Corrective Jaw Surgery
An aligned jaw can be aesthetically pleasing as well as functionally beneficial
During orthognathic surgery (also known as corrective jaw surgery), the jawbones and/or teeth are repositioned.
Problems that can be corrected include:
– An oversized or undersized jaw
– An overly forward or overly backward jaw
– A crooked jaw
An injury to your jaw, disease, health problems, or even how you were born can contribute to your jaw problem.
Having a jaw problem may affect your ability to chew, speak or to take care of your teeth or gums – or your appearance could be affected.
You can eat and speak more easily with correct jaw alignment.
There are also other problems that may be solved by orthodontic treatment, such as headaches, poor alignment of the bite, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Developing a treatment plan
In collaboration with your dentist and specialist orthodontist, John Doe plans your jaw surgery. A referral from your orthodontist is likely to have occurred during your orthodontic treatment, normally before it begins.
The first step after contacting Dr. John Doe is to schedule a consultation at his clinic. During this consultation, you will discuss the problem, the surgery process, and possible risks and outcomes. Following your decision to receive treatment, you will undergo the following steps:
– For orthodontic treatment to be successful, you may need to undergo orthodontic treatment.
– Dr. John Doe will hold a consultation with you after the orthodontic work is complete.
– The dentist will take a cone-beam X-ray, measure your teeth, and create a 3D model of them.
– Following that, surgical plates and cutting guides are customized using virtual surgical planning on a computer.
– This procedure is carried out by Dr. John Doe.
– Some minor orthodontics procedures may be necessary after the surgery. Following surgery, you can start approximately six weeks afterward.
– Review your jaw’s alignment periodically to ensure that you are healing properly.
Types of treatment
Surgery of the upper jaw
Depending on how big or small, forward or back your upper jaw (maxilla) is, or how crooked it is, you may need to have it operated on. The procedures can help you improve your smile, your bite, your midfacial support, as well as your lip support. Occasionally, the lower jaw or chin are also operated on during this surgery.
Lower jaw surgery
You can have your lower jaw (mandible) replaced if it is too large, too small, too far forward or too far back, or crooked. It’s possible to improve a crooked bite, a poor facial profile, or a symmetrical profile. These two procedures are sometimes performed together.
Upper and lower jaw surgery
For bite and facial problems, both jaws may need to be adjusted. Additionally, this is known as bimaxillary surgery.
How is the procedure performed?
Public or private hospitals are the places where Dr. John Doe performs treatments. An anesthetist administers a general anesthetic during the surgery. Anesthetists also provide you with pain relief following surgery.
Cuts are carefully made through your jaw, which allows you to move your jaw (or jaws) into the correct position. It may be necessary to lengthen a small jaw or shorten a large one if it is too large. You will not see any visible scarring due to incisions made inside your mouth. The doctor will make sure to hide any incisions he needs to make in the natural skin folds of your face, so as to reduce their visibility.
His dental team will use small screws and plates to fix your jaws in place after the correct positioning has been achieved. Plating and screws are permanently attached.
In Dr. John Doe’s hospital or clinic, the procedure takes one to four hours, depending upon its complexity. Post-treatment instructions are given to help patients recover quickly from the procedure.
Recovery
Stay in the hospital: Two to three nights in the hospital are usually required for a single jaw surgery. The hospital stay will be 4 to 5 nights if you have had two jaw surgeries. Then, you can go home now that you can eat and drink without assistance.
Managing pain: The anesthetist will give you intravenous analgesia, which you can self-administer by pushing a button, while you’re hospitalized. Pain medicine, such as Nurofen® and Panadiene®, usually keeps you comfortable for 48 hours after the operation.
School/Work: Take at least two to three weeks off before returning to work.
Stitches: The most common type of stitch is the dissolving stitch. Over the course of 2 to 3 weeks, they gradually dissolve.
Diet: It is recommended to follow a soft diet for about four to six weeks following surgery.
Follow-up care: A periodic observation will be made by Dr. John Doe to ensure that your jaws are perfectly aligned.
The entire healing process can take 3-6 months.
During your preoperative consultation, your doctor will provide detailed postoperative instructions. Pay careful attention to the instructions below so that you can minimize your chances of complications during your recovery. Post-Op and Patient Care offers general information related to post-op care.
Possible Complications
A skilled oral and maxillofacial surgeon is usually able to perform corrective face and jaw surgery without complications. The following risks are associated with all surgeries:
– Numbness as the result of nerve injury
– Infection
– Reversion to your original bite
– Temporomandibular (jaw joint) deterioration.
Corrective jaw surgery costs
An initial consultation with Medicare will be partially reimbursed.
During your initial consultation, Dr. John Doe will provide you with a written estimate of the cost of your surgery. With our help, you’ll find out how much of the cost of your treatment will be covered by Medicare and private health insurance.
Your anesthetist can provide you with a fee schedule once you have their contact information. A portion of the anesthetist’s fees will be covered by Medicare and private health insurance.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. John Doe is highly skilled and experienced. As an expert in corrective jaw surgery, he has performed several hundred procedures.
Check out our comprehensive guide to orthognathic surgery (jaw)