Corrective Jaw (Orthognathic) Surgery

Orthognathic surgery is a combination of jaw surgery and orthodontics, and can be used to properly align your jaws. Jaw surgery will tend to be performed only after growth has stopped, approximately sixteen years old for females and eighteen years old for males.

Jaw surgery may help to:

• Improve difficulties with chewing.
• Minimize excessive wear on your teeth.
• Improve facial balance (weak chins, under-bites, over-bites and cross-bites).
• Improve your smile, e.g. where the lips cover all the teeth.
• Reduce the risk/severity of Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and other jaw problems.
• Improve post-traumatic facial injury, defects and/or abnormalities.
• Provide some relief for sleep apnea.

Jaw surgery will usually be performed entirely inside your mouth, so no facial scars will be visible. Your jawbones will be cut, moved into the correct position, and then fixed in place using metal plates and screws. In some cases extra bone may be added to the jaw and secured with temporary wires.

Jaw surgery is a serious operation and requires a one or two day stay in hospital. Recovery will typically take from three to six weeks, but orthodontic braces will often be required after your jaw has healed to improve teeth alignment. The total process will take from one to two years.