ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY
The word “orthognathic” comes from the greek an means: ortho: straight and gnathos: mouth, and is known as corrective jaw surgery or simply jaw surgery.
This procedure is designed to correct conditions of the jaw and face related to structure, growth, sleep apnea, TMJ disorders, malocclusion problems owing to skeletal disharmonies, or other orthodontic problems that cannot be easily treated with braces.
Originally coined by Harold Hargis, this surgery is also used to treat congenital conditions such as cleft palate. Typically during oral surgery, bone is cut via an “osteotomy” procedure, moved, modified, and realigned to correct a dentofacial deformity. The “osteotomy” cut allows the division, or excision of bone and surgeons are able to visualize the jawbone, and work accordingly.
The operation is used to correct jaw problems in about 5% of general population: Presenting with dentofacial deformities like maxillary prognathisms, mandibular prognathisms, open bites, difficulty chewing, difficulty swallowing, temporomandibular joint disorders pains, excessive wear of the teeth, and receding chins. Many surgeons prefer this procedure for the correction of a dentofacial deformity due to its effectiveness.
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The main goals of orthognathic surgery are to achieve a correct bite, an aesthetic face, and an enlarged airway.