Orthognathic (Jaw and Chin) Surgery
These procedures, which are known as osteotomies include surgery to either the maxilla (upper jaw) or mandible (lower jaw) or both (bimaxillary osteotomy) and is usually combined with orthodontic treatment carried out by an Orthodontist.
Typically the Orthodontist prepares the patient for surgery by placing the teeth in a position so that when the jaws are moved the teeth will fit together. After appropriate preparation by the Orthodontist surgery can then be carried out to move the jaw(s). It is possible to move both upper and lower jaws to the appropriate position in one surgical procedure. Single jaw surgery typically takes about an hour to perform.
Following single jaw surgery patients can expect to be swollen post operatively for approximately two weeks. In lower jaw surgery the most commonly encountered complication can be numbness or tingling of the lower lip due to interference with the inferior dental nerve, which runs through the lower jaw. This generally recovers fully, though patients must be aware that the lip may be numb for weeks or even months following surgery.
Two jaw or bimaxillary surgery usually results in a three-week recovery period. The emphasis in the treatment of dento-facial deformity is on obtaining the correct dental occlusion i.e. the teeth must meet correctly. However, movement of jaws may change a patient’s appearance and emphasis is placed by Mr Johnson on obtaining the best aesthetic result. Mr Johnson has unrivalled experience in this form of surgery in the UK and receives referrals from throughout the UK and also from abroad. He lectures widely nationally and internationally on this subject and has an international reputation in this area.
Chin retrusion or prominence can also be corrected by means of a procedure called a genioplasty.