Orthognathic surgery

Orthognathic jaw surgery includes procedures that resolve injuries or conditions that affect the jaw and lower portion of the face. These surgeries correct severe issues that other methods like traditional braces or aligner trays can’t fix. However, we often use these orthodontic treatments before or after surgery to produce the best results.

Aside from treating injuries caused by accidents, surgical orthodontics is most often necessary to repair genetic growth problems or disorders like temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ). Visible exterior scarring is uncommon because these surgeries occur inside the mouth.

We utilize surgical orthodontics to treat injuries, improper bites and other aesthetic concerns. Jaw surgery is most effective for fully-developed mouths, so we wait until late adolescence or adulthood. The female jaw usually stops growing by age 16, whereas the male jaw will grow until age 18.

Orthodontic surgery is useful when the top and bottom jaw fail to line up correctly. Improper alignment leads to numerous concerns, including difficulty chewing, biting and swallowing, speech problems, difficulty breathing, chronic pain and aesthetic concerns. Surgery moves the jaws into a new position where they’ll align correctly, minimizing or eliminating these problems. Our team will assess your mouth and determine if surgery is the best approach.

Goldreich Orthodontics offers jaw surgery in three phases that can occur over numerous months. The first stage is preparation. You’ll visit our office for an inspection and X-rays to see if surgery is an appropriate treatment for your situation. The preparation period may involve braces installation to move your teeth into a position where the surgery will be most successful.

The surgical procedure is the second treatment phase. Your surgery will occur at a hospital where you’ll be put to sleep for the duration of the procedure — usually one to two hours. Most surgeries require one to three days in the hospital post-operation.

The final stage is recovery, which usually takes multiple months to a full year, although most patients can return to work in two weeks to a month. Normal chewing will resume in roughly two months. We’ll have you into the office for regular checkups during your recovery period. After your jaw has healed, you’ll wear braces for six to 12 months and a retainer after that.