Orthognathic surgery is a major surgical procedure that’s conducted in a fully-fledged surgery center. We have a very well-equipped surgery center for performing the procedure when need be. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia. That means you will be completely unconscious while the procedure is being performed.

There are various methods of performing the procedure. The main method is where our maxillofacial surgeon separates your jaw into segments, to move it into place. This method is called segmentalism. The surgeon could also opt for the single-piece method, where the jaw is moved with minimal or no segmentation. This is often done when the jaw does not have to be moved too far.

Our surgeon will pull back your cheeks to access the inside of your mouth, although he/she might have to make incisions of the cheeks while trying the lower jaw. The complexity of the procedure depends on how far the jaw has to be moved. Most of the incisions are done inside your mouth though. Outside incisions are done when they are necessary.

While working on the front of the upper jaw, our maxillofacial surgeon might have to cut the upper lip as well. The incision is often made from inside the mouth, at the base of your nose. He/she lifts the gum tissue to access the upper jawbone, segment it, and move it into the right position. The jaw is then held in position using plates, screws, wires, and other devices.

While on your lower jaw, our surgeon will access the back of the jawbone by lifting the gum tissue along your wisdom teeth. He/she will segment the jawbone from this point, which allows it to be freely moved. They can then also be move and screwed into the right positions.

The segmentation procedure performed during orthognathic surgery has attracted many controversies. There is a common misconception that your jawbone is broken during the procedure. In most instances, the jawbone is rigid in the wrong position, and the segmentation has to be done to realign it. Learn more about recovery from the surgery.

Call Dallas Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at 972-733-0414 if you have any questions about orthognathic surgery. One of our specialists will be glad to answer them. Our aim is to help our patients rediscover their smiles and have perfect dental health.