Why Jaw Surgery?
If the upper and lower jaws are deformed or incorrectly positioned, this can impact chewing, eating and oral hygiene.
The pathologic process of the upper, lower or both jaws, a traumatic injury or a growth problem can all potentially cause this issue.
Sometimes, orthodontic treatment will be unable to correct these problems. In these cases, jaw surgery is often needed to help align the jaw, straighten the teeth, and correct issues with the jaw and bite.
The Jaw Surgery Process
Do you have an improper bite or jaws that are not positioned correctly? For some patients, their upper or lower jaw may be too small, too large or crooked. Others may have bites that are open, stepped or too deep.
Whatever the issue, the goal of jaw surgery is to balance the skeleton and bite. This improves speech, breathing, function, aesthetics and chewing.
Several surgical techniques have been developed to allow our oral and maxillofacial surgeons to reposition the upper, lower or both jaws:
LeFort I Maxillary Osteotomy: The upper jaw is moved into any position.
Mandibular Sagittal Split Osteotomy: The lower jaw is moved forward or backward.
Anterior Mandibular Horizontal Osteotomy: The chin is adjusted to stay in alignment with the rest of the face.
A Collaborative Approach
Several different dental professionals need to work together to achieve the expected results when it comes to jaw surgery. All patients who require corrective jaw surgery will need:
A general dentist, who ensures the teeth and supporting structures are in excellent health
An orthodontist, who straightens the teeth prior to surgery and to refine the bite once the bones are healed
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who surgically repositions the jaws
Scheduling an Appointment
Please contact our office directly to schedule a jaw consultation appointment. If you are under the age of 18, we ask that a parent or guardian accompany you to the appointment.
Sleep Apnea
Bimaxillary (upper and lower jaw) advancement is an excellent surgical option to reduce the effects of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and is reserved for those who fail to improve with or cannot tolerate a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
