In today’s world people in our society seek to look good and feel good about their face and body. Sometimes facial imbalances can be present and they can be very prominent or so subtle that only a specialist can recognize them. Large or small jaws, flat cheekbones and teeth that do not fit together are some examples of such imbalances. 

Orthognathic surgery or sometimes referred as “Surgical Orthodontics” is a procedure to correct the structure of the maxillary bones. These bones are the teeth support and they form the structure and shape of the face.

Usually maxillofacial surgeons work in conjunction with orthodontists who move the teeth to prepare them for optimal oclusion or biting positions.

There are two options of Orthognathic surgery procedures; mono-maxillary surgery or bimaxillary surgery. Many times the chin is shortened, moved forward or moved backwards; this procedure is called mentoplasty.

People that can benefit from an orthognathic surgery are those with an improper bite and with a jaw that is not properly positioned. The jaw grows at a slow pace and sometimes the upper and lower jaws can grow asymmetrically causing problems with chewing, speech, oral health and face aesthetics.

The main dentofacial deformities that can be corrected with orthognathic surgery include:

The orthognathic surgery consists on moving the necessary bone structures to achieve the adequate position of both superior and inferior teeth and an adequate occlusion.

The orthognathic surgical procedure is performed under general anesthesia and it lasts an approximate of 5 hours.

It is important to follow your surgeon’s recommendations after the surgery for a proper recovery. Some of these recommendations include consuming a liquid diet during the first week and a bland diet during the second week. After this time patients can continue with a regular diet avoiding hard food.

Patients may perceive some inflammation during the first week that will mellow down starting the fifth day. Regular activities can be resumed progressively after the second week and results can be completely appreciated six months after the orhognathic surgery. 

Both functional and aesthetic changes after an orthognathic surgical procedure are usually very successful and provide patients total satisfaction.