In general, person with malocclusion or issue with jawbone which affects physical appearance requires the treatment of orthognathic surgery.

Malocclusion frequently causes buck-toothed, underbite, bird’s beak, crooked face and moon-shaped face. However, there are other effects of malocclusion. For instance, upper and lower teeth do not touch each other (openbite), buccual or lingual position biting (crossbite), and asymmetric of occlusal plane. These conditions may lead to other issues with eating, talking, breathing, temporomandibular joint and social adaptability.

Malocclusion may cause a person to have difficulty in cutting or chewing food because the upper and lower teeth do not make contact. Furthermore, dislocation of upper/lower lips and tongue may result in the inability to pronounce certain words. In some cases, person with malocclusion may have abnormal jawbone motion in order to compromise the misalignment of their occlusion. Subsequently, this may lead to chronic headache and chronic temporomandibular joint disorder. Moreover, the psychological influences should not be overlooked as malocclusion often lead to issues with social adaptability because it greatly affects facial appearance.

Visual is the primary method used by human beings to recognize one another. In the process of interpersonal interaction, most people start to learn about another person through their appearance. All of us are unwilling to see another person surrendering their deserved social enjoyment due to the facial appearance which does not meet their expectation. Face is the window leading to the world and you should show the world who you really are.

Orthognathic surgery involves moving upper and lower jaws to their best positions. It is a jawbone reconstruction surgical procedure. When a jawbone is underdeveloped or disproportioned, orthognathic surgery should be applied to alleviate through the possible adjustments in function, aesthetics, and health perspectives.

No, not every case of malocclusion requires orthognathic surgery.

Malocclusion is indeed a specific term as we usually refer it as dentofacial deformity, which include the two factors influencing the facial appearance (teeth and jawbone).

Generally, person with normal jawbone development but misaligned teeth can be treated by orthodontic treatment alone. Orthodontic treatment refers to the application of orthodontic braces (or simply braces) to the teeth, which is performed by an orthodontist.

Abnormal development of jawbone requires both the treatment from orthodontics and orthognathic surgery. The adjustment of jawbone location with orthognathic surgery is performed by the maxillofacial surgeon, while the adjustment of teeth alignment with orthodontic treatment is performed by the orthodontist.

The beginning age for treatment depends on jawbone developmental progress. It is advisable to received orthodontic treatments first. When the jawbones have ceased in growth then the orthognathic surgery can be performed.

In most cases, orthognathic surgery is combined with orthodontic treatment to achieve optimal result. The teeth have to be moved to the ideal position for accurate occlusion after the surgery.

There are various aesthetic considerations taken into account during an orthognathic surgery. However, orthognathic surgery should also improve function at the same time. The primary essences of orthognathic surgery are to achieve accurate and aesthetical position besides assuring accurate dental occlusion.

Yes, this surgery should be performed under general anesthesia.

There are various factors affecting the recovery period. However, at least one to two weeks of resting is required.

Person who requires orthognathic surgery can be easily noticed with issues of their face even by person without professional training. Issues with the face include protruded chin, receded jawbone, malocclusion and other minor symptoms which can only be diagnosed by professionally trained personnel. Specialists in orthodontics and maxillofacial will allow you to better understand if an orthognathic surgery is needed.

Orthognathic surgery is performed with general anesthesia and surgical duration may vary for different individuals. A fast surgery may takes about two to three hours while some cases require a surgical duration of five to six hours. An intraoral incision is initially made to expose the bone before a series of surgery procedures. Subsequently, plates and screws are used to secure the bone before suture is performed. Depends on the situation, binding of the upper and lower teeth may not be required.

After the surgery, patient has to stay in the hospital for 1 to 3 days. During the first week post-surgery, patient should take more rest and strenuous exercise should be avoided within a month. Face swelling is a common condition and bruises may occur. Generally, 60-70% of post-operative swelling will resolve after two weeks.

Dentofacial problems will affect function, appearance and health. Without treatment to recovery function, the person may have difficulty to chew, discrepancy in pronunciation and inability to close lips together. In addition, it may influence the health of teeth, gums and temporomandibular joint. Facial appearance will directly or indirectly affect the patient’s life quality.