Due to a congenital abnormality or an accident, a surgical procedure may be necessary to correct the position of the jaws. Your dentist and/or orthodontist has referred you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for this reason.
Orthodontics
Jaw surgery is almost always performed in combination with pre- and post-operative orthodontic treatment. The orthodontist aligns the teeth and molars so that they fit together properly after the surgery.
This may mean that during the pre-treatment phase, the teeth and molars will fit together worse, making the misalignment appear more pronounced. However, this is only temporary.
On average, orthodontic pre-treatment takes about one year. After surgery, a period of post-operative orthodontic treatment usually follows, during which the orthodontist fine-tunes the alignment. Sometimes, teeth need to be extracted during the pre-treatment phase to create space. Wisdom teeth are often removed as well.
Braces
Most jaw misalignments can be corrected by an orthodontist using braces. Possible complaints include:
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Problems with chewing or speaking
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Pain in the jaw and/or jaw joints
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Dissatisfaction with appearance
Surgery
Surgery is required when there are significant differences in the position, shape, or size of the upper and/or lower jaw, making orthodontic treatment alone insufficient. Often, a combination of orthodontics and jaw surgery is necessary to achieve the desired results.
During your first consultation with the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, you received information about the possibilities of jaw correction surgery (also called orthognathic surgery), the procedure, and the potential risks.
We will also provide further details about the different types of jaw corrections performed at Isala. There are three types of jaw surgeries:
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Movement of the upper jaw
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Movement of the lower jaw
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Movement of both jaws
The oral and maxillofacial surgeon will discuss which surgery is necessary and create a treatment plan. Please review this information carefully, and do not hesitate to ask your surgeon any questions about the treatment plan.
Treatment
Once the orthodontist has completed the pre-treatment phase, you will be referred back to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. In consultation with you, a date for the surgery will be scheduled. The procedure may involve only the upper or lower jaw, or both at the same time, depending on the type of misalignment. This will have been discussed with you beforehand.
Before the surgery, which is performed under general anesthesia, you will go through a health questionnaire, and additional medical examinations may be conducted if necessary. Various measurements and assessments will also be carried out to ensure the procedure is performed correctly.
The surgery is performed entirely from within the mouth, so there will be no external scars. Depending on the type of misalignment, the procedure may take one to several hours.
Post-Operative Care
In the first few days after surgery, you may experience pain in your throat or the operated area. However, it is often more of a discomfort than severe pain, and pain relief medication will be provided if necessary.
You can expect significant swelling of the face after surgery. The swelling typically peaks within 48 hours and begins to subside after three to four days. After about three weeks, the swelling should be gone.
To minimize swelling, adhesive strips will be applied to your face. On the first day, you will also receive a cold pack (a towel with ice cubes) that can be placed around your lower jaw. Additionally, you will be given medication to help reduce swelling. The adhesive strips can be removed after three to four days.
It is normal to have some bleeding in your mouth after the surgery. If you have had upper jaw surgery, you may also experience occasional nosebleeds for a few days.