Corrective jaw surgery – also called orthognathic surgery – is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) to correct a wide range of minor and major skeletal and dental irregularities, including the misalignment of jaws and teeth. Surgery can improve chewing, speaking and breathing. While the patient’s appearance may be dramatically enhanced as a result of the surgery, orthognathic surgery is performed to correct functional problems.

Following are some of the conditions that may indicate the need for corrective jaw surgery:
Difficulty chewing or biting food
Difficulty swallowing
Chronic jaw or jaw joint (TMJ) pain and headaches
Excessive wear of the teeth
Open bite (space between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed)
Unbalanced facial appearance from the front or side
Facial injury
Birth defects
Receding lower jaw and chin
Protruding jaw
Inability to make the lips meet without straining
Chronic mouth breathing
Sleep apnea (breathing problems when sleeping, including snoring)