FAQs – Jaw Surgery (Orthognathic Surgery)

What is corrective jaw surgery?

Corrective jaw surgery is most commonly performed in young adults to correct a poor “bite” (malocclusion). Read more about corrective jaw surgery here. Learn more about Jaw Procedures here.

What is Le Fort Osteotomy?

The Le Fort Osteotomy is a type of jaw surgery used to correct misalignment of the teeth and jaw. There are three types of Le Fort Osteotomies; read more about them here.How do we correct the position of the lower jaw?

Orthognathic jaw surgery works to change the position of the lower jaw. Read more about corrective jaw surgery here.

Will I have nerve damage after jaw surgery?

Permanent nerve damage is rare after surgery. Most patients will have some temporary numbness or sensory disturbance that resolves after a few weeks or months.

Why should I have jaw surgery?

There are a number of reasons why jaw surgery may be the best treatment for you. Mismatched jaw sizes or proportions of your face often indicate that jaw surgery may be the correct treatment for you.

Often times an orthodontist may not be able to correct your overbite or underbite with orthodontia alone. And, in fact, it may not be healthy for your teeth to try to fix them with just orthodontics. Oftentimes, a combination of treatments in needed.

A surgical consultation early in the process is beneficial to help guide your treatment plan which may change depending on if surgery is needed.

Do I need an orthodontist?

Your orthodontist and your orthognathic surgeon will work together before your operation to plan your procedure, and create a long-term, post-op management plan to ensure successful results. If you do not currently have an orthodontist, we can recommend one for you. For a referral please call our office at +1.415.877.6321 to make an appointment.What is “vertical maxillary excess” or “long face syndrome”?

Vertical maxillary excess is a facial deformity caused by a disproportionately grown upper or lower jaw. This condition may result in a very gummy smile and a thin elongated face. This issue is easily correctable with orthognathic surgery.

What is short face syndrome?

Short face syndrome is the opposite of long face syndrome. People with this dentofacial abnormality often do not show any teeth when they smile (deep bite) and tend to have a tired look. In addition, the soft tissue of the face is often compressed leading to a prematurely aged appearance. This issue is easily correctable with orthognathic surgery.

Does jaw surgery correct TMJ syndrome?

TMJ surgery is often recommended if the temporomandibular joint dysfunction symptoms are present along with a disturbance in the bite. Jaw surgery often helps improve the symptoms of TMJ but is not entirely curative.

Do you have “Before & After” photos of your work?

We have an extensive collection of pre- and post-surgical patient photos spanning the several decades that we have been in practice (since 1973). We are more than happy to share these images with prospective patients during their in-office consultation.

In order to respect the privacy and confidentiality of our patients and uphold our promise to never put their photos on the Internet, we do not share these photos on our website.

Additionally, we do not share these photos via email or phone consultations; they are strictly for use at in-office consultations and/or medical conference presentations.