What you need to know about:

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

Fast Fact

89%

Worth It Rating

Average Cost:

$12,200

Recovery Period:

6-12 weeks

Permanence:

Permanent

177

Doctors

Time it takes:

2-5 hours

Hospitals & Clinics

Reviews

Anesthetize:

General anesthesia

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Overview of

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

in Thailand

Also known as “orthognathic surgery”, jaw surgery can reform and rearrange the jaw line. It is done by maxillofacial or oral surgeons who often work together with an orthodontist to fully correct the teeth and jawline.

There are many reasons why doctors may suggest jaw surgery e.g. in case of an underbite, excessive jaw growth, or for aesthetic and functional reasons following an accident.

Goals of

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

Some aspects that orthognathic surgery may help you with:

Realigning your bite and more specifically your teeth and jaw position when you shut your mouth
Fixing facial asymmetry (one side of the jaw is more developed than the other)
Helping to alleviate pain and discomfort following TMJ disorder
Recovering after an accident or inherited condition that affects the facial structure
Stopping additional teeth damage
Helping with biting, chewing, and swallowing tasks
Tackling breathing issues e.g. mouth breathing and sleep apnea (breath disturbance during sleep).

Price of

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

in Thailand

Average Cost

$12,200

Price Range

$4,400 to $20,000

Pros and cons of

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

Pros

More symmetrical lower face area
Better teeth function
Improved sleep, breathing patterns, eating, and swallowing
Improved speech problems

Cons

Corrective jaw surgery costs both time and money.
You must have braces attached to realign your teeth to their new position before the jaw surgery and during the phase in-between, your bite will worsen before it gradually improves.
You will have to adopt several lifestyle changes such as following a special diet and staying away from smoking and extra hard physical activities.
Pain and discomfort are expected right after surgery, but your doctor may prescribe you some painkillers to ease the pain.
You will have to stay at home for up to 3 weeks following surgery to recover before you go back to work or school.

How it works:

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

Maxillary osteotomy (oral bone cutting)

Maxillary osteotomy refers to the surgical intervention that is performed on your maxilla (the upper jaw).

Cases where maxillary osteotomy may be needed feature:

Upper jawline coming out or too much or visibly pushed back
An open bite makes back teeth unable to touch once the mouth is shut
A crossbite, which leads to the bottom teeth laying beyond your upper teeth when you close your mouth
Midface hypoplasia– a condition where the middle zone of the face hasn’t grown normally.

Procedure summary

During this surgery, your doctor will:

Make a slit in the gums over your upper teeth, enabling them to reach the bones on your top jawline.
Make a cut into the jaw bone in a manner that enables them to function as one item.
Bring this part of the upper jaw forward if necessary so that it matches the lower teeth line.
Attach screws or plates to keep the new adjusted bone in its new place.
Apply stitches to seal the cut in the gums.

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Mandibular osteotomy

Mandibular osteotomy is a type of surgical procedure that is done on the lower jaw line known as the “mandible”. This kind of surgery is useful in cases where the lower jaw is abnormally grown forward or pushed back to a visible degree.

Surgery summary

During mandibular osteotomy, the doctor will:

Perform a cut through your gums on both sides of the lower jaw, just behind the molars.
Trim the lower jaw bone to allow the cautious arrangement to its new place.
Arrange the lower jaw bone forward or backward into a new place.
Attach screws or plates to keep the newly arranged jaw bone in place.
Seal the cuts into the gums with stitching.

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Bimaxillary osteotomy

Bimaxillary refers to a type of procedure done on both upper and lower jaw lines in cases where both jaws are affected.

Surgery summary

The methods applied to this procedure feature some of the methods we have already mentioned for maxillary and mandibular surgery types.
Since working on both the upper and lower jaw bones is a complex procedure, your doctor may utilize 3-D modeling technology to accurately arrange the procedure.

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Genioplasty

Genioplasty is a surgery performed on the chin region, mainly to fix a weak (receding) chin, sometimes along with a mandibular osteotomy to fully correct a weak lower jaw line.

Surgery summary:

During a genioplasty procedure, your doctor will:

Make a cut into your gums and around your bottom lip
Trim a part of the chin bone to move it to a new position
Cautiously arrange the chin bone to its new place
Attach small screws or plates to help secure the reshaped bone in its new place.
Seal the cut with stitching.

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TMJ Surgical Procedure

Your physician may suggest having TMJ surgery if other methods haven’t worked at alleviating your TMJ problems. Types of TMJ surgery include:

Arthrocentesis.

Arthrocentesis is a minor surgical procedure where the surgeon uses small needles to insert fluid into the TMJ spot, helping to moisten the joint and to remove any accumulated toxins and debris.

Arthroscopy.

Arthroscopy involves the insertion of a thin tube (cannula) into the joint, using an arthroscope (thin scope) and fine surgical tools to work on the joint.

Open joint surgery.

Open joint or arthrotomy surgery is currently the most major and invasive kind of TMJ surgery. In this surgery, the surgeon makes a cut into the front ear side. The surgeon then operates to reshape or cut off the impacted TMJ parts.

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During operation

Jaw surgery is done with the help of generalized anesthesia which means that you’ll be totally numb and asleep during the surgery.
Most operations last anywhere from 2-5 hours, but the exact duration of the surgery is based on the subtype of jaw surgery done.
In the case of jaw operation, the majority of cuts are performed into your mouth, even though in some other cases, the surgeon will perform tiny cuts on the outer mouth area.
In most cases, there is minimal to no scarring on the chin or the lower face.

Preparation before

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

Pre - treatment

Very often, you will need to have braces or teeth aligners applied by an orthodontist first before the actual jaw surgery. This will allow your teeth to be in a more suitable position for the operation to be successful.

Expect to have a few appointments with both your doctor and the orthodontist before the scheduled procedure. The visits and preparation may involve measuring the affected area, taking molds, or taking X-rays scans of your mouth and jaw.

Sometimes the doctor may perform some 3-D modeling using a computer to plan the surgery precisely.

Recovery after

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

Post - treatment

Most patients remain in the hospital/clinic for up to 4 days following the procedure.

When it’s time to exit the hospital, your physician will offer you advice and instructions for proper hygiene and eating. It is best to follow these indications to the T to speed up the recovery process.

Right after surgery, it is expected to encounter irritation, swelling, and pain or discomfort in the operated jaw line. Don’t worry, these should subside shortly.

At the same time, the doctor will prescribe some drugs to help alleviate the above side effects e.g. painkillers.

On some occasions, you may encounter a feeling of numbness in either of your lips (top or bottom). However, this is typically temporary and will gradually subside after a few weeks or a couple of months. In extreme cases, the numbing may become permanent.

The recovery period lasts between 6-12 weeks. Following the weeks of recovery, your orthodontist will keep arranging your teeth with braces. Once these are taken off, your doctor will hand you a retainer form to sustain the alignment results.

Before and after photos of

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

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Patient reviews of

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

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BANGKOK-THAILAND - Verified Patients - 9 June 2021

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Risks & side effects

Generally speaking, jaw surgery is a safe procedure.

However, as with any invasive operation, it also bears some risks. Your surgeon will let you know of these risks before the surgery.

Potential risks and side effects of jaw correction surgery may feature:

Negative reaction to anesthesia
Abnormal bleeding
Jaw fracture/damage
Infection of the operated spot
Issues with alignment and eating post-surgery that may need a second surgery
Retraction of the jaw back to its former position
TMJ pain or discomfort
Nerve damage

Keep in mind that some types of surgeries bear a higher risk as opposed to others.

FAQs:

Jawline Surgery (Orthognathic surgery)

Are teeth misalignments fixed with jawline surgery?

Yes, the majority of teeth misalignments can be fixed solely with orthodontics. However, more serious misalignments that affect the jaw line may also need jawline surgery.

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What types of mismatches need surgery?

When there is a major misalignment in the jaw placement connecting to one another, there is a need for surgery because an orthodontic treatment alone won’t work on its own to fix the weak bite. A perfect illustration of this case is when the top jaw doesn’t grow as normal, making the bottom jaw line protrude too much forward and the lower teeth being pushed ahead of the upper front teeth. Another case where surgery may be necessary is when the lower jaw sides are asymmetrical and the center of the chin is not matching the facial midpoints. This often leads to a bite that is weak to one side and misaligned teeth.

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How do orthodontics and orthognathic surgery work together to align the jaws and teeth as needed?

The orthodontist and surgeon operate together to find out the most suitable bite and jaw position for your case. The doctor considers several aspects such as the shape, size, and balance of the upper and lower jaw bones. For instance, the bottom jaw may be placed too high or low, if the upper jaw bone is too backward or too forward, and if the jaw is too long vertically, leading to a gummy smile. The majority of people do not have 100% symmetrical jaw and facial lines, but some people have visibly asymmetrical jaw lines, with one side being more developed than the other. The orthodontist's job is to examine the dental placements to find the proper kind of movement to accomplish a good bite.

When preparing for orthognathic surgery, your orthodontist will align the teeth to counteract weak angulation and cramped teeth. The whole treatment may last anywhere from 6 months to a year. Once the teeth alignments have been set, the orthognathic surgery will then rearrange your upper, lower, or both jaws to align your teeth into the most suitable bite.

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How does the doctor know exactly where to relocate the jaw bone?

Following a complete orthodontic treatment, your doctor will take precise plaster molds of your teeth and images or X-rays and CT scans that show your inner facial, profile, and smile structure. Your suggested operation may also be planned with an advanced 3D projection program that allows the doctor to check exactly and accurately how many degrees and millimeters of motions are necessary (in width, height, and length) to achieve the best bite possible for your teeth along with better facial symmetry.

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How does the jaw remain fixed in its new adjusted position?

When doing orthognathic surgery, both jaws are aligned ideally through incisions into the jaw bone and tiny bone plates and screws attached to retain the jaw in its proper placement. Most subjects also get their jaws secured together with tiny elastic bands and wires between the top and bottom braces for a few weeks. This step is only necessary during the early stages of recovery so there are no movements when the jaw bone is trimmed during the operation.

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What other methods are commonly performed during orthognathic/jaw surgery?

‍During the initial planning stage before the procedure, the doctor may judge that even after reshaping your jawline, your chin may appear too long or short, protruding, or asymmetrical. Hence, there may be a need for additional chin surgery while having jaw surgery to correct the asymmetries of the lower face and achieve a more balanced look. Other less invasive procedures may feature soft tissue surgery of the upper lip to improve a gummy smile or take away some chin fat. In some instances, you may need to have TMJ surgery while having jaw surgery to reshape and correct the joint if either or both jaw joints are abnormally damaged.

How can I eat as normal if my jaws are tied together after the jaw surgery?

Most people need to wait up to three weeks to recover after getting wires or rubber band sealers. During this period, it may be tough and painful to eat, chew, speak or even brush your teeth as usual. Hence, you must follow a liquid or pureed diet during this time, which may make you lose some weight temporarily.

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