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Many
people go through their lives with jaws that don’t come together
properly. The upper jaw extends beyond their lower jaw, or their lower
jaw extends out beyond the upper. In either instance, individuals have
a difficult time eating properly and occasionally it even interferes
with their talking. Many patients are very self-conscious about their
appearance because of these misalignments of their jaws and it has a
negative effect on their self-esteem. They may become withdrawn, don’t
smile, and may even develop problems with their jaw joints.
 The
good news is that there is help available for these patients, because
oral and maxillofacial surgeons can perform procedures that will align
or improve the alignment of the jaws, enabling a return of normal
function, chewing, talking, and often allowing the patient natural
personality to emerge. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons often work with
orthodontists, allowing the patients to have the best of both
specialties.
 What
is the difference between what an orthodontist accomplishes and what is
done by an oral surgeon? think of it this way: an Orthodontist comes
into a neighborhood and thinks “I will push this house in and push that
house out and turn that house over there about 20 degrees to the left,”
etc. The oral surgeon comes in and thinks “I am going to move this
entire block and all of its houses about 200 yards that way, and raise
them up about 2 feet.” In many cases both approaches are required!
 As
we observe people we are used to seeing symmetry and when symmetry is
absent, it glares at us. In many cases, not only is the functioning of
the jaws improved, and normal chewing function recaptured, but there is
also a dramatic improvement in facial appearance. This is not the focus
of the surgery, but a side benefit. By restoring the symmetry of the
face, it becomes more pleasing to the eyes. Sometimes it requires only
minor surgery, while other cases are more complex and involve more
extensive surgery.
If you have misalignment of the jaws and would like to investigate what would be required to give  you
a normal biting and chewing relationship and more balanced facial
appearance, seek an evaluation from one of our doctors. They will take
some models, pictures, and xrays, and show you precisely what could be
accomplished, plus other important information, such as the risks of
the planned surgery.
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