Surgical Orthodontics

Diagram showing jaw and maxilla surgeries, including orthognathic and mandibular osteotomy for jaw surgery, and maxillary osteotomy for maxilla surgery, with side profiles of a woman and illustrations of skull bones with surgical cuts.

In some cases where the main cause of the malocclusion is due to a skeletal discrepancy, surgical orthodontics is needed to create a stable and functional result. Our office will work with your oral and maxillofacial surgeon to decompensate the teeth prior to jaw surgery and fine tune the bite after jaw surgery. We understand orthognathic surgery can be a little overwhelming and scary - we will be there with you every step of the way to guide you through the process and its expectations.

Some examples of bites that may need orthodontics combined with orthognathic surgery are:

  • A severe underbite, or “Class III” bite, is often caused by a smaller or retrognathic maxilla, larger or prognathic mandible, or a combination of both. Depending on severity and age, surgical orthodontics is often needed for stable correction.

  • A severe overjet or “overbite” as the public often calls it, is often caused by a deficient and recessed lower jaw. Surgical orthodontics is needed to level out the teeth and move the lower jaw forward for proper form and function.

  • Open bites in adults can often be caused by a long and vertically inclined lower jaw. This type of bite often needs surgical orthodontics to be corrected.