Hi,
Thank you for your enquiry. As an orthodontist, I work closely with oral maxillofacial surgeons for patients requiring jaw surgeries. They handle the surgery and movement of the jaw, and we take care of the teeth alignment and the bite. These go hand in hand, rarely one without the other.
The aim of corrective jaw surgery or orthognathic surgery is to produce the desired profile change and improve the bite for the patient. Sometimes, patients may have specific requests with regards to the surgical movements of the jaws. It would be best to have a detailed discussion with the oral surgeon who is performing the surgery, to understand and agree on the surgical movements planned and any possible side effects - basically what to expect from the surgery. With advances in technology, patients are able to view digital simulations to see the potential outcome of the surgery as well. You may request this from your oral surgeon.
At times, patients may undergo some degree of relapse, which is movement of the jaw towards the original position. Of course this is undesired, but there are ways to prevent it or minimize relapse, your oral surgeon will be able to advise you better on this.
Good communication with your oral surgeon is the most important, if you and your surgeon understand each other well, the risk of undesired cosmetic effects to your face will be minimized.
Hope this helps, all the best!
Warm regards,
Dr Geraldine Lee
Orthodontist
