10 Things to Know About Orthognathic Jaw Surgery 

i did this 1 year ago exactly, at the age of 51. Best decision i ever did. i had an open bite my entire life, and no chin. did a year of braces, got my wisdom teeth out, upper and bottom jaw surgery .. chin and even though my bottom lip is still a bit numb, i love the results. first time in my life i can look in a mirror and not cringe lol. perfect teeth, awesome smile.. well worth it

I am so close to my mandibular advancement surgery (bsso). I know much but I still watch videos of people like you. Don't want to miss on infos. Thanks for summarizing

I don’t think I’m brave enough to do this, props to those who are capable of going through this surgery!! It takes guts!! 💪🏼✨

I just had a Bimaxillary Osteotomy last week! Recovery isn't actually as bad as some RU-vidrs make it out to be. I've not found the need to take any of my prescribed pain medication as everything is generally pretty numb anyways. Swelling maxed out on Day 4 and is slowly going down every day.

Getting double jaw surgery on Tuesday and I’m so glad I came across your video as it helped ease my nerves ❤ thank you!

Great video! Thank you sir

This was super helpful! Thank you! I’ll be getting jaw surgery this year so I’m a bit nervous

Wow thank you so much for this 💗

Very informative. Thank you

Thanks doc, watching this pre-surgery helped calm me down. It's now been 31 days after my double jaw op and i'm feeling pretty good. There's still some stubborn swelling. My chin and lower lip are still numb (which makes for messy eating), as well as a small area on my right cheek where i think one of the plates are placed. I can eat solid-ish food now, nothing crunchy fried or jaw-breaking, but not because of my jaws not being able to handle it. It's more because i still have a bit of an open bite and my ortho placed elastics so its hard and tiring to chew. Sometimes when i laugh too hard i feel like some areas where i was sutured up inside are about to rip (it doesn't, but i feel slight tugging and sting), i don't know if that's normal. Oh, and i developed pulsatile tinnitus that i hope would go away soon. But all in all, i'm happy with my decision.

Good info I’m a husband of an orthodontist going through bsso n genio in three days at 40 year . A good video for patients . I hope I don’t get any major issues. I sat through my own surgery proplan with my surgeon . The single most successful factor in this procedure is a good surgeon with less error margin…

I'm on day 2 of recovery from bijaw surgery. I'm pleasantly surprised that I already have full feeling in my upper lip and mid-face. My lower lip and chin, on the other hand, has about 50% feeling at best. I'm willing to be very patient while the remainder of my feeling returns.

Very informative video! Could you make a video on sleep apnea and what surgeries you typically perform with respect to it? Thanks!

Based on your work I'm seeing really high level MMA, top US surgeon! Eager to see more videos.

Thank you so much

Thanks for sharing these information, I would appreciate it if you share any known long term effects of the surgery? Thanks again

I thought my situation was typical but now im finding it's atypical... First I had 4 of my pre-molars removed along with my wisdoms, Then I had abt 4 years of braces, and then finally I had my jaw surgery (had an overbite) where I had 5 plates installed, 4 on the sides of my jaw then 1 on my chin to make it more pronounced, I had that surgery in may last year and I've fully recovered from it now but I still have my braces on but I'm expected to get them off this year :)

Could you do a video discussing the level of bite severity and how that correlates with needing surgery? Also is it possible to do bite correction without surgery? (Especially if you’re over the age of 20)

It can help to ease OSA??!!?! I'm a patient with bilateral cleft lip and palate and I have sleep apnea - I already need the surgery for the CLP but now that I know it can help OSA I'm certainly more excited. SHEESH.

Just last Wednesday i had my Orthognathic surgery with advancement on right jaw , set back on left and genioplasty of chin Still in healing process

i want jaw surgery, i believe my “TMJ” is disconnected from where its supposed to be but im scared of going through because the nerves in the face… i value my face the most and im OCD i want everything to be perfect, im scared surgery will damage my nerve system

Amazing how far Orthagnathic Surgery has come. I had surgery in 1986 and was wired shut for 8.5 weeks. What I would have given to have rubber bands.

Hello thank you for making this video. Is this intervention better done before or after being pregnant?

very informative video

my nose actually looks a lot better after orthognathic surgery, so it was like a "bonus" advantage of the surgery haha. both my upper and lower jaw were moved forward (the latter was moved more since I was class II) and my nose got straighter and more upright. I'm barely 30 days after surgery and unfortunately will only be allowed solid food after 45 days, but I'm already feeling much better at this point and got used to the mushy and liquid diet for now. I've felt my breathing was much better since day one, it's kinda crazy how much it changed.

The key is the occlusal plane if that get be correct by an upwards swing jaw surgery can be unnecessary

Great video !!! Could u do a video on open bite and jaw surgery? And does sleep bruxism affect jaw surgery? Like if a patient has that, wouldn't that affect the healing and be traumatic to the jaw? Thanks..

Hello Sir! Thank you for a very informative video. The insecurity I have about my face is that, when I speak, my teeth are not at all visible. I would say both my upper and lower lips are big. What is the best way for me to treat this problem. Can I solve my problem with an invasive method? What is the normal procedure/treatment approach, for a patient facing this problem? Thanks in advance!

Thank you

I'll be straight up, I went under the knife in Feburary, so approximately 4 months ago for double jaw surgery and the biggest complaint I have at the moment is the look of my nose. I don't know if this is normal or not. One nostril is larger than the other, it is pretty frustrating and disappointing. My only hope is that my nose will change overtime, but who knows... if anyone else has this problem or has went through this please let me know!

It’s been 3 years and I’m still in orthodontist but to be fair my teeth,bite and underbite are all a issue.

The surgeon tried to talk me into double jaw surgery and it didnt make sense to me so i only got my lower jaw done. Now im very very happy i listened to my own medical advice. I believe that a lot of times doctors try to talk us into non sense surgeries/medication because they believe they are trusted. I didnt agree to his medical advice because i dont trust anyone who makes money off of my health or better said illness/problems so i agreed to the lower jaw surgery because after the braces the gap between my lower and upper teeth were so huge that i couldnt even bite into a sandwich anymore 😅 after surgery of course i was in much pain but most pain ive felt in my ears.. around 6 months later ive got ear ringing which i still have (2 years later)..half of my face is numb due to nerve damage even tho ive paid for expensive xrays to avoid this👎 still went wrong.. now due to my ears i have dizzyness 👎👎👎 it looks great now and ive got straight teeth but i have paid a big price for it. Even tho i got problems i consider myself lucky because i know that double jaw surgery would have caused much more problems for me and i can just suggest everyone to think twice with the double jaw surgery since just the lower jaw can already cause permanent damages. The nerve damages happen a lot of times and i dont even want to imagine what its like to have them on more parts of your face.. also a risk is that your upper teeth are moved to far to left or right so its not centered and is misplaced.. also the upper teeth roots can get damaged which causes the loss of your teeth. Ugh its scary ..not just pain wise but all the things that could go wrong. Pls think twice

I know that you are mostly aesthetically focused, but do you have any plans on teaching residents the EASE or DOME procedures/modalities? Dr. Kasey Li with EASE and the poorly introduced MSE seem to be the best care for sleep apnea patients as far as minimally invasive surgery, I would love to see this become more standardized and widespread so that patients in need can benefit from it. They're life-changing techniques that take a fraction of the time, money, and damage to tissue.

Just had double jar surgery on going on week 8 post op just hot the ok to go on soft chew

I'm 38 and just had an orthodontic evaluation to correct my bite and aesthetics. My orthodontist proposed one Invisalign treatment path with surgery and one path without. But explained the end-results would be far superior with the surgery. The surgery is scary in itself, but I am also wondering if my age means I will not recover well. All the testimonials I've seen are from people far younger than me. Normally in their early twenties.

im just recovering from this surgery im on day 8 and oh boy. i had double jaw surgery + genioplasty (extremly big gummy smile, overbite and weak chin). after waking up from anesthesia i was drugged to hell and so dizzy and the first night was really bloody, i threw up blood 3 times. i know it will be all worth it in the end but the recovery is pretty damn hard and eating only liuuid food and purees can be very frustrating

Dear Surgeon, In the Orthognathic Jaw surgery discipline, I am curious to know What are the Pre-Operations instructions and all the Side effects the doctor/surgeon must tell his patient to be aware of before the patient makes his/her decision to accept the operation which helps the patient to avoid itself from any future unexpected serious health issues and probably a cause to open sue against the surgeon ?! I am Very Grateful for Answering my questions in advance! Most people complain particularly about #TMJ problems after surgery! I mean Must the surgeon inform this possible side effect before the operation or not necessarily?! Do I kindly need your expertise response to this particular question?! Thank you!🙏

I need Orthognatic surgery and need more information

Can you get a cervical disc herniation from orthognathic surgery, or make one worse? I have a 3-level cervical spinal fusion from C4-C7 from 2015. I have a disc herniation above the fusion at the C3-C4 and a bulging disc under the fusion at the C7-T1. I'm a female in my late 40's. I have a severe overbite. I'm noticing it's getting worse as I age. My bottom teeth are banging against my top teeth and gums when I chew and I have headaches most of the time. I also have severe sleep apnea and use a cpap. My teeth aren't crooked at all, just the overbite. Orthodontists recommend metal braces, no plastic aligners for me, and orthognathic surgery for the upper, lower jaw and chin. I saw one orthognathic surgeon about a year after my surgery and he cautioned against getting jaw surgery because of my cervical spine. He recommended I just do the braces. The orthodontist says it doesn't work like that, only the surgery would get you the proper results. I've searched online for articles about getting orthognathic surgery after a spinal fusion and haven't found anything. Why can't your spine be protected during the surgery? Is it truly a contraindication?

Can you please tell if MRI scan can be used for cephalometric analysis and surgical planning instead of CT scan to avoid radiation risk...

I'm in Florida. What should I look for in a surgeon? I understand procedure and methods vary.

This was so informative. Do you perform SARPE surgery?

Additionally, have you considered adopting Dr. Wolfords technique of investigating the fitness of the TMJ prior to addressing the chief complaint in order to save problems down the line?

Dr. Derek, I have had all 4 wisdoms taken out today. My bite is narrow. My surgeon today stated I really need Orthognathic Surgery due to my bad overbite. I really wish to have cosmetic surgery in a year or two (full veneers and crowns) but I feel like I won’t get the “Julie Roberts” wide beautiful smile I’m looking for, without undergoing Orthog Surgery first. In addition to my lower jaw needed to be moved up, I would like my palates worked on and expanded wider, for a wider smile. I’ve had braces before and hate my smile the day I got them off cause I didn’t like the size of my teeth or width of my smile. I grew up with family who worked in the industry (as do I now, on the hardware and software side). Therefore, I knew the “look” I was going for from a young age. Difficult… I know lol With age though (now in my late 20s) it has become harder and harder to speak and breathe and sing, and I choke often on foods. I think this is due to such a narrow bite. Got the wisdoms out today cause I obviously need more space in my mouth, and they were also impacted and sideways. What are your thoughts and recommendation? I’ll obviously go get consults but just curious if it’s often common to not just move jaws forward or back, but to also widen the “c”.. the upper and lower bites?

Also, what is the diagnosis for a long lower jaw, i.e. an underbite? I'm asking because can protrude or retract our mandible. I have an underbite if I protrude my mandible forward but I have a good bite when I retract my mandible completely. Is it when we still have an underbite even after we completely retract our mandible?

Dear Dr Steinbacher, thank you for this very informative video. I was wondering whether you had any insights into correcting lip incompetence with orthognathic surgery and what the most minimally invasive way to achieve competence would be? I have a good bite and defined jaw line. However my upper lip is an inverted V shape exposing the teeth with a 10mm gap from the centre of the top lip to the bottom (there is competence at the outer edges of my lips). My face is slim and slightly long, so a shorter face may also provide an aesthetic improvement. However lip competence would be the ultimate goal as this would improve sleep and speech. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Can you talk about the peaso electric/ medication for nerve recovery? I’m three years post op. I have not fully regained sensation in left bottom chin and lip (incision site). I can move it completely but I have that asleep pins and needles feeling. I was 24 when I got the surgery, 27 now. All other aspects generally positive. Do you have any advice? Am I screwed?

I've had braces for 8 years now. The lady who done all my mouth work before leaving her job messed everything up. The new guy corrected everything then covid hit. Get my surgery tomorrow less than 18 hours away Only doing research now lol

Do these surgeries help improve cheek bones and general maxillary projection? My maxilla is flat so my teeth look quite small and dark. I am already pretty but I would like a surgery for permanent aesthetic improvement. I do have sleep apnea but my overbite isn’t terrible and my teeth wouldn’t need more than a year of treatment to straighten the crooked teeth

If you are 60 and need orthognathic surgery, and most of your lower jaw teeth won't resist braces, would you recommend implants, or lower denture? can you extract the teeth and customize the denture or implants after surgery?

I have my surgery tommorow morning. Upper and lower jaw. My bite is perfect but my mouth is always open. From xrays my jaw line is going down and restricted airway. Even worse when my mouth is complety open when sleeping. Nose is working fine and has no problems but since the airway right under my toungue is to small my body uses the mouth for air some reason. Have bad snoring no matter how i lay and sleep apnea. Pretty nervous but got to do it. Im 36 and not overwright. I trsin everyday.

Sir I have a question, with what type of equipment do "cut" the bone, I suppose it's some electric mini saw that causes vibrations throughout the skull? I ask this because I have severe myopia and I'm afraid of a retinal detachment, again.

I have a septal perforation that cannot be fixed with a button. Does that mean I am at risk with Djs

Hi! You mentioned some medications could help with post op nerve recovery. Which meds are those? Thanks very much!

I had extraction ortho as a teen. As a result my airway is very narrow. I have a class 1 bite though. been told by ted belfor I need DJS. I have TMD, how is TMJ dysfunction managed with Djs? Thank you !

Anyone else experiencing nasal issues after their jaw surgery? It's been years, but I'm still having a hard time with breathing. Thankfully, I didn't experience any pain after recovery even though vicodin was prescribed to me.

How to find the right orthognatic surgen? and what are the costs if you have no insurance? Thank you

Can you have braces twice if you have root canal on the upper incisor?

Hello I have a question. I have to have jaw surgery Would you advise to have veeners before surgery or two years after surgery ?

I’ve been told I may need 4 premolar extractions to decompensate my upper and lower incisors so the jaws can be advanced properly, even though I have no crowding. Is this a normal practice?

Dr. Even with titanium plates some still wire patients shut. Why?

Derek steinbacher sounds familiar I think you wrote a text on orthognathic surgery?

What is the name of the song in the background?

I had accident and fracture my right and left mandible jaw. I had surgery on right side with titanium plate and had arch bars with elastic on mouth on 10th December 2022,more than 3 weeks.I am on liquid diet from almost a month. When I will be able to eat solid foods.??

i have 100% deep bite but not any other issues besides masster stiffness 'cause when i bite i can't do further jaw retraction and most surgeries are moving the anterior half of mandible. So would just moving the teeth part in surgery, will relieve masster stiffness? Also if my deep bite is not giving me any issues and also my overall profile is okay unlike the cases you see online and in person. So shall i not get a surgery if I am skeptical that my main (subtle) issue of jaw muscle stiffness (rarely) will not be resolved as that part of face is not being manipulated in surgery

I'm 10 days post-op and only had my lower jaw done. I chose the option to be wired shut and to not have hardware installed to lessen the risk of any nerve damage due to hardware. Today was my post-op appointment and my doctor removed the wires and I'm now switched over to bands. But since the appointment today the right side of my jaw is in so mich pain and I don't know why. The doctor said I can do a no chew diet but now I'm terrified to take the bands off to even try. When they cut the wires off and asked me to relax my jaw to open that is when the pain happened. I pray nothing is wrong on the right side of my jaw now. My next appointment is in 2 weeks. Until then I'm staying with the liquid diet. I'm too scared to take the bands off to try and eat mushy food.

Why do they have to break the jaws? can you please describe the process more?

I just saw a video of the actual surgery and it’s probably one of the most invasive I’ve ever seen. I thought they opened your skin up and left you with a bunch of scars but apparently they lift the skin of your upper lip up and it looks like half your face is moved up to do this. I don’t care what I look like, I would never get this done.

Hi. May i ask how much could this possibly cost?

Dr whether our upper jaw is connected to brain ?? Is there any problem in future because of jaw surgery??

Before the surgery, I used to watch many videos documenting the healing stages of people who underwent this operation. I knew that the face would swell, but the swelling that occurred to my face I never expected, I could no longer see from its severity, of course with blue, red and purple facial skin . Now, 18 days after my double jaw surgery, my face is still slightly swollen with a slow improvement. Also, I still couldn't open my mouth more than 1,5 cm. I don't know if this is normal anymore.

post orthognathic elastics

Hi Dr., I'm almost a year post op orthognathic surgery yet my entire mouth feels very tight, my nose is constantly flaring and I feel a lot of pressure on my upper teeth/gums. I really think it's the plates near my upper jaw nasal area that's causing all these issues. And yet, my doctor refuses to remove the plates saying it will widen my nose even after alar cinch and there are risks of tissues and muscle damage. I hate my flaring nose. Is it really going to widen my nose if my plates are removed? Thanks.

Dr i have really subhuman Downward jaw rotation Is it over for me

Im a female and 75 i cant open my mouth much my bottom teeth comes overmy top and my chin sticks way out am i a canidate or do i have to stay like this forever and of everything else i have no top teeth please talk to me i dont know what to do

Is my 1 kidney enough for underbite jaw surgery 😭 I'm really suffering with this teeth

i had extreme gummy smile next week m geeting orthognathic surgery and osteomy surgery..just need assurance dat will my gummy will be reduced?

I had this surgery 2 months back and i dont know what went wrong my lips (because of which my lower teeth are visible now at rest )are still not competent i have an open bite now and my lower jaw looks like it is deviated to one side. They completely screwed up my occlusion and i am going to have another surgery next month to correct it. I really hope everything goes alright

This is a very informative video. But I would find jaw surgery emotionally and physically traumatising. And I don't want to go to the orthodontist next month (I have an open bite that braces didn't fix 😥) and my dentist won't get off of my back to get a second opinion

when you mention diffrences to the nose appearance is there major differences if just having a lower jaw surgery?

I had the same surgery and also had silastica implants. I am wondering if its safe to do kickboxing or is the jaw weaker now and more prone to breaking if punched? I have 8 titanium screws in the jaw and the top jaw was cut all the way off and moved up like 0.2 cm and my chin cut off and moved forward like 0.2 cm. Thanks for the advice in advance❤.

Through the wire 🎶

Hey here is my surgeon who will do my jaws soon.

Many years ago I had a bilateral sliding osteotomy of the mandibular rami with genioplasty. Scarring was minimal and I was very happy with the outcome. My surgeon recommended the external approach to avoid the risk of nerve damage. My recovery was rapid. How often do you use the external approach to correct Class III prognathism today? Just curious.

I’ll be getting double jaw surgery in 3 weeks! For the past year and a half, I’ve had Invisalign instead of regular braces, and in 2 weeks will be getting surgical hooks screwed into my gums to rubber band my jaw shut after surgery. Throughout my research, I haven’t been able to find anyone talk about their experience of getting this surgery with Invisalign/hooks screwed in, and I was wondering: will it hurt when I get the hooks screwed in? I imagine yes. But I’m worried it’ll affect what I’m able to eat in the week leading up to surgery. Do you have any advice or knowledge you could share with me on that?

Would orthognathic surgery also be helpful in order to eliviate ramus asymmetry/an asymmetric facial midline? Can you do this surgery even if you don‘t have severe bite problems? Average cost in this field? Will those titanium implants provide a skull stability which is as high as the natural bone structure?

Hey Dr. I’m wondering if I go to a plastic surgeon for a consultation do they have x-rays because I’m thinking of getting v line surgery But the x-ray I have from the dentist looks like I might not be able to get the full V line because there’s a tooth I think it’s pinching a nerve I’m not sure maybe it’s not but is it possible to get an x-ray

If your mandible is recessed but you have a perfect bite the only two options are 1. genioplasty or 2. DJS+CCW, right?

I’m also wondering if I could show you the picture of the x-ray I have

I am 2 months into my double jaw surgery, everything sailed smooth, the only issue that worries me is my upper lip area looks lifted and swollen, which looks bad. I wanted to know, if this is normal and the swelling on the bones will heal overtime?

Where is your practice located, I would like to come in for a consultation

Sir koi age limit h jaw surgery ke liye

Sir how can I book an appointment with you.

Hello! What would u say is the recommended age for getting jaw surgery to fix facial asymmetry? What age is considered too young? Thank u in advance 🙏🏼

I have mandibular fibrous dysplasia. I just had surgery. Is it normal that my submandibular glands are swollen? Tks!

I’m victim of malpractice by Federico Hernández Alfaro (maxillo Monkey-facial Institute in Barcelona). Looking for an experienced professional for the revision this time.

I'm going to have this surgery like in a month and I'm super nervous about it..idk I'm just concerned about the nerve injury which is the main complication of this surgery. I'll have mandibular advancement maybe bsso surgery. I'm too nervous 🥺

I got double jaw surgery and nobody warned me about thr nose! It got crooked, im unable to breathe at night and way worse at day and it is ugly and distorted. Now to fix this, i'll have to pay again and it won't be covered by insurance since it counts as plastic surgery. Im absolutely devastated about it. Yes they did fix my jaw and i can eat now, but i cant breath properly!! I honestly dont understand how this is ok

Does it just affect the sensation of the lower lip or also the motor neurone, i.e. the ability to move our lower lip?

I have an oblong face shape. Is it possible to change it into a more rectangular face shape(a more square face shape)? Would I have to widen my mandible and cheekbones?