Jaw Surgery

In addition to your teeth and gums, your jawbones are an essential part of your smile’s health, appearance, and proper function. Besides supporting your teeth and gums, your jawbone also helps make it possible to bite and chew properly, and helps define the shape and integrity of your smile. When congenital or emergency issues affect your jawbone, surgery may be required to correct the issue. As experts in addressing complex oral and facial issues, oral surgeons can often perform a variety of surgical procedures designed to correct, repair, strengthen, and/or reinforce your smile’s foundation.

When Jaw Surgery Is Required

Jaw surgery can address a number of different issues, though it is typically only recommended when necessary. For instance, if you’ve suffered from accidental tooth avulsion, then surgery may be required to repair any damage to the jawbone structure surrounding the tooth root. If you wish to replace lost teeth with dental implants, but your jawbone has lost a significant amount of density, then jawbone grafting may be necessary to fortify it before your implant posts can be placed.

In cases where a jawbone abnormality disrupts your bite’s alignment, a combination of orthodontic treatment and jaw surgery may be necessary to properly realign your oral structures. The procedure is referred to as orthognathic surgery, and can provide significant, life-changing improvement for patients with severe malocclusion.