What is Jaw surgery?
Jaw surgery, also known as orthognathic surgery, is the surgical alteration of the placement, form or size of a persons jaws. If someone has a serious problem with their mouth that the ususal orthodontics can’t fix, then jaw surgery can help.
Some of the more grave problems that may require jaw surgery may include:
- Mandibular retrognothia (lower jaw too short) – This results in the lower teeth being too far behind the upper teeth.
- Mandibular prognothia (lower jaw too low) – This results in the lower teeth being too far forward of the upper teeth.
- Maxillary retrognothia (upper jaw too far back).
- Maxillary prognothia (upper jaw too far forward).
- Vertical maxillary excess (upper jaw too tall vertically with excessive display of upper tooth and gum below the upper lip).
- Vertical maxillary deficiency (upper jaw too short vertically with little upper tooth displayed below the upper lip).
- Transverse maxillary deficiency (upper jaw too narrow, leading to dental cross-bite).
- Transverse maxillary excess (upper jaw too wide, leading to dental scissors-bite).
- Anterior open bite (vertical open bite between the upper and lower front teeth, making incising food and chewing difficult or impossible).
- Posterior open bite (vertical open bite between the upper and lower back teeth, making chewing in this region impossible).
- Facial and jaw asymmetry, including deviation of the dental and jaw midlines to one side and/or tilting of the occlusal (bite) plane up or down on one side.
- Jaw surgery is also an effective treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, by moving the lower and/or the upper jaw forward to improve the pharyngeal (throat) airway.
If you have a problem with any of these conditions, and no matter what you’ve tried, regular dentistry can’t help, then you need to call Lance West today. Here, we have the knowledge, experience and know-how to help you. Call us if you have any questions about jaw surgery. Our friendly and helpful staff will be happy to help in any way they can.