Jaw Surgery

Jaw surgery aka orthognathic surgery is often performed for either cosmetic, functional or health reasons. Jaw surgeries are often performed to change the positions of some of the bones in the jaw. There may be deformities from birth or perhaps there was an accident and the jaw was injured. Of course, jaw surgery also occurs as a precursor to orthodontic treatment.

Some people know when they need jaw surgery. For instance, you might need lower jaw surgery because of a huge underbite that cannot be totally corrected with orthodontia. In addition, you may not be able to close your mouth properly either. Jaw surgery for an underbite is common just as is an orthodontic upper jaw surgery to correct an overbite. Your orthodontist and oral surgeon can show you pictures of lower jaw surgery if you are curious to know what exactly jaw surgery is.

Just like your dog that might have had canine jaw cancer surgery, you could have a similar fate if you too had cancer in the jaw bone. Tumors, cancer and conditions like TMJ are among the medial reasons for jaw surgery and why it is an only option. Reconstructive jaw surgeries may be a necessity for those people who have been in an accident or require extensive corrections to correct malformations of the face.

If your teeth don’t quite meet together or they are growing crooked, you may be a candidate for jaw realignment surgery. Whatever the reasoning is for jaw surgery, be sure that you get plenty of medical opinions from different doctors who are from different practices. You need to cover all your bases as some people every year end up with unnecessary surgery.

Recovery from jaw surgery can be slow. You may or may not have your jaw wired shut. Recovering from jaw surgery takes some ingenuity and great tips from your doctors and nurses. Since your jaw is wired, you cannot eat solid foods. Therefore, your menu has to become rather creative. In other words, you have to exist on liquid recipes after jaw surgery until such time as the wires are removed.

Jaw surgery is a serious thing to deal with. However, many times it may be needed for future orthodontia treatments or even to correct a problem that has been interfering in your life like TMJ (grinding of the teeth). Whatever your reasons for jaw surgery are, always look for that second or third or fourth opinion until you feel comfortable that you have all the facts understood.