Will jaw surgery for lack of bone lead to a change in the face?

Question

Hi doctor,

My daughter had braces for four years but her midline is off and she has a gummy smile. Her bite is fine but her teeth are not properly aligned and she does not have bone on her left side. Her orthodontist referred her to a maxillofacial surgeon who says she needs her upper jaw broken and rotated clockwise and slightly up to compensate for the lack of bone and her bottom jaw also has to be broken and rotated clockwise. It would all then be held by plates and screws. My biggest concern is that she is a beautiful girl and he says that her face will not change at all. Is that true with this kind of procedure?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The procedure which you mentioned is called as orthognathic surgery which is done if there is a skeletal malrelation between the two jaws which cannot be corrected by orthodontics alone. The procedure usually improves the aesthetics of the face and is predictable. The expected outcome can be seen by preparing mock up models before undergoing the procedure. In this procedure, the portion of the jaw is fractured to rotate in the desired direction and fixed using using plates and screws.