Surgical orthodontics

Traitement avec chirurgieIf orthodontics straightens teeth, maxillofacial surgery fixes jaws.

Surgery allows patient recovering functions: chewing, nose breathing, full bite closure. It corrects skeletal problems without bone growth. The face seems more harmonious, while keeping own characteristics. Moving jaws also moves teeth and reduces overall treatment duration.

Surgery has to be associated with orthodontics to facilitate surgeon’s work and get best final result.

Who needs ortho-surgical treatment?

Individuals who have no more growth and a significant jaw discrepancy impossible to correct by simple tooth movement. Orthodontic preparation for surgery can begin before growth ends, but all growth must be completed by the time surgery begins.

How does this work in practice?

Pré et postchirurgie
Before and after surgery

The patient wears braces for 6 to 18 months. During preparation phase,orthodontist aligns teeth on a dental arch form identical for lower and upper jaw.This can might make jaw’s discrepancy more visible.

The patient visits the surgeon two months before operation with recent castings to confirm accurency of surgical plan. A couple of days before operation, hooks and/or buttons are placed on patient’s mouth teeth by the orthodontist. The patient keeps these devices during surgery.

The surgeon uses hooks and/or buttons to attach elastics between the 2 jaws and maintain the work done. This lasts 3-4 weeks, while the bone heals (semi-liquid food).

4 weeks after operation the patient goes back to orthodontist and keeps elastic wear 24h/24 between the jaws for final proper teeth coordination.

It usually takes 3-4 months of orthodontic finishing after surgery.

This website gives access to general information about orthodontic treatments. It is not meant to replace personal patient / practitioner relationship that you will get in our clinic.