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08
Mar
Key Facts You Should Know about Corrective Jaw Surgery
Corrective jaw surgery, aka orthognathic surgery, is used to correct abnormalities in your jaws that impact the function of your jaws and teeth. Jaw surgery addresses misalignment problems that orthodontics alone can’t fix. A dental evaluation by Dr. Nicolas Ravon from Nicolas A. Ravon, DDS, MSD, Beverly Hills, California, can determine if you’re a good candidate for jaw surgery treatment. Here’s what you should know about this procedure.
Reasons to Consider Corrective Jaw Surgery
Not all dental problems require jaw surgery to fix. Jaw surgery, however, can help remedy numerous dental issues, including:
- Problems with biting, chewing, swallowing, or speaking
- TMJ pain and chronic headaches
- Excessive wear and tear on your teeth
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Congenital disabilities or facial injuries that hinder jaw function or alter your appearance
- Facial asymmetry
Facts about Corrective Jaw Surgery
The following facts about jaw surgery can help you make a wise decision concerning this treatment:
- The primary purpose of corrective jaw surgery is to improve your bite and jaw function. Any improvements in your speech or appearance are secondary.
- Corrective jaw surgery can correct misalignments in your jaw caused by dental trauma, birth defects, or defective jaw development.
- Realigning your jaw can minimize undue wear and tear on your teeth.
- Jaw surgery can minimize TMJ symptoms and provide sleep apnea relief.
- Corrective jaw surgery can be combined with orthodontic treatment to improve the function of your jaw, your smile’s appearance, and facial symmetry.
- Most patients can return home the same day as their jaw surgery.
- The average time for resuming normal activities after jaw surgery is 1-3 weeks. Complete healing, however, can take up to a year.
If you’re considering jaw surgery to relieve TMJ symptoms, oral appliance therapy for TMJ offers an alternative to this surgical procedure. Oral appliances like nightguards can help relax muscle tension in your jaw to relieve pain, facilitate jaw movement, and improve your bite.
Contact Dr. Nicolas Ravon from Nicolas A. Ravon, DDS, MSD in Beverly Hills, CA, to learn more about corrective jaw surgery, oral appliance therapy, and other TMJ treatments at (310) 275-5325.