The main purpose of having a corrective jaw surgery is to improve the normal functionality and not for cosmetic purposes. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Sydney has the best facility and professions to help you through the surgery.
Correction of Dentofacial Deformities
Are you a good candidate for the surgery? There are several conditions the operation can correct and function challenges it can eliminate. If any of the following are true for you, you may be a good candidate for the procedure: it’s challenging to chew, bite or swallow properly; you suffer from TMJ; you’ve been impaired by facial trauma; you struggle with sleep apnea; or, you have any number of common jaw deformities, such as an open bite, or a protruding or receding lower jaw. These are just a few of the conditions that surgery can correct.
Because it is a major surgery, your oral surgeon will assess whether or not the procedure is right for you. In addition to being healthy overall, a good candidate will be educated and enter into the operation with proper expectations. For most patients, corrective jaw surgery is not a quick fix. It requires orthodontic care, often before and after the procedure, that can last years.
Below are examples of conditions that may show that you need to undergo the surgery
- Difficulty in chewing
- Birth defects
- Difficulty swallowing
- Facial injury
- Receding of the chin and the lower jaw
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Inability to have the lips meet without straining
- Protruding jaw
A large component of being an informed patient is understanding how the surgery is performed and what steps may be included. Because the jaw bones themselves are going to be moved, the teeth must be moved as well. Orthodontic care before the operation ensures that your teeth are properly located and fit together following the surgery. During the actual operation, your surgeon will shift bone placement, and he or she may need to add, remove or reshape the jaws based on your specific desired outcome. Some patients may require additions of screws, bands or metal plates to hold the new configuration together. Luckily, most corrective jaw surgeries can be done through incisions on the inside, as opposed to the outside part of the mouth, which eliminates visible scarring.
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Recovery Plan
The immediate recovery period following the surgery lasts around six weeks, but full recovery including follow-up visits and orthodontic care lasts between nine and twelve months. For many, it can last longer, but the healing process starts immediately following the operation. Patients will have to modify their diets, consuming liquids and foods that require little to no jaw movement, for a doctor specified the amount of time. Pain management medications will be prescribed, along with instructions for keeping the head elevated; keeping swelling at bay with ice and cold compresses, and getting plenty of water and rest. The key to recovering property after corrective jaw surgery, or any surgery, is to follow your doctor’s post-operative instructions without fail.
After you have completely healed from the procedure, you can look forward to having a more natural, easily functioning and balanced face and jaw. You will likely benefit from enhanced breathing and the abilities to chew, close the mouth fully, swallow and much more following your corrective jaw surgery.
