on April 5, 2014
Singapore oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform orthognathic surgery, also commonly known as corrective jaw surgery, to treat problems caused by uneven jaw development or abnormal jaw positioning. Jaw surgery is considered a safe and effective procedure due to its low rates of serious complications. However, it is important that Singapore patients are aware that there are risks involved with the surgery, as is the case with any surgical procedure. Knowing the risks of the procedure, weighing them against its benefits and discussing your concerns with your Singapore oral surgeon is essential to making solid, well-informed decisions about your care.
Among the most common conditions treated with jaw surgery are occlusion issues caused by uneven or misaligned jaws, such as severe overbite, underbite, cross bite or open bite. All of these conditions can cause functional problems, including poor biting and chewing efficiency, abnormal tooth wear, speech impediments and breathing difficulties, as well as the aesthetic issues, such as chin protrusion or recession, an inability to close the mouth naturally or unbalanced facial features. Correcting overbite or other jaw position and/or size via orthognathic surgery can resolve both functional and aesthetic issues caused by these conditions, improving a patient's quality-of-life.
While serious complications are fairly rare, there are some possible risks to be aware of if you're considering jaw surgery. Most common short-term complications of orthognathic surgery include:
- Temporary numbness or tingling, most commonly occurring at or near the chin, nose, lips, cheeks or tongue.
- Excessive bleeding.
- Infection at incision sites.
- Adverse reaction to anesthesia.
- Tooth damage.
- Nausea and vomiting.
Possible long-term complications of orthognathic surgery include:
- TMJ disorders.
- Permanent nerve damage, resulting in loss of sensation in areas that may include the chin, nose, lips, cheeks or tongue.
- Poor cosmetic outcome.
- Relapse of original jaw disorder.
Patients who undergo corrective jaw surgery can expect some uncomfortable issues immediately following their procedure, including swelling, light bleeding, bruising, pain and stiffness. These are not complications, but expected after effects of orthognathic surgery. Bleeding should resolve within 24 to 48 hours. Swelling and bruising should begin to decrease within 4 to 6 days. Pain and stiffness will gradually decrease as jawbones heal. Initial healing is usually complete in about six weeks, while complete healing generally takes 9 to 12 months. If these issues persist beyond those norms or you experience a marked increase in pain and swelling, it is important to call your Singapore oral surgeon to have these symptoms medically assessed.
FAQs
Intermaxillary fixation is necessary after orthognathic surgery or facial bone fracture surgery. Severe hemorrhage and edematous swelling are common after these surgeries, and nausea and vomiting can have lethal effects on patients.
What are the side effects of jawline surgery? ›
Jaw Surgery Risks by Type
- Postoperative infection.
- Bleeding.
- Scarring.
- Hardware exposure.
- Unanticipated fractures.
- Tooth loss/tooth injury.
- Failure of bones to heal properly (malunion/nonunion)
- Return of the bones/teeth to their preoperative position (relapse)
What happens if jaw surgery fails? ›
The surgeon will evaluate the patient's specific needs and develop a customized surgical plan to address the underlying concerns. Re-surgery can involve various techniques, such as bone grafting, plate and screw fixation, or additional jaw repositioning.
What are the odds of nerve damage after jaw surgery? ›
The Lingual Nerve (nerve to the tongue) can also be bruised during lower jaw surgery. The risk of this is considerably lower at less than 1% of cases sustaining long term numbness or altered taste to the tongue. In upper jaw surgery, there is a risk of developing numbness to the upper lip or palate.
How traumatic is jaw surgery? ›
The surgery is performed under general anesthesia, so there is no pain during surgery. Patients usually experience pain after the anesthesia wears off, which can last for a few days. This can be managed with painkillers. Orthognathic surgery is jaw surgery.
How common is relapse after jaw surgery? ›
Results. Measured at B-point, skeletal relapse was 1.3 mm (30%) after mean advancement of 4.4 mm and 0.8 mm (12%) after setback of 6.0 mm. The magnitude of the surgical movement correlated with skeletal relapse. However, the correlation was not linear.
Do you ever fully recover from jaw surgery? ›
For more complicated surgery, the initial healing phase can last about six to eight weeks. Complete healing of the jaws can take between 9 and 12 months. As far as your appearance is concerned, any bruising that may occur will be gone after a few days.
What is the success rate of jaw surgery? ›
MMA surgery is a type of corrective jaw surgery that is targeted at patients with sleep-related breathing disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). MMA can improve all airway levels, from the nasal cavity to the hypopharynx, and has around a 90% success rate as reported in the literature.
Is Jawline surgery worth it? ›
Corrective jaw surgery can significantly improve facial balance and symmetry, boosting self-confidence and self-esteem.
How long does your mouth stay shut after jaw surgery? ›
Your jaws will be wired together approximately six to eight weeks. This is the time it takes for the bones to heal in a good, strong union. During the time your jaws are wired together, you will find eating, talking and other daily activities somewhat difficult.
Difficulty speaking, characterized by slurred speech or difficulty formulating words, may also be a sign that you could benefit from jaw realignment. A protruding jaw or receding chin (known as overbite and underbite respectively) can affect all of the above and are common causes of misalignment.
Does your face change after jaw surgery? ›
Jaw surgery helps improve facial symmetry and contouring. This is because it corrects the misaligned jaws, which helps create symmetrical facial features. 2. Jaw surgery enhances the definition of the jawline, making a more well-defined and balanced appearance.
Do you lose a lot of blood during jaw surgery? ›
For mandibular ramus osteotomies, the mean blood loss and operating time were approximately 280 mL and 2 hours, respectively; for anterior mandibular osteotomies, the corresponding values were 171.3 mL and 1 hour 13 minutes.
How long does it take for nerves to heal after jaw surgery? ›
Following surgery, you may experience areas of altered sensations or partial numbness on your cheeks, lips, nose, gum tissues or chin. During the first three to six months, the small nerve fibers will regenerate and mend. As healing takes place, you may encounter sensations of warmth and tingling in the affected areas.
What are the odds of permanent numbness after jaw surgery? ›
A numb feeling in the upper gums and roof of your mouth may persist after surgery. Numbness of the lower lip and chin is also expected after lower jaw surgery. Recovery of sensation may take 12 months. Some permanent numbness is seen in up to 10 in 100 cases (10%).
How long does it take to fully recover from orthognathic surgery? ›
The greatest impact of orthognathic surgery is the recovery phase. Patients typically may be off work/school from two weeks to one month after surgery. function may take one year.
What does the aftermath of jaw surgery look like? ›
Chin Surgery
Swelling will result in the chin looking rounder and the lower lip puffier for approximately 2 weeks. After 2 months post-operatively, the tissue will appear much more normal to you. Final definition of the jaw line may require 4 months to attain.
What is the most unstable orthognathic procedure? ›
The hierarchical pyramid of stability in orthognathic surgery was established, with two surgical procedures considered highly unstable: (1) maxillary expansion with semi-rigid internal fixation evaluated at the dental level in the posterior region, and (2) clockwise rotation of the mandible with rigid internal fixation ...
What are the odds of getting an infection after jaw surgery? ›
The current study revealed an overall infection rate of 12.4% within 1 year following orthognathic surgery. This is well within the infection rate of 10–15% expected by Peterson et al.