Pre- jaw surgery questions

Will I look very different after the

operation?

You will almost certainly look different to

some degree. How different, usually

depends on how much movement of the

jaws is required. You should discuss this

with your orthodontist/ oral and

maxillofacial surgeon.

How long will the overall treatment

take?

It usually takes 12 - 36 months but will

vary according to how severe your case

is. Failed and cancelled appointments or

repeated breakages of the brace will add

to the overall treatment time.

How often will I need an appointment?

You will need frequent and regular

appointments with the orthodontist during

treatment for the brace to be adjusted.

Do I still need to see my regular

dentist?

Yes. It will be important you still have

check-ups with your regular dentist

throughout orthodontic treatment. Your

orthodontist will not be checking your

teeth for decay.

If you have any further questions that

you feel you would like to ask, then

please write them down and bring

them with you to your next appointment.

It is important you fully understand

what is involved in having orthodontic

treatment before you decide to go

ahead.If you are considering having

orthodontics and jaw surgery you may

have a number of questions you would

like answered.

Why might I need surgery?

In order to correct the position of the

teeth and provide a functioning bite, the

supporting bones of the jaws must be in

the correct position. If this is not the

case, orthodontics alone will not correct

the bite. Surgery will be required to move

the jaws into the proper position so the

teeth will then meet correctly.

If I need jaw surgery, why do I also

require orthodontics?

If the jaws are to be moved into the

correct position, it is important your teeth

are moved so that they will meet properly

after surgery.

What type of brace will I need to wear?

Fixed braces are used prior to jaw

surgery because they permit the most

accurate positioning of the teeth prior to

the operation.

The bite before surgery

The bite after surgery

Are the braces removed just before

the operation?

No, the braces remain in position during

and after the operation for a number of

months. During the operation they help

the surgeon to position the jaws correctly.

After the operation they help the

orthodontist fine tune the bite with the aid

of elastic bands.

How will the operation be done?

The majority of the operation will be done

from inside your mouth.

Will my jaws be wired together?

Patients having jaw surgery used to have

their teeth wired together for 6 - 8 weeks

afterwards. However, this is now fairly

unusual, as small metal plates are used

to hold the fracture sites together. These

plates are on the surface of the bone but

beneath the skin, and generally remain in

place forever. Very occasionally they are

removed at a later date.

How long will I be in hospital?

This varies, but in general between 3 - 5

days.

Can I eat normally?

Yes, up until the operation you should be

able to eat normally. For your orthodontic

treatment to work well and in the shortest

possible time it is important you take care

of your teeth and brace. In order to prevent

damage to both, you should avoid the

following:

• Toffees, boiled sweets, sugared

chewing gum, chocolate bars, etc.

• Fizzy drinks including diet drinks,

excessive amounts of fruit juice.

• Hard foods which might damage the

brace such as crunchy apples, crusty

bread rolls, etc.

Hard foods can be eaten with care if you

cut them up first.

After the operation you will have a more

liquid diet for the first few weeks.

However, the dietician at the hospital will

advise you about this nearer the time.

Are there any after effects?

You will have some swelling and bruising

after the operation. This will rapidly begin

to subside over the first 2 - 3 weeks. For

operations on the lower jaw it is fairly

common to have some numbness of the

lower lip for some weeks or months

afterwards. In a very small number of

cases a residual area of numbness will

remain. This numbness will not affect

movement of your lip, only the feeling in it,

in a similar way to an injection at the

dentist. As with any operation, you will

have to take it easy for the first week or

two afterwards. You should therefore

expect to be off college/ work for at least

this length of time.

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