Existence of a proper jaw line in individuals is one of the most desired attributes for personality judgement since ages. Some may be blessed with attractive jaw lines and some may not be that lucky. Some may have lost their proper jaw formation due to injuries, accidents etc. For those unfortunate individuals, jaw correction surgery or orthognathic surgery (medical term) is a boon that is brought about by advancements in the dental field. It is a surgical procedure done to realign the deformed jaw structure to acquire facial symmetry and to treat deformations. Corrective jaw surgery helps to treat wide range of conditions as explained below in this blog.
Asymmetry of jaws – It is a condition in which there are non uniformities within the upper and lower jaws or left and right side of jaws causing discomfort. This may happen due to un-uniform growth by age or due to injuries. This condition can be corrected by treatments that may include wearing an orthopaedic dental appliance, conditioning of jaw muscles, diet modifications, stress reduction etc.
Gummy smile – Gummy smile is an aesthetic jaw condition which is identified by vertical excess of the upper jaw (maxilla). One should not be forced to hold their smile for any reasons as the smile is the best way of expressing one’s happiness. There are expert orthognathic surgeons to treat the gummy smile condition with minimal invasions and put back the smile in.
Chronic mouth breathing –Individuals with disfigured jaw structure may sometimes face breathing difficulties. This may force the individual to breathe through mouth instead of nose which may result in serious health complications in the long run. The disfigured jaws can be realigned and well positioned by an orthognathic surgeon to get rid of chronic mouth breathing.
Cross-bite – Cross-bite is one of the malocclusions in which a tooth is positioned either closer to the cheek or tongue than the relative antagonist tooth. Apart from being an aesthetic problem, it badly hinders with normal activities like chewing food, causing headaches, pain in the neck and other dento-facial problems. This condition can be treating using a removable expander or by using braces.
Jaw correction surgery restores the individual’s jaw functionalities by getting rid of malformations in the jaw line. Expert orthognathic surgeons who are board-certified will consider performing jaw correction with minimal discomfort to the individual and sometimes they can help to overcome the above mentioned problems just with lifestyle changes.