For adults whose jaws do not line up, braces alone cannot create a correct bite. Orthognathic surgery repositions the jaw itself, with orthodontic treatment before and after to move the teeth into place, planned jointly with your oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Some bites cannot be corrected by moving teeth, because the problem is not the teeth. When the upper and lower jaws are the wrong size or in the wrong position relative to each other, braces alone can only camouflage it.
Orthognathic surgery repositions the jaw itself. It is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in hospital, with orthodontic treatment before it to line the teeth up for the new jaw position, and after it to settle the bite precisely.
It is a significant undertaking and we treat the decision seriously. Many patients who could have surgery choose not to, and there is nothing wrong with that choice, but you should make it knowing exactly what each route can and cannot achieve.
Where the skeleton is the problem, surgery is the only route to a genuinely correct bite rather than a compensated one.
Patients frequently report easier chewing, easier breathing and relief from long-standing jaw joint discomfort.
Your orthodontist and surgeon plan the case together before any brace goes on, so both halves fit.
A bite built on properly related jaws holds far better over decades than one held together by compensation.
Records, imaging and a frank discussion of what surgery would achieve for you and what braces alone would not.
We refer you for a surgical opinion and plan the case together before treatment begins.
Twelve to eighteen months of braces to position the teeth correctly within each jaw, ready for the jaws to be moved.
Performed in hospital under general anaesthetic, followed by roughly two weeks of rest. Plan time away from work or school.
Six to twelve months of orthodontic fine-tuning after healing, then braces off and retainers fitted.
Only a full assessment can tell you. It depends on the size of the discrepancy, whether it is skeletal or dental, and how much correction you want. Many cases can be treated acceptably without surgery.
Usually two to three years end to end: twelve to eighteen months of braces before surgery, the operation and recovery, then six to twelve months of finishing.
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon, in hospital. We handle the orthodontics on either side of it and plan the case jointly with them throughout.
Plan on about two weeks away from work or school for the initial recovery, with a soft diet for several weeks after that. Your surgeon will give you specifics.
Coverage varies considerably between plans and depends on how the case is classified. Our coordinator will help you find out what your plan covers before you commit.
A series of clear, removable aligners that straighten your teeth without brackets or wires. We work with several aligner systems and choose the one that fits your case. You take them out to eat, brush and floss normally, and most people around you will never notice you are in treatment.
The most proven appliance in orthodontics, and far more comfortable than the braces you remember. High-grade stainless steel brackets and light archwires move teeth predictably, with coloured elastics if you want them.
Ceramic brackets in a translucent, tooth-toned material that blends into your smile instead of standing out against it. They work exactly like metal braces and are usually placed on the upper front teeth, where visibility matters most.
Bring us the question. You will leave knowing what surgery would achieve, what it would cost you, and what the alternative looks like.
