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Orthognathic Surgery

At Gutsche Orthodontics, our Paoli orthodontist, Dr. Stuart Gutsche provides children, teenagers and adults with high quality, personalized orthodontic care using all the latest types of braces and cutting-edge technologies. Whether you’re looking for an orthodontist in Paoli to provide your child with the early treatment they need or want to improve your own smile, we can meet all your family’s orthodontic needs in one convenient location.

About Surgical Orthodontic Treatment

While the main goal of orthodontic treatment is to not only straighten teeth but to also correct malocclusions or “bad bites”, surgical orthodontic treatment, which is also called corrective jaw surgery or orthognathic surgery, is used to correct abnormalities of the facial bones, specifically the jaw. Often times, these abnormalities can make it difficult to chew, speak, breathe and sleep properly.

Orthognathic surgery is used to correct problems with the jaw and works in conjunction with braces to improve the overall appearance of the facial profile. When a patient undergoes orthognathic surgery, both the patient’s jaw issues and teeth alignment problems will be corrected.

Are You a Good Candidate?

Often times the best candidates for surgical orthodontic treatment are adults who are no longer growing and whom have aesthetic concerns about their malocclusions. For girls, the jaw is typically done growing around the age of 16 and for boys, jaw growth is completed around age 18. In order for orthognathic surgery to be effective, the patient must be done growing as even a small growth spurt can affect the surgical results. However, the teeth can be brought into proper alignment through the use of orthodontic appliances in the years beforehand.

What Orthognathic Surgery is Like

Orthognathic surgery is performed by an oral surgeon in a hospital. This surgery involves straightening and realigning the jaws. The main purpose of this surgery is to correct an improper bite that may be causing problems with speech, chewing food or even sleep. Sometimes this surgery is used to correct birth defects, to address chronic jaw joint (TMJ) pain, involuntary mouth-breathing or to treat facial or jaw trauma and injury.

After surgery, you can return to work or school after two weeks. You will need four to eight weeks for healing. Once the healing is complete, your orthodontist will make some adjustments to your smile. If you have braces, they are typically removed within six months to one year following the surgery. Then once the braces come off, you will be given a retainer to wear to hold your teeth in their new positions.

Contact Your Local Paoli Orthodontist

At Gutsche Orthodontics, we’re proud to offer exceptional orthodontic care to patients of all ages living in Paoli, Wayne, Berwyn, Malvern and Devon, PA and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions about orthodontic surgery please contact our office as we’re always happy to hear from you! If you’d like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gutsche, please complete the Request a Free Consultation form. We’re look forward to meeting you soon and helping you achieve the healthy and attractive smile you deserve!