Surgical Orthodontic Treatment

What is Surgical Orthodontic Treatment?

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Surgical Orthodontic Treatment, otherwise known as jaw surgery, is a procedure that can be carried out for severely misaligned jaws, which result in a poor bite relationship, also known as malocclusion, which may be in the form of an under-bite, overbite or open-bite.   

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When is surgical orthodontics necessary?

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Severe malocclusions can cause chewing difficulties, speech problems and compromised facial aesthetics.  When malocclusions are too severe for orthodontic correction, surgical correction may be recommended to improve dental health, better chewing and speaking function and facial aesthetics.   Patients with sleep apnoea may also benefit from surgery. 

 

Jaw surgery can used to correct a short lower jaw that is sometimes called a “weak chin”, an overdeveloped lower jaw that protrudes beyond the upper jaw, gummy smiles, and open bites where there is a space between the upper and lower front teeth. 

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What is involved involved in surgical orthodontics?

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After 6-18 months of pre-surgical orthodontic treatment, we refer our patient to a trusted oral maxillofacial surgeon to carry out jaw surgery.  After surgery, there is typically a short phase of orthodontic treatment for final finishing of the bite.