Orthognathic Surgery
Orthognathic surgery will be required when your jaws don’t meet correctly or if your teeth just don’t seem to fit within the jaws. The teeth can be straightened out with orthodontic treatments, such as traditional braces, customized lingual braces or Invisalign, but a misaligned jaw will need corrective jaw surgery to repair. Not only does this procedure improve the appearance of the face, but it will help to ensure that your teeth are functioning properly and meeting correctly.
Orthognathic Surgery Candidates
The people who are best suited to pursue orthognathic surgery are individuals with an improper bite or jaws that seem to be positioned incorrectly. These might not be problems that are apparent right away, as jaw growth will occur gradually. In some cases, your lower or upper jaws will grow at different rates, so while you may not have had a problem in your younger years, surgery may be needed later on, especially if you begin to experience problems chewing, speaking clearly, or with your oral health. Additionally, a traumatic injury can also impact your jaw alignment.
If you are experiencing any of the following problems, you should be evaluated to see if corrective jaw surgery might be a good option:
- Difficulty with chewing, swallowing, or biting
- An unbalanced facial appearance
- Birth defects
- Receding chin or lower jaw
- Excessive wear or damage to teeth
- Speech issues
- TMJ pain
- Chronic jaw pain
- Open bite
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Sleep apnea that isn’t helped by other methods
- Breathing problems
- A protruding jaw
These symptoms could be present since birth after being acquired due to hereditary factors, or they may also occur as a result of a traumatic injury to the face.
Jaw Surgery Consultation
Before you have any treatment, a consultation will be needed, including x-rays. During this process, we encourage you to ask any questions that you have regarding treatment. When you have all of the information about your care, you and the Dr. Amy James and Associates Orthodontists team can make an informed decision with how to proceed. Our office works closely with surgeons who we will refer your care to.
Technology And Orthognathic Surgery
In our office, we use modern and state of the art computer techniques and 3D models so that you can better understand how your surgeon will approach your surgery. These visual depictions are often useful in helping patients to understand exactly what they will experience throughout the procedure. We use comprehensive x-rays of the face along with computer video imaging in order to show you exactly how your surgeon can improve your bite with surgery. We can even show you what your face will look like after your procedure has completed.
Our number one goal is to help you to better understand orthognathic surgery and its numerous benefits. If you are a candidate to pursue corrective jaw surgery, the highly qualified surgeons we refer to work closely with our team throughout your treatment. The surgery can move your jaws and teeth into a more desirable position that will lead to a healthy, functional, and attractive dental-facial relationship.
