Normally jaw is made up of a set of bones. It consist of two parts, upper portion of the jaw is maxilla and is immovable and lower portion of the jaw is mandible which is involved in the movement of jaw.
Jaw disorder is the condition in which abnormalities in the jaw position takes place. Minor abnormalities in the jaw can be treated by wearing dental braces and some other appliances. If the abnormalities in the jaw cannot be treated with dental braces, then it can be treated by performing surgeries.
Corrective jaw surgery
Corrective jaw surgery is performed to correct the abnormalities in jaw. It is performed to correct the deformities in the upper or lower jaw or both the jaws. It improves the appearance of face and also improves the chewing and talking ability.
Corrective jaw surgery is performed on candidates who are:
- Experiencing difficulty in chewing or talking
- Deformities in temporomandibular joint
- Prognathism and malocclusion
- Breathing through mouth
- Receding lower jaw and chin
Surgery can be performed on candidates whose jaw bone has fully developed and there is no growth in the jaw. Surgical procedure involves following steps:
- Pre operative treatment: In this step, orthodontist takes x-rays to examine the jaw and align your teeth using dental braces. These braces should be fitted to your teeth for several weeks before surgery. This will gradually push your teeth to their normal position.
- Surgical procedure: Surgical procedure starts initially by giving general anesthesia.
- Lower jaw surgery: In this surgery an incision is made inside the mouth to expose the joint potion of the jaw connecting to the front portion that supports teeth. Then deformities are corrected and repositioned the lower jaw to their normal position. Small surgical plate and screws are used to hold the jaw in their normal position.
- Upper jaw surgery: In this surgery, an incision is made inside the mouth to separate the tooth baring portion of the jaw from its base. Corrections are made by removing or reshaping or adding of jaw tissue to relocate in the normal position. Then tiny surgical plate and screws are used to hold the jaw in new position.
- Post operative treatment: Recovery time is 4-6 weeks. After completion of surgery, retainers are applied to the jaw to prevent the repositioning of jaw. Orthodontist suggest you to take liquids or soft consistency foods for some weeks.
Side effects of surgery
- Pain and discomfort after surgery
- Swelling of face but can decrease gradually
- Stiffness of jaw – It is due to the swelling of jaw but can be reduced with time