Jaw Orthognathic Surgery

Orthognathic surgery is jaw surgery. In cases where you cannot align your upper jaw (maxilla) and/or lower jaw (mandible) as it should be, these are surgical operations performed to eliminate this situation and to provide you with a healthier posture.

What is Jaw (orthognathic) Surgery?

In general, jawbone problems are either congenital or result from post-traumatic injury or other medical conditions. If your lower and upper jaws are not properly aligned, this can make it difficult for you to bite, eat and speak. Orthognathic surgery includes a series of operations that will eliminate alignment problems in your lower and upper jaw. Orthognathic surgery does not consist of a single event. It is a process that includes orthodontic treatment to prepare your teeth for your jaw surgery, the surgery itself, recovery from surgery, and then further orthodontic treatment up to one year after your surgery. As a result, the treatment process may take two to three years in maxillofacial surgery, which has a wide range of procedures.

What are Congenital Jaw Problems?

There may be individual problems such as congenital jaw problems such as overheating, or there may be a genetic disorder known as Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) characterized by skull and facial disorders. Examples of congenital jaw problems are as follows;

• Cross bite: This occurs when some of your lower teeth sit on top of your upper teeth.
• Open bite: Also called open bite. It is characterized by the inability of many teeth to come together when you close your mouth.
• Cleft lip and palate: A cleft palate occurs when the face and mouth do not develop normally.
• Pierre Robin sequence or anomaly: The lower jaws of children born with the Pierre Robin sequence often have small lower jaws that can make it difficult for babies to eat or breathe.

Jaw Problems Caused by Injuries or Medical Conditions

• Facial Fractures: Usually refers to jaw fractures. A jaw fracture can refer to your lower jaw (mandible) or upper jaw (maxilla). You can break your lower jaw by being hit or punched by an object. You can break your upper jaw by falling, being in a motor vehicle accident, or being hit.
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): OSA occurs when your airway muscles, tonsils, tongue, or excess tissue block your airway, so your breathing stops and starts again while you sleep. Obstructive sleep acne treatment is possible with jaw surgery called maxillomandibular advancement (MMA).
• Temporal mandibular joint disorders (TMJ). TMJ can be caused by an incorrect bite where your upper and lower teeth are not aligned.
• Growth disorders. This refers to changes in your jaw when your body develops too much growth hormone. Excess hormone causes your tissues to grow unusually, including your upper and/or lower jaw.