Orthognathic surgery has developed significantly over the last few decades. It aims at the correction of facial skeletal anomalies, targeting to proper occlusion of the teeth of both jaws and facial harmony.  The benefits of orthognathic surgery is the improvement of mastication, speech, breathing and facial aesthetics. The beneficial effect of this treatment is very important for the confidence of the patient and the improvement of his health in general.

The Orthodontist is the specialist who will undertake to realign crooked teeth and anomalies in occlusion.  In cases where abnormalities are due to problematic growth of the jaws,  orthodontics is not enough. The orthodontist in collaboration with the maxillofacial surgeon will consider the necessity of orthognathic surgery and once they verify the type of skeletal abnormality will implement with every detail the treatment plan more appropriate to follow.  Surgical treatment is usually done after the age of 16 – 17 years, since a basic condition is the completion of the development of the patient’s jaw.

The orthodontist and the maxillofacial surgeon will make a three-dimensional cephalometric analysis using special 3D Planning software, in order to diagnose the problem as accurately as possible. Then they will move virtually the bones at ideal positions and will plan the surgical treatment with every detail, to perform the surgery with millimeter precision. With this process surgical accuracy is achieved, surgery duration is decreased and we have an extremely reliable prediction of the new patient’s appearance.

*  Difficulty in chewing or swallowing

*  Speech problems

*  Chronic pain in the jaw or temporofrontal articulation

*  Jaw protruding

*  Difficulty in breathing

These symptoms may be due to heredity, in environmental effects or trauma of the face.

*  Prognathism (the upper or the lower jaw projects forward strongly, relatively to the other)

* Retrognathism (the upper or the lower jaw is behind the other at a large extent)

*  Gingival smile (smile exposes a lot of gums)

*  When you smile maxillary teeth cannot be observed

* When the face is relaxed, lips cannot close

*  Longish face

*  Short face

*  Open Bite (maxillary teeth do not converge with the teeth of the lower jaw)

*  Facial asymmetry (difference in the size and shape of the right and left half face)

1. Presurgical Orthodontic Treatment

Aims in the arrangement of teeth in order to achieve good dental convergence after surgical removal of the jaws.

2. Surgery

Aims in the surgical movement of jaws, to fit in the proper position in order to have functional and aesthetically perfect result.

3. Postoperative orthodontic treatment

Aims in the small corrections of the positions of the teeth, to ensure the perfect dental convergence and maintaining of the outcome and the progress made