Jaw surgery
Nearly one third of the world’s population has issues with an irregular shape and size of their jaws. Orthosmile is committed to providing our patients with the holistic treatment they need to achieve a beautiful smile and perfect facial symmetry. If this requires jaw treatment in addition to orthodontic work, our qualified team can provide the following jaw treatment options.
Orthopaedic treatment of the jaws
While orthodontics focuses on the teeth, orthopaedic treatment focuses on the jaws and is designed to influence the growth and shape of the jaws.The goal of orthopaedic treatment is to help correct the disparities between the upper and lower jaws that create misalignment.
Typically, treatment would begin in the patient’s younger years as the jaws are still going through growing phases. The methods that can be used would depend on the individual and are discussed with the patient and guardian.
Advantages of orthopaedic treatment
Bringing the jaws into proper alignment can dramatically improve not just the appearance of the patient’s smile, but can also alter their facial features as well. It is less traumatic than having to perform surgery to correct issues in older patients whose jaws are no longer growing.
Used in combination with braces, or as stand-alone treatment, orthopaedic treatments can have a remarkable effect on improving the overall appearance of the lower face and smile. For example, orthopaedic treatments can eliminate over and underbites that create unsightly misalignments and affect a patient’s appearance.
Surgical treatment of the jaws
When regular orthopaedic or orthodontic treatments are not an option or fail to correct the problems present, surgery becomes the next option.
Surgery for the jaws can correct deformities and disparities between the upper and lower jaws. People generally seek these treatments because there is a loss in jaw function or to correct the appearance of the deformity.
Both the upper and lower jaws can be operated on to fix the problems caused by a malformation in the size of the jaws or their relation to one another.
Advantages of surgical treatment
- Improved self-esteem from improved facial appearance.
- Relief from pain caused by a misalignment, such as TMJ problems.
- Can be used on patients of all ages once the growth phase is completed.
Advantages of multi-disciplinary treatment
- Using more than one method of treatment can greatly improve the overall results and can help improve the outcome of some treatments that may not get the best results when used alone.
- Covering all areas involved when it comes to treating the teeth and jaws ensures the progress of one treatment is not potentially undone by a neglected issue in another area. For example, using braces on a still growing jaw that has problems may be pointless if, as the person grows, the teeth are pushed back out of alignment again.
- Consulting with one or more specialists can result in more treatment options and provide a plan that works best for you.
- Taking care of all the potential issues in a single plan can prevent a need for recurring treatments.
Want to enquire about jaw surgery?
If you feel jaw surgery may be an option for you, speak to our specialist orthodontic team during your free initial consultation - they will assess whether jaw treatment in conjunction with other orthodontic methods is right for you.
Book your free consultation
