Jaw surgery (orthognathic treatment)
Jaw surgery may be offered as a treatment option when there is a big size mismatch between your upper and lower jaws, a large asymmetry, or if your jaws have grown away from each other resulting in a gap between your front teeth. When this occurs, it will not be possible for braces alone to straighten your teeth and provide you with a good bite.
Jaw surgery is an elective procedure and you should allow yourself plenty of time to weigh up the benefits and risks of this complex treatment.
On average, treatment will take 2.5-3 years to complete. The first stage in the process is to align your teeth in preparation for jaw surgery. This takes approximately 18 months. The jaw surgery is performed under general anaesthetic and you should expect to have one or two nights in hospital afterwards. Once discharged, recovery takes between four and six weeks. After the operation you will need at least six months of brace treatment and then retainers will be provided.
To find out more about this treatment please visit the website below: