What are the risks of jaw surgery?

Doctor's Answers 1

Photo of Dr Kok Sen Ho
Dr Kok Sen Ho

Dentist, Oral Surgeon

Thanks for the D2D. Jaw surgery is considered a safe and effective treatment for misaligned jaws. Nonetheless, as it is a surgery after all, there are risks in the short and long run.

The risks that may occur right after surgery includes:

  • Bleeding – Minor nose bleeds may be experienced for one or two weeks after surgery on the upper jaw
  • Swelling – Swelling usually becomes worse on the third day.
  • Abrasion – As the surgery is done from inside your mouth, there might be abrasions at the corners of your lips. You may be given a medicated cream to apply or Vaseline works as well.
  • Infection – This is possible after any type of surgery. A course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication will be given to mitigate this.
  • Numbness - After the surgery, some numbness or altered sensation is expected. It does not affect the appearance or function of the lips. The numbness subsides on the upper lip relatively quickly.
  • Nausea – Feeling nauseous and vomiting are common after effects of general anesthesia.
  • Jaw joint stiffness – This may take place for several months. The best way to overcome this is to exercise the muscles more by chewing.

The risks that may occur in the long run includes:

  • Permanent numbness – In the case of the lower lip, it may take six months or less to recover from the numbness. In very rare cases, patient experiences permanent numbness or altered sensation after the surgery due to a damaged nerve.
  • Infection of plates – The plates that were used to secure the new position of the jaw underneath the gums may become infected, especially if patient is a smoker. In such cases, the plates are removed.
  • Relapse in the position of the jaw – As the muscular force that caused the misalignment in jaw is still present, there is a small chance that the jaw and teeth may move back towards their original position.

However, it is not common for these long term risks to occur. For majority of the patients who undergo jaw surgery, the benefits significantly outweighs the risks.

Similar Questions

How can I reduce the protrusion of my upper lip?

In order to decide which method would most effective, we would need to assess and treat the cause of the protrusion. If it is due to protruding upper teeth which are flaring out and causing the lip to come forward, braces or Invisalign treatment would be ideal to reduce the protrusion. There may be a possibility that extractions of some teeth may be required to provide some space for the upper front teeth to move back into. Sometimes, it may be due to the imbalance of the upper and lower jaws.

Photo of Dr Geraldine Lee

Answered By

Dr Geraldine Lee

Orthodontist

Can Invisalign or braces help to fix a slanted jaw without the need for jaw surgery?

It is great that you are thinking about correcting your bite. With skeletal issues such as a slanted jaw, surgery is indeed required in order to achieve a good stable bite. However depending on the degree of skeletal discrepancy (slanted jaw) braces / invisalign are still options for you to consider in order to straighten out your teeth and give you a good smile. Straight and aligned teeth can be achieved but there are limitations so it depends on what your ideal smile is! My suggestion would be to consider all your options and if needed seek a second opinion.

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Answered By

Dr Beth Seow

Dentist

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