2- After some days or weeks since your surgery: “I don't look like me!” as swelling subsides and the results of the surgery are more and more visible, you might start feeling like your face is not your own; that's completely normal after a major surgery such as orthognathic surgery, but keep in mind that it's only you ...
Since the jaw is the primary foundation for your facial muscles, jaw surgery can improve the appearance of your face. For instance, moving the jaw backward or forward can change the contour, placement, and shape of your chin, nose, teeth, lips, mouth, and face. Jaw surgery can improve a gummy smile.
The swelling will occur mostly at the sides of the jaw in the area of surgery and will reduce significantly in 2 weeks. By 4 to 6 weeks postoperatively, the tissues will appear almost normal to you. The final definition is attained approximately 4 months following surgery.
There are also aesthetic benefits, namely a more balanced facial appearance, enhancing the beauty of the smile because the gums are no longer shrinking (or preventing the lips from covering the teeth).
Stability of orthognathic surgery
In their systematic review, Joss et al. (2010) found that 60 percent may experience relapse in the long-term and other studies put the figure at 100 percent.
Following your surgery and throughout the post-operative recovery period, especially if your jaw is wired shut, you could lose as much as 10 percent of your body weight. Prior to your surgery it's OK to gain a few pounds in anticipation of this possible weight loss.
When do you perform jaw surgery? Often, the optimal time for jaw surgery is after the jaw stops growing, usually in the later teenage years—typically ages 17 to 21 for boys and ages 14 to 16 for girls.
Maxillofacial surgery can help you regain your lost self-esteem by bestowing you with a beautiful smile. Not only does this surgery helps in relieving you from jaw pain, realigning your jaws to improve chewing capability, correcting the quality of speech, but also improving the overall facial experience.
The corrective jaw surgery can have adverse side effects like numbness, loss of hearing, extreme pain, and increased drooling. Moreover, corrective jaw surgery is ten times more expensive than non-surgical treatments for correcting malocclusions.
Jaw surgery, also known as orthognathic (or-thog-NATH-ik) surgery, corrects irregularities of the jaw bones and realigns the jaws and teeth to improve the way they work. Making these corrections may also improve your facial appearance.
Swelling: You can expect swelling to be the worst in the first week after oral surgery. It's usually most noticeable from three to five days after surgery, then it gradually lessens. Bruising: Bruising often accompanies swelling, and it dissipates as the swelling subsides.
Swelling and Bruising.
Tissue injury, whether accidental or intentional (e.g. surgery), is followed by localized swelling. After surgery, swelling increases progressively, reaching its peak by the third day. It is generally worse when you first arise in the morning and decreases throughout the day.
The swelling is perhaps the greatest post-operative event of your jaw surgery. This will vary from patient to patient. You must anticipate a large degree of swelling over your cheek area as well as down into your neck. The swelling is maximal at Day 4 and will slowly subside after 2 weeks.
It is worth noting that although mandibular orthognathic surgery would not directly change the nasal structure a relative change in appearance to the nose can be brought about by changing the position of the chin and vice-versa, Figure 1. Surgery to the maxilla will undoubtedly have effects on the nasal appearance.
Orthognathic surgery aims to improve both the function and facial appearance of the patient. Translation of the maxillomandibular complex for correction of malocclusion is always followed by changes to the covering soft tissues, especially the nose and lips.
In contrast, mandibular orthognathic surgery does not directly change the nasal structure, although a relative change may occur due to the new relationship between the chin and the nose, making it appear larger or smaller in comparison.
Jaw Surgery costs in Melbourne
The cost of orthodontic treatment in Australia could range from $7000 to $10000 for orthodontic/braces treatment only. A single jaw surgery (upper or lower jaw) could cost up to $6000 to $10000.
Medicare and insurance might cover orthognathic surgery in Australia. If you are getting jaw correction surgery to treat a functional disorder (e.g. sleep apnoea, chewing difficulty, speech problems, etc.) then it may be considered as a medical necessity.
Jaw Surgery Is Most Effective for a Significant Overbite
If your upper teeth hang over your lower teeth by more than a few millimeters — and you want to see a marked improvement — jaw surgery will likely be necessary. Orthodontic treatments cannot fully correct significant bite problems.
Jaw surgery is usually not painful.
This misconception makes the whole procedure seem utterly invasive and is supported by thousands of photos of bruised and swollen people after undergoing orthognathic surgery, so it may be difficult to believe that very few patients report actual pain.
Benefits of Corrective Jaw Surgery
While treatment, which may include surgery and orthodontic treatment, may take several years to complete, your results will last a lifetime.
Corrective jaw surgery is a significant intervention requiring many months of preparation. The surgery is performed in the hospital and can last between one to four hours. Hospital stays of one to three days are normal. Braces are maintained during surgery and may need to be removed six to twelve months after surgery.
The right age for jaw surgery is 18 to 25 years old, because the growth of the jaw has reached its final stage at this age and stops.
The best candidates for orthognathic surgery are typically people between the ages of 18 to 45 who are dealing with one or more of these problems. (The procedure is seldom performed on children under age 18 because the jaw has not stopped growing.
As odd as it sounds, you don't feel it – I promise! If anything, your faces feels a little bit heavier than usual, but you get used to that within a couple of hours. You honestly don't even feel the metal because they're too far up.