How does orthognathic surgery fix my bite?
When your bite or the position of your jaw is too severe, orthognathic treatment will be required. After this, your teeth will be straighter and jaw will be correctly aligned. This also changes the shape of your face. Continue reading this blog to learn about the orthognathic treatment process and how orthognathic surgery fixes your bite.
How can I tell if I have a severe bite?
A malocclusion or severe bite can be easily distinguished, usually whether when biting down, the top and bottom teeth meet in the middle; if not your bite may be irregular. There are three common types of bite irregularity: an overbite, underbite and open bite. An overbite is visible when your upper teeth cover your lower teeth when you bite. If the upper teeth are behind the lower teeth, then you may have an underbite. An open bite is shown when your upper teeth and lower teeth don’t meet in the middle.
How does orthognathic surgery work?
Orthognathic surgery is usually combined with braces to achieve the best possible end result. You will have initial consultations with both an orthodontist and maxillofacial surgeon who will talk you through your treatment plan. Orthodontic treatment is the first stage in the treatment process to ensure the teeth are in the correct position prior to surgery. Jaw surgery follows this and is the corrective stage of treatment. It involves making a small incision into the jaw bone, in order for the surgeon to move the jaw into place.
Once correctly aligned, screws or wires are added to make sure your jaw will stay in place. All cases vary and may require additional steps such as shaping the jaw bone or placement of additional bone, taken from the rib, hip or leg. Depending on the bite needed to be corrected, the surgery will be performed on either the chin, upper or lower jaw or a combination of these. After surgery, you will then be required to continue your orthodontic treatment to make sure your teeth are in the right position post-surgery.
Can my bite be corrected with just braces?
We do offer a course of treatment that does not involve surgery, this being our functional braces. These braces give patients the ability to function, whilst wearing braces, this is because they are removable. Functional braces are best worn by a younger patient, whose mouths are still growing as they help encourage the jaw to grow in order to give the perfect bite. We normally suggest orthognathic treatment to older patients who want to correct their jaw.
If you’re interested in having orthognathic treatment, then contact us to book a consultation.
- Mohammad Malik
