When is Jaw Surgery Required?
Some people consider jaw surgery, or orthognathic surgery, to improve their jawline or facial symmetry. For other people, jaw surgery is medically necessary. In short, if you have a condition that severely impedes the function of your jaw, you may need to have surgery.
Improper Bite Due to Bone Structure
A full orthodontic assessment is carried out on all our patients prior to treatment to assess the most suitable treatment plan. However, if your teeth are severely misaligned or the malocclusion is due to your jaw bone structure, surgery may be a better solution. Jaw surgery can correct the following bite problems:
- Overbites
- Underbites
- Crossbites
- Open bites
Protruding, receding, or asymmetrical jawline
When the upper and lower jaws don’t align, this means the bone may develop more in some areas than others.
- If your lower jaw protrudes, you may have mandibular hyperplasia (overdevelopment of the lower jaw) or maxillary hypoplasia (underdevelopment of the upper jaw).
- If your lower jaw recedes, you may have maxillary hyperplasia (overdevelopment of the upper jaw or mandibular hypoplasia (underdevelopment of the lower jaw).
- An asymmetrical jawline can result from several developmental syndromes that limit growth on one side of the jaw or cause overgrowth in certain areas.
All of these conditions may require jaw surgery to correct them. A protruding, receding, or asymmetrical jawline may be apparent from a young age, but patients must wait until adulthood when the jaw has finished growing to pursue orthognathic surgery. Children can wear braces, retainers, or headgear to improve the problem until surgery becomes an option.
If you think jaw surgery may be an option for you or you need more information on jaw surgery, get in touch with Northenden House today on 0161 884 1481.
- Mohammad Malik
