Surgical Orthodontics

When you think about orthodontics, have you ever thought of surgery? Probably not. Orthodontics is a dental practice that deals with not only straightening the teeth but also correcting problems of the jaw and its bite. Surgical orthodontics or also known as orthognathic surgery is the correction of the jaw. We offer this procedure to improve the functionality of the patient's teeth, but most of our patients have seen noticeable improvements in appearance as well. With proper bite and function, it makes it easier to perform orthodontic straightening. We are trained to perform orthodontic care along with surgical orthodontics to transform your smile. Learn Orthodontics Adults.

What Surgical Orthodontics Focuses On

Surgical orthodontics are several procedures meant to correct abnormalities in the patient's jawbone, malocclusion, bad bites, and improve facial aesthetics. A healthy mouth should not have a bad bite. Your teeth should grow correctly and maintain its optimal functionality. Surgical orthodontics, according to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons http://www.aaoms.org/ is needed for the following reasons:

Facial Injury - Surgical orthodontics is used to correct the alignment of the jaw caused by injuries and accidents so that the jaw can heal into proper alignment.

Birth Defects - Surgical orthodontics is used to correct palate and cleft lip in which the upper lip or mouth are split at birth. When there are problems with the palate (roof of the mouth), it can also be fixed with surgery.

Malocclusion - The upper teeth should almost perfectly fit the lower teeth to protect the tongue and prevent biting your cheeks or irritating the soft tissues in the mouth. The shape of the teeth or if there is a missing tooth in the mouth, can create malocclusion. Malocclusion can also occur to patients with extra teeth, tumors, fractures, damaged dental appliances, and injuries. The misalignment can be corrected with surgical orthodontics.

Unbalanced Facial Appearance - This could happen due to facial injury or at birth. Some patients have seen to have misaligned facial bones and also have jawbones misaligned. This causes unbalanced facial appearance. Surgery is usually needed to correct alignment and restore the function of the jaw for speaking, chewing, and day to day tasks.

Problems with bite - Common problems of the bite are open bite, overbite, crossbite, and underbite. With an open bite, the upper and lower teeth don't overlap. With an overbite, the upper teeth extend over the lower teeth. An underbite is when the lower jaw extends out and the lower teeth in the front and upper teeth. With a crossbite, the jaw may grow misaligned, causing problems with the upper and lower teeth.

Protruding jaw - the upper or lower jaw protrudes way far forward, which can lead to speech problems and chewing.

Sleep Apnea - We generally provide various types of retainers for sleep apnea cases. Still, in severe cases, surgical orthodontics is needed to fix the jaw and protect the health of the patient.

Chronic TMJ - TMJ usually stems from the injury of the jaw, clenching or grinding of teeth, arthritis, movement of the cartilage in the joint. These can be treated with surgery if retainers or mouth appliances cannot correct the problem.

Read Oral Hygiene Best Practices for Healthy Teeth

Surgical orthodontic treatment for patients aged 18 or older for boys and 16 and older for girls as the jaws are fully developed at this age. Surgical treatments can take several years to complete, but the results will last a lifetime. Surgical orthodontics not only improves the appearance, but also enhances how the person chews, talks, and gives them a lower risk of decay that occurs due to the misalignment of teeth and jaw. Read dental braces for Teens and Clear braces for adults.