Surgical Orthodontics

Surgical orthodontics (also known as orthognathic or jaw surgery) is a type of orthodontic treatment used to correct severe cases of misaligned bites, jaw bone abnormalities, and malocclusion. This surgery helps align your upper (maxilla) and lower (mandible) jaw and is performed by an oral surgeon to address significant skeletal discrepancies that affect the ability to bite, chew, speak, breathe and other routine activities. Dr. Miller will use braces or aligners before and after surgery to work on alignment and stabilize the surgical changes. Throughout your treatment Dr. Miller will work closely with your oral surgeon to ensure that you receive the best care possible. With the latest technology and comprehensive treatment planning, we will determine if orthognathic surgery is the correct treatment option for you.

Surgical orthodontics may be needed if you have difficulty biting. Chewing, swallowing, and even snoring/sleeping. The need for surgical orthodontics occurs when a proper bite cannot be achieved with orthodontic treatment alone.

1. You experience frequent jaw pain or headaches. Frequent headaches and migraines or jaw pain can be a sign of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ). TMJ creates pain and soreness in the jaw joint and surrounding muscles and causes headaches, but corrective jaw surgery can fix TMJ.

2. You have trouble biting, chewing, or swallowing. Jaw growth sometimes occurs at differing rates for the upper and lower jaws, resulting in misaligned jaws that make eating difficult. If you have trouble biting, chewing, or swallowing, you may need orthognathic surgery.

3. You have problems with snoring, sleeping, or breathing. Sleep apnea is another symptom of a misaligned jaws. When jaws are misaligned, they can obstruct breathing passageways, resulting in sleep apnea. Oral surgeons can reverse the effects of sleep apnea through jaw surgery.

4. You have a congenital jaw problem such as:

• An “Open Bite.” -Is there a gap between your top and bottom teeth when your mouth is closed? If so, you have a condition known as open bite, and it can affect the way you speak. If your open bite is substantial, it may need to be fixed with corrective jaw surgery.
• An “Overbite”- An overbite is a type of protrusion where your front teeth overlap your lower teeth. Your upper teeth are naturally supposed to fall slightly in front of the lower, but an overbite occurs when the top teeth cover a significant portion of the bottom teeth.
• A "Deep bite" is a special kind of overbite that occurs when the upper front teeth completely cover the bottom teeth.
• An “Underbite”- An underbite is the opposite of an overbite. Instead of the top teeth overlapping the bottom, the bottom teeth fall in front of the top teeth when biting down.
• A “Crossbite”- This type of malocclusion occurs when different parts of your upper teeth come down in front of and behind your bottom teeth. So, one side is in front and one side is behind. This can happen with just a few teeth or can affect your whole mouth.    

5. You experienced a facial injury or your jawline has an unbalanced appearance. Orthognathic surgery can be used to fix jaw fractures and cosmetic irregularities in the jawline. If you sustained a major injury to your face or jaw, you might benefit from orthognathic surgery.

If you are interested in finding out how you can benefit from Surgical Orthodontics, contact Miller Orthodontics to schedule your consultation.