The team of ivy-league trained specialists here at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Nevada is nationally known for their extensive surgical skills. Orthognathic surgery is just one of our many services in Summerlin and the East Side of Las Vegas.

It’s not always our first choice, but orthognathic surgery may offer the most effective solution for a variety of structural imperfections that can significantly affect your jaw health and facial appearance. 

Find out more about this intricate procedure that we use to correct everything from cleft lip to breathing disorders associated with sleep apnea.

What is orthognathic surgery?

In medical speak, ortho means “straight” or “erect,” and gnathic refers to the jaw. Thus, orthognathic surgery refers to surgical procedures designed to correct (make straight) abnormalities in your jaw structure.

We use the term to generally identify procedures that we provide to repair numerous facial/jaw irregularities not correctable with other dental treatments such as orthodontics.

What conditions do you treat with orthognathic surgery?

The goal of orthognathic surgery is to improve how your jaw and teeth function by realigning your teeth and correcting functional irregularities of the jawbones. The surgery can help:

• Correct speech, chewing and swallowing difficulties related to irregular jaw structure

• Improve facial symmetry by correcting a receding chin, crossbite, overbite, etc.

• Relieve pain caused by jaw disorders such as TMJ

• Minimize excessive wear and breakdown of the teeth related to jaw misalignment

• Repair congenital disabilities such as cleft lip and cleft palate

• Correct jaw irregularity responsible for obstructive sleep apnea

We also provide orthognathic surgery to cosmetically and structurally repair facial injuries sustained during trauma or rebuild structural abnormalities resulting from various medical procedures/therapies used to treat jaw cancer.

Who should consider orthognathic surgery?

At Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, we’re committed to providing the most effective yet most conservative treatments available for your oral concerns. Our team’s recommendation for surgery is guided by the nature of your symptoms as well as your possible response to other, less invasive therapies.   

Obstructive sleep apnea, for instance, may respond well to an oral appliance that corrects jaw alignment as you sleep. Surgery may be a viable alternative if that approach fails. Misaligned bites are often correctable with braces. Cleft lip and cleft palate, on the other hand, typically require surgical correction.

After completing a thorough evaluation, your team discusses any recommended surgery in detail before scheduling your procedure, including the expected outcome and information regarding the healing process.

Depending on the nature of your condition, braces and other dental treatments may be necessary before and after corrective jaw surgery, which is performed in-hospital under general anesthesia and generally lasts about four hours.  

Our team at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates provides patients with the most effective treatments available for a wide variety of oral/dental issues, including corrective jaw surgery.

We’re also committed to a patient-first approach that’s designed to relieve dental anxiety and stress. Schedule your evaluation today!