Corrective Jaw Surgery
If you are experiencing discomfort due to misalignment of your jaw, teeth, or bite, the oral and maxillofacial surgeons at Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery can offer relief.
Transform Your Bite and Smile with Corrective Jaw Surgery
Our doctors have helped many people like you correct these issues with corrective jaw surgery, also known as orthognathic surgery. Find comfort and elevate your quality of life with this precise treatment.
There are many reasons to choose corrective jaw surgery at Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery. We can address common problems: malocclusion (underbite or overbite), crooked jaw, protruding jaw, open bite, and jaw asymmetry. These issues can cause a variety of problems, such as:
- Difficulty chewing, biting, or swallowing
- Breathing Issues
- Sleep apnea
- Chronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
- Headaches
- Facial dysfunction
- Excessive teeth wear
Any of these jaw issues can exist at birth or develop after birth as the result of genetics, environmental influences, or trauma to the face. No matter what causes your jaw problems, the Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery team can provide efficient, reliable, and predictable results.
Understanding Jaw Surgery with Our Expert Surgeons
Meet Our Specialists
Our skilled multidisciplinary team collaborates to provide comprehensive corrective jaw surgery solutions. Whether you require alignment for a minor issue or extensive treatment for a complete jaw reconstruction, we have the right approach tailored to your needs.
Your Path to a Healthy Bite: The Corrective Jaw Surgery Process
Initial Consultation
During your consultation, you and your doctor will discuss your jaw issues and treatment goals, review your medical history, perform an oral evaluation, and take necessary imaging to create a treatment plan.
This is also a good time to discuss your concerns about the procedure, including risks, benefits, alternatives, and costs. Overall, expect your initial consultation for corrective jaw surgery to take about two hours.
Personalized Treatment
We work with your orthodontist to create a personalized treatment plan that helps you achieve your overall goals. Once we finalize your treatment, our practice will contact your insurance provider to obtain authorization and discuss the financial details with you.
Depending on your treatment plan, aligning your teeth with braces or retainers may be necessary to prepare your mouth for surgery. When your orthodontist gives you the all-clear, we will schedule a return visit and set a date for your surgical procedure.
Pre-Surgical Appointment
Once your teeth are optimally aligned and prepared for corrective jaw surgery, it is time to schedule your pre-surgical appointment. At this visit, our team will take comprehensive facial X-rays and use state-of-the-art computer video imaging to create a virtual model of your teeth and facial skeleton.
Computerized treatment planning minimizes treatment times, decreases your recovery period, and improves your surgery’s overall efficacy and accuracy. With this advanced technology, we can show you in great detail how your jaw will be improved and even give you an idea of how you’ll look after surgery.
Surgery Day
Your surgery will occur at our accredited surgery center. We will put you under anesthesia, which maximizes your safety and comfort during the procedure.
After administering anesthesia, your surgeon will reposition your jaw to suit your needs. Depending on your treatment plan, your doctor can add, reshape, or remove the bone. Your surgeon may also use screws, surgical plates, rubber bands, and wires to secure your jaws in their new locations. In most cases, incisions are made inside your mouth to reduce noticeable scarring.
Recovery
Following your corrective jaw surgery, you will likely experience facial swelling, bruising, and soreness. Facial swelling will peak around day two or three and continue to subside within the first few weeks of your recovery. To minimize the swelling, we recommend you apply ice packs in intervals of twenty minutes on and off and keep your head elevated. To help with any discomfort, your doctor will prescribe you pain medication. You can expect your discomfort to improve with each passing week.
Post Surgery Follow Up
After about one week of recovery, you will meet with your surgeon for a follow-up assessment that examines how your jaw is healing.
Corrective Jaw Surgery Before & Afters
See the differences we make through oral surgery. The services that our team of skilled surgeons provides can change your smile—and your life—by improving your oral health.
