Corrective Jaw Surgery and Braces: Is This Treatment Right for You?
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For those looking to correct their dental alignment, sometimes traditional braces alone aren’t enough. Some cases may require jaw surgery to resolve bite problems. Our orthodontist may recommend consulting a surgeon about a combined orthodontic and surgical treatment plan.
What Can Jaw Surgery Achieve?
We may recommend corrective jaw surgery to fix severe jawline irregularities. Corrective jaw surgery treatment works along with braces to correct the alignment where your jaws meet. Surgery is not an option for children as it can only be performed after the jaws and bones are permanently set.
Jaw Surgery with Braces Can Correct Severe Irregularities
Surgery can be the right treatment for many alignment issues, as well as treating injuries.
- Open bites and overbites
- Protruding jaw
- Receding lower jaw or chin
- Left to right asymmetry
Jaw surgery offers far more benefits than just a better smile too.
- Alleviate stress that may cause tooth loss or breakage
- Make chewing and swallowing more comfortable
- Alleviate discomfort on your lips and gums
- Reduce headaches and other pain
- Relieve obstructive sleep apnea
- Alleviate mouth breathing
- Improve speech issues
Jaw Surgery: Your Options
There are three different kinds of jaw surgery: upper jaw, lower jaw, and chin surgery. Each serves to alleviate various jaw and alignment issues.
Upper Jaw Surgery
For issues like protruding upper teeth, or if too much or too little of the upper teeth are visible, upper jaw surgery may be recommended. This procedure involves cutting the bone above the teeth. That way, the entire upper jaw can move at once, and the surgeon can align it properly with the lower jaw.
Lower Jaw Surgery
Lower jaw surgery is performed to correct a lower jaw that either caves inward or juts outward. Like upper jaw surgery, a surgeon will make an incision behind the molars and through the bone below the teeth to realign the jaw itself.
Chin Surgery
Chin surgery is used to correct a deficient chin. Surgeons will cut a piece of the chin, move it forward, and screw it in for a more pronounced positioning.
Results may vary, but post-surgery healing can take up to 3 months and may require further use of braces.
Braces and Jaw Surgery
Whether you need jaw surgery or not, braces will play an active role in correcting the alignment of your teeth. Braces before surgery may be vital in ensuring successful jaw surgery. To correctly position the jaw, a surgeon needs to have the teeth in their properly aligned positions.
During surgery, braces help maintain dental structure and ensure the right placement of the teeth. How long it’s necessary to wear braces after jaw surgery varies on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes, our orthodontist will recommend further use to ensure a perfect smile.
We’re happy to help you explore all your options to achieve the smile you’ve always wanted, including surgery and braces. Contact our team at Lake Jeanette Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry to get started. Call 336-286-0200.