When needed, repositioning the jaw with orthognathic surgery adds quality to patients’ lives.

# Orthognathic Surgery

ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY

Also known as corrective jaw surgery, orthognathic surgery refers to any surgical procedure that is aimed at correcting a wide variety of dental and facial skeletal issues. In fact, the term “orthognathic” comes from the Greek words “orthos,” or to straighten, and “gnathic,” which means (or is related to) the jaw. Orthognathic surgery covers all different kinds of procedures, from wisdom tooth extraction to facial reconstructive surgery. At Rockwall Oral Surgery, we specialize in orthognathic surgery. We can repair your dental and jaw issues, restoring proper function to your mouth.

Don’t live with your dental and jaw issues any longer.

Contact Rockwall Oral Surgery today to schedule your consultation.

Why Orthognathic Surgery?

When you have issues with your jaw, its alignment, or the alignment of your teeth, these issues can impact your day to day life. Eating can be difficult, and painful. You may have difficulty speaking. Even your sleep can be disrupted, which can leave you feeling groggy and not quite yourself all day long. If no other treatment options have helped, orthognathic surgery may be right for you. It can be used to correct some different issues:

  • Open bites
  • Malocclusions like overbites and underbites
  • Impacted teeth
  • Chronic jaw pain, also known as temporomandibular disorder (TMD)
  • You breathe through your mouth
  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), when other sleep apnea treatments have failed
  • Unbalanced facial features
  • Congenital defects such as a cleft palate
  • Facial trauma
  • If you have had braces to straighten your teeth, but you are still experiencing issues with your jaw

How Is Orthognathic Surgery Performed?

Before you receive orthognathic surgery, we first conduct a thorough examination of your mouth, to make sure that surgery is the best option. Along with a visual exam, we will also take images of your mouth, such as x-rays, CT scans, and an MRI. Once surgery has been determined to be the best course of action, we can then develop a treatment plan. If necessary, we may recommend orthodontic treatment first, before surgery.

Before we begin your surgery, we first administer a local anesthetic. Depending upon the type of surgery being performed, or if you are anxious about your procedure, we can provide you with a sedative. This will help you to relax and remain comfortable during your procedure. With certain types of sedation, you may not even remember it.

The length of your surgery depends upon how much work needs to be done. In general, it ranges between one to several hours. We make incisions, which provides access to the bone. From there, we can add bone, remove bone or reshape it. We can set, and stabilize, your jaw with wires or metal plates and screws. The area is then cleaned, and the area sutured closed.

Benefits of Orthognathic Surgery

Orthognathic surgery has several benefits:

  • Alleviation of jaw pain
  • Simple tasks, like eating and speaking, become easy again
  • With your teeth and jaw properly aligned, your digestion is improved, which then improves your overall health
  • Your sleep is improved so that you will experience less daytime drowsiness
  • Improved appearance, which can then lead to more confidence