resolved with orthodontics alone. In most cases, you also have braces on your teeth before surgery and during recovery after surgery until healing and alignment are complete. Your orthodontist can work with your oral and jaw and face (maxillofacial) surgeon to determine your treatment plan.
Jaw surgery may be performed on the upper jaw, lower jaw, chin or any combination of these.
Surgery on the upper jaw may be performed to correct:
Significantly receded or protruding upper jaw
Crossbite
Too much or too little of the teeth showing
Open bite
Reduced facial growth of the middle of the face (midfacial hypoplasia)
Your surgeon cuts the bone above your teeth so that the entire top jaw — including the roof of your mouth and your upper teeth — can move as one unit. The jaw and upper teeth are moved forward until they fit properly with the lower teeth. This can be planned on a computer to determine if additional work, such as orthodontics, will be needed to help correct any remaining fit difference.
An open bite occurs when excess bone grows above the molars, causing what's normally a flat, even surface to become angled. To fix this, your surgeon shaves away or removes the excess bone.
Once the jaw is realigned, plates and screws hold the bone in its new position.
A mandibular osteotomy can correct:
Receding lower jaw
Protruding lower jaw
The surgeon makes cuts behind the molars and lengthwise down the jawbone so the front of the jaw can move as one unit. The jaw can then be moved to its new position either forward or backward. Plates and screws hold the jawbone together as it heals.
A genioplasty can correct a small chin (deficient chin). A small chin often accompanies a severely receded lower jaw.
Typically, surgeons can alter the jaw and restructure the chin during the same surgery. The surgeon cuts a piece of the chin bone on the front of the jaw, moves it forward, and secures it in a new position with plates and screws.
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