Orthognathic surgery – upper and lower jaw
One of the major fields of oral and maxillofacial surgery is the operative treatment of jaw misalignment.
In a dysgnathia, the upper and lower jaw have grown to different extents. As a result the teeth do not meet properly – visible, for instance, as a protruding chin, a receding chin or an open bite.
More than a question of looks
An uneven bite loads some teeth more heavily than others. That can overtax the jaw joint and the chewing muscles, and at the overloaded sites it encourages the breakdown of the periodontium. Speech and chewing can be impaired as well.
Orthodontics and surgery together
Once growth is complete, a pronounced misalignment can no longer be solved with a brace alone. The case is then first prepared orthodontically, the affected jaw is surgically moved into the correct position and fixed there, and the fine adjustment of the bite follows orthodontically again.