What is Orthognathic Surgery?

This page contains the most up-to-date information on orthognathic surgery. Also; please visit our website periodically to follow up-to-date information about orthognathic surgery and maxillofacial surgery. For more detailed information, please call our orthodontic clinic.

Orthopedic disorders, in which the lower and upper jaws develop in the wrong position with respect to the skull base, can be completely or partially corrected with braces or removable appliances (Functional treatment), if diagnosed during the growth and development period. In this case, if the necessary treatment is not done, the orthopedic disorder becomes permanent. Functions such as chewing and speaking may be impaired, and a bad appearance may appear on the face. In cases where the lower jaw is prominent, this is noticed at an earlier age and treatment is often started, but cases where the lower jaw is retrusive are often ignored. In order not to miss these problems, it is recommended to be examined by an orthodontist at the age of 6-7 years.

Although the lower jaw retrognathia is also common, it is less aesthetically pleasing. In this case, the treatment planning is done not only to correct the teeth, but also to bring the lower jaw to the correct position by surgery. In this way, the external appearance of the face also changes a lot. This treatment is called orthognathic surgery (Jaw surgery).

When the patient sees the doctor, the medical history and complaint of the person is examined in detail. Here, if the patient's complaint is fully understood and orthognathic treatment is needed, the situation is re-evaluated after a detailed x-ray, 3D scanning of the mouth and orthodontist examination. After the desired result is revealed in the digital environment, braces are placed. Orthodontic treatment of patients who will undergo orthognathic surgery (Jaw surgery) usually takes 12-24 months. Jaw surgery is performed 12-18 months after braces are placed. When planning jaw surgeries, many factors such as closure of the teeth, facial aesthetics of the patient, smile design and shape are taken into consideration. The surgery is jointly planned by the maxillofacial surgeon and the orthodontist and is performed by the maxillofacial surgeon or plastic surgeon. The times given here are general times and may vary in each case.

Although the braces of the person who will be treated for orthognathic surgery are similar to the normal braces worn in the crowding of the teeth, it requires further knowledge and experience in terms of planning the orthodontic treatment. In this sense, orthognathic surgery can even be considered as a higher specialization in terms of orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment takes around 24 months in total. At the end of this period, jaw surgery is performed and the orthodontic treatment, which lasts for a few more months, is completed with the removal of the braces.

After the braces are removed, a control process begins. In order to prevent the teeth from deteriorating again, after the removal of the clear aligner or braces, retentive wires called fixed retainers are attached to the inner surfaces of the teeth. These are kept in the mouth for the time prescribed by the orthodontist. In some cases, removable retainers are also made in the form of clear aligners to be worn at night. Retainers must be checked once a year by an orthodontist or dentist. This protocol is applied for all orthodontic patients in our Atasehir Orthodontic Center.