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Today, we will take some time to look at how orthognathic surgery is performed. If you are considering orthognathic surgery, please pay attention to the process.
What Is Orthognathic Surgery?
Orthognathic surgery refers to surgery that moves the upper and lower jaws into the correct position when they are abnormally misaligned. It is performed in cases that require jawbone repositioning, such as underbite, receding chin, severe facial asymmetry, or a long face. Rather than simply changing the appearance, it can also help improve facial balance and size.
Detailed Consultation
Orthognathic surgery is a procedure that moves the upper and lower jaws into the correct position when they are in an abnormal location. Before surgery, a specialist conducts a one-on-one consultation to carefully check the overall facial balance, tooth occlusion, and jawbone position. At this stage, it is determined whether correction is needed for issues such as underbite, receding chin, facial asymmetry, or a long face.
3D CT Scan
To examine the condition of the bones that cannot be seen with the naked eye, a three-dimensional CT scan is performed. By analyzing the position of the jawbone and teeth, the degree of protrusion, and whether there is symmetry, the basic data for the surgical plan can be prepared.
Tracing
Based on the information collected in this way, the tracing process is used to simulate and design the direction, angle, and amount of bone movement, and the surgical plan is finalized through direct simulation on paper.
Mounting
The next step is mounting. Mounting is the process of taking an impression of the patient’s teeth, transferring it to an articulator, and then performing a mock surgery that simulates moving the bones before the actual operation. The device called a “wafer,” made during this process, serves as a key guide that helps move the jawbone into the correct position during surgery.
Model Surgery
A mock surgery is performed using two devices known as wafers or splints, which are gypsum models obtained through mounting. Since 80 to 90 percent of the outcome is determined during the preoperative preparation process, this stage can be considered the most important.
On the day of surgery, based on the finalized plan and the wafer, the upper and lower jaws are moved to the planned positions. The orthognathic surgery itself takes about two and a half hours, but the preparation process takes a lot of time. Unlike contouring surgery, orthognathic surgery places a very large emphasis on diagnosis and preparation throughout the entire process, and this largely determines the quality of the final result.
Today, we looked at how orthognathic surgery is performed. We recommend checking the YouTube video below for additional information. If you have any questions, please contact us via KakaoTalk.
