What to Expect with Jaw Surgery
Have you been told that you have an overbite, underbite, open bite, or crossbite? Were you born with some form of jaw defect or deficit? Have you been in an accident that caused trauma to your jaw? Maybe you struggle with an issue that seems indirectly connected to your jaw, like obstructive sleep apnea. If any of these situations describe your current state, jaw surgery may be a primary intervention or a key component of treatment that would effectively address your issue.
The way in which your jaw functions and the appearance of your smile can both be positively impacted by jaw surgery. Many times, braces are not able to correct skeletal issues. The effects of jaw surgery can drastically improve areas of your oral health and overall wellbeing.
What is jaw surgery?
Also called orthognathic surgery, corrective jaw surgery is a method we use to correct functional problems due to skeletal or dental irregularities or the misalignment of jaws and teeth. If you’re dealing with breathing, speaking, or chewing issues, jaw surgery can restore these functional matters as well as enhance your appearance. Jaw advancement is among the most predictable solutions for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
The following are some of the issues that may indicate a need for corrective jaw surgery:
- Facial injury
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Protruding jaw
- Inability to make the lips meet without straining
- Birth defects
- Receding lower jaw and chin
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing or biting
- Chronic jaw or jaw joint (TMJ) pain and headaches
- Excessive wear of the teeth
- Open bite
- Obstructive Sleep apnea
- Unbalanced facial appearance from the front or side
What are the risks of jaw surgery?
The possible risks posed by jaw surgery are essentially the same as those for any surgery: infection at the surgical site, injury or damage to surrounding structures, and nerve damage. However, the success rate of jaw surgery is extremely high when done by an expert oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
What type of doctor should I see for jaw surgery?
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform jaw surgery and work together with your dentist or orthodontist to determine whether you’re a candidate and which surgical procedure is appropriate for you. At Inland Institute Oral & Maxillo-Facial Surgery, the impeccable reputation of our Board-Certified surgeon Dr. Gilbert, with over 20 years of experience and expertise in jaw surgery, gives our patients full confidence in the procedure and its benefits. Dr. Gilbert works closely with referring dentists and orthodontists to ensure excellence in comprehensive care.