What is this surgery I keep talking about? (Orthognathic Surgery)

Image (http://jawbreakover.com/category/le-fort-i/)

So, i've been thinking about writing a blog for a very long time. It's been mildly frustrating to explain what orthognathic surgery is to so many people. I also have a unique situation. I am currently living abroad and due to the nature of my skeletal situation, i've encountered a lot of symptoms and complications from the misalignment of my jaw. I'm hopeful that this blog will help others who are struggling with questions about their surgery or complications with their own situations. Also, this will allow my friends and family to understand what I am going through. So, what is orthognathic surgery? I'm going to make this relatively easy and just provide the medical description listed here:

http://myoms.org/procedures/corrective-jaw-surgery

Corrective jaw, or orthognathic, surgery is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) to correct a wide range of minor and major skeletal and dental irregularities, including the misalignment of jaws and teeth. Surgery can improve chewing, speaking and breathing. While the patient's appearance may be dramatically enhanced as a result of their surgery, orthognathic surgery is performed to correct functional problems.


The following are some of the conditions that may indicate the need for corrective jaw surgery:


Difficulty chewing, or biting food
Difficulty swallowing
Chronic jaw or jaw joint (TMJ) pain and headache
Excessive wear of the teeth
Open bite (space between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed)
Unbalanced facial appearance from the front, or side
Facial injury
Birth defects
Receding lower jaw and chin
Protruding jaw
Inability to make the lips meet without straining
Chronic mouth breathing
Sleep apnea (breathing problems when sleeping, including snoring.



I've taken the liberty of highlighting (yellow) some of the issues i've experienced with my own situation (basically all of them). My diagnosis is Class III Malocclusion and severe crossbite. I originally went to a private orthodontist in Finland (where I live now as an Expat from the USA) to get assessed for orthodontic braces. The orthodontist explained to me that I was not a candidate for orthodontic treatment alone and I would need to see a surgeon and specialist to treat my current condition. He went on to explain that my upper jaw (maxilla) failed to grow with my lower jaw (mandible). For many years this condition didn't cause me too many issues. At least I didn't understand until now the impact it had on my life and health. Since my occlusion has been so poor for so long, chewing alone has irritated my temporomandibular joint. With an increase in stress, I also began noticeably grinding my teeth at night. This is known as bruxism. I will write about this condition separately. I have had many complications from bruxism which include: sleeping issues, cervical spine issues, imbalance of the trapezius muscles, and other spinal difficulties. It's strange to thing that all of my symptoms could lead back to my teeth and jaw.

Surgery Date 

After waiting for nearly two years, at my last orthodontist appointment I was told that my surgery would be in late September or early October of this year (2015). Hopefully, I can write a few entries about my preparation for the surgery and keep up-to-date about my treatment and life after the surgery. I will discuss my exact surgery in the next entry.


Thanks for reading.


If you'd like to see photos please follow my Instagram account BracesJawsandjoints

BracesJawsandJoints Instagram