Orthognathic Surgery is a surgery procedure that is done on the jaws when the teeth in the mouth don’t fit together correctly or when the jaws do not align correctly. Many patients that are in need of jaw surgery often experience difficulty chewing and eating, problems with their speech, pain that is associated with the jaw or TMJ, facial deformity or breathing problems. Misalignment of the jaws can cause many problems and can affect the overall well-being of a person including their physical and emotional health. Orthognathic surgery to re-align the jaws can help relieve these problems and bring back confidence to your smile.
There can be many different causes to why there is misalignment in the jaws. Some of the common reasons include: jaws growing at different rates, defects that occurred at birth or injury. If jaw misalignment is due to birth defects, symptoms may begin to show early. If it is a result of development, the growth of the jaw should be monitored as the patient develops throughout the years. In order to determine when the best time to have the surgery, growth of the jaws must be stabilized to ensure that more growth does not occur after surgery.
If you believe that you suffer from jaw misalignment, consult with your dentist. Together, your dentist, orthodontist and oral/maxillofacial surgeon will work together to come up with your treatment plan and help you understand the steps that need to be taken.