Who Is a Candidate for Orthognathic (Jaw) Surgery? Bite, Breathing and Facial Balance

The sandwich is the giveaway. A 24-year-old sits in an orthodontic consultation describing how she has quietly stopped ordering anything she has to bite through with her front teeth: crusty bread, apples, corn on the cob. Her front teeth do not meet. They never have. Two rounds of braces straightened every tooth beautifully, yet the jaws underneath still sit in the wrong relationship to each other.

That gap between straight teeth and a working bite is where the question of who needs orthognathic surgery usually begins. Orthognathic surgery, from the Greek for straight jaw, repositions one or both jaws so the teeth meet, the airway opens and the face sits in balance. It is a significant operation with a long runway, and it is not the right answer for most bite problems.

This explainer walks through the three reasons surgeons actually recommend it, who is asked to wait, what the operation involves and what the weeks afterward tend to look like, using guideline-level evidence rather than forum lore.

Who needs orthognathic surgery? The three problems it is designed to address

Surgeons and orthodontists tend to sort candidates into three overlapping groups, and most people who are eventually offered jaw surgery belong to at least two of them.

The first is a functional bite problem rooted in the bones rather than the teeth. Malocclusion is the clinical word for teeth that do not line up properly when the mouth closes, and MedlinePlus notes that most people have some degree of it. Only a small subset have a discrepancy large enough that the jaws themselves, not just the teeth, need to move. These are people who cannot bring their front teeth together to bite, who chew on one side only, whose lips do not close at rest, or whose speech is affected by an open bite.

The second group has a breathing problem. In some adults with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the throat repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, a small or set-back lower jaw crowds the tongue toward the airway. Moving the jaws forward can enlarge that space. Mayo Clinic lists jaw repositioning among the surgical options considered when other treatments have not worked or cannot be tolerated.

The third group presents with facial imbalance that has a skeletal cause: a chin that recedes sharply, a lower jaw that projects well past the upper, or a face that is visibly longer on one side. Appearance concerns alone rarely qualify someone for surgery in a hospital setting. When the same skeletal pattern also produces a bite or airway problem, though, the balance of benefit and risk shifts.

What unites all three groups is a single finding on examination and imaging: the jaws are in the wrong place relative to each other and to the rest of the skull, and no amount of tooth movement will change that.

Why braces alone cannot always fix a skeletal bite problem

Think of the jaws as two shelves and the teeth as books standing on them. Braces are superb at straightening the books. They cannot move the shelves.

Orthodontists distinguish between dental malocclusion, where the jaws are proportionate but the teeth have drifted, tilted or crowded, and skeletal malocclusion, where the shelves themselves are the wrong size or in the wrong position. MedlinePlus describes the common classifications: Class 1, where the bite is essentially normal but teeth are crowded or spaced; Class 2, often called an overbite or retrognathism, where the upper jaw and teeth sit well ahead of the lower; and Class 3, an underbite or prognathism, where the lower jaw protrudes past the upper.

Dental versions of Class 2 and Class 3 respond to braces, elastics and sometimes tooth extraction. Skeletal versions have a ceiling. Teeth can be tipped a few millimeters within the bone that holds them, but pushing beyond that risks moving roots out of their bony housing, which can loosen teeth or expose roots to gum recession. An orthodontist who tips lower incisors far forward to disguise a small lower jaw may achieve contact between front teeth while leaving the chin recessed and the profile unchanged.

This is why the first appointment for anyone wondering who needs orthognathic surgery is usually with an orthodontist, not a surgeon. Photographs, a bite impression or digital scan and a lateral cephalometric radiograph, a side-view X-ray of the whole skull that lets the clinician measure jaw angles and positions, allow the team to decide whether the problem lives in the teeth or in the bone.

When the measurements fall well outside the range that tooth movement can disguise, the orthodontist typically refers to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for a joint assessment.

Underbite surgery vs braces: how the team decides between them

The underbite question comes up more than any other in surgical consultations, partly because a protruding lower jaw is hard to hide and partly because it tends to worsen through the late-teen growth spurt.

The decision hinges on three measurements rather than on how the bite looks in the mirror. The first is the size of the discrepancy: how far the lower incisors sit in front of the upper ones when the back teeth are together. Small reversals can often be corrected by tipping the upper teeth forward and the lower teeth back. Larger ones cannot, because the teeth would have to leave the bone to meet.

The second is where the fault actually lies. Some underbites are caused by a lower jaw that is too long; others by an upper jaw that is too short or set back, a pattern common after cleft repair in childhood. A surgeon may recommend moving the upper jaw forward, the lower jaw back, or both, and each choice has different effects on the nose, lips and airway.

The third is growth. Braces can be used strategically in a growing child to guide jaw development, but once growth has stopped, the option of redirecting it is gone.

Camouflage orthodontics, the term for using braces to disguise a mild skeletal problem without surgery, is a legitimate choice for many adults with borderline discrepancies. It typically finishes faster, avoids a general anesthetic and carries none of the surgical risks. Its limits are equally real: the profile does not change, the airway does not enlarge and the compromise sometimes has to be revisited years later.

Neither route is inherently better. Teams generally lay both out with their trade-offs, and the person living with the jaw makes the call.

Jaw surgery for sleep apnea: when breathing, not the bite, drives the decision

A growing share of adult orthognathic referrals now arrive from sleep clinics rather than orthodontists. The bite may be perfectly acceptable. The airway is the problem.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles of the throat relax during sleep and the soft tissues, including the tongue, fall back and narrow the airway. Breathing pauses, oxygen dips, the brain briefly rouses the sleeper to restore airflow, and the cycle repeats through the night. Mayo Clinic describes loud snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing and daytime sleepiness as the classic pattern, and lists heart and blood pressure complications among the reasons it is treated.

First-line treatment is not surgical. Positive airway pressure delivered through a mask, weight management where relevant and mandibular advancement devices, which are mouthguard-like appliances that hold the lower jaw forward during sleep, are tried first. Maxillomandibular advancement, the operation that moves both jaws forward together, sits further down the list. Mayo Clinic frames jaw repositioning as an option for people who cannot tolerate or do not respond to those measures.

The candidates who tend to be considered share a skeletal pattern: a small or retruded lower jaw, sometimes a narrow upper jaw, and a tongue base that sits close to the back wall of the throat on imaging. Moving the bones forward pulls the attached soft tissues with them and enlarges the space behind the tongue and soft palate.

Two cautions matter here. Sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a sleep study, never assumed from snoring. The size of any benefit varies widely between individuals, and no clinician can promise a person will come off their pressure device. The decision belongs to a team that includes the sleep physician, the surgeon and usually an orthodontist, because moving the jaws forward changes the bite and generally requires braces as well.

Orthognathic surgery age requirements: why growth has to finish first

Parents of a 13-year-old with a pronounced underbite often ask why the surgeon wants to wait several years when the problem is obvious now. The answer is that the jaws are still moving.

Repositioning a jaw that then keeps growing is a recipe for relapse. The lower jaw in particular grows late and unpredictably, and a Class 3 bite corrected at 14 can re-emerge by 18 as the mandible continues to lengthen. Mayo Clinic states that jaw surgery is appropriate after growth stops, usually around ages 14 to 16 for females and 17 to 21 for males. Those are averages; surgeons confirm the end of growth in an individual by comparing X-rays taken several months apart, or by checking a hand-wrist radiograph for closed growth plates.

Waiting does not mean doing nothing. Orthodontists can use growth-modification appliances in younger children to encourage a lagging upper jaw forward or restrain a lower jaw, sometimes reducing the eventual discrepancy. Braces can also be timed so that the teeth are surgically ready as soon as growth is confirmed complete.

There are exceptions. Children with severe congenital jaw deformities, syndromes affecting facial growth, or airway obstruction serious enough to threaten breathing may have staged surgery earlier, accepting that further procedures will likely be needed once growth finishes. Those decisions are made by specialist craniofacial teams and fall outside routine practice.

At the other end of life, there is no upper age limit as such. Adults in their 40s, 50s and beyond do have orthognathic surgery, particularly for sleep apnea. What changes with age is the wider medical picture: cardiovascular fitness for a general anesthetic, bone quality, healing capacity and the presence of dental disease that has to be treated first. The assessment simply becomes more thorough.

Who needs orthognathic surgery now, and who is usually asked to wait

Multidisciplinary teams tend to arrive at one of three positions after assessment: proceed with planning, wait and reassess, or recommend a non-surgical route. The table summarizes the patterns that most often push a case one way or another.

Finding at assessment	Usually points toward	Why
Skeletal discrepancy too large for tooth movement, growth complete	Surgical planning	Teeth cannot safely be moved far enough to meet
Open bite affecting chewing or speech	Surgical planning	Front teeth cannot be brought together by braces alone
Sleep apnea confirmed on sleep study, other treatments failed or not tolerated, retruded jaws	Surgical planning with sleep team	Advancing the jaws can enlarge the airway
Growth not yet complete on serial X-rays	Wait and reassess	Continued growth risks relapse
Active gum disease or untreated decay	Wait until treated	Infection risk and unstable teeth for braces
Uncontrolled medical conditions affecting anesthesia or healing	Wait until optimized	Surgical safety
Mild discrepancy, no functional or airway problem	Camouflage orthodontics or no treatment	Risk of surgery outweighs likely benefit
Appearance concern alone without skeletal cause	Non-surgical options	Orthognathic surgery is not a cosmetic procedure

Two further situations deserve mention. People who smoke are often asked to stop well before surgery, because smoking impairs bone and soft-tissue healing and raises infection risk. People whose expectations center on a dramatically different face are usually counseled carefully, since the surgeon’s goal is a functional bite and balanced proportions, and the change in appearance, while often noticeable, is a byproduct rather than the target.

A team may also pause when someone’s motivation is uncertain. The pathway runs for two years or more from first braces to final retainers, and dropping out midway, with teeth deliberately decompensated for a surgery that never happens, can leave the bite worse than at the start.

How orthognathic surgery actually works, step by step

The operation is performed under general anesthesia, meaning the person is fully asleep and breathing through a tube placed through the nose so the surgeon has clear access to the mouth. Almost all the cuts are made inside the mouth, which is why visible facial scars are unusual.

An osteotomy is a controlled surgical cut through bone. There are three that make up most orthognathic procedures, and Mayo Clinic describes each.

A maxillary osteotomy addresses the upper jaw. The surgeon cuts through the bone above the roots of the upper teeth, freeing the tooth-bearing segment so it can be moved forward, back, up or down, or tilted to level a slanted bite. It can also be widened. Once positioned according to the pre-surgical plan, it is held with small titanium plates and screws that generally stay in place permanently.

A mandibular osteotomy addresses the lower jaw. Cuts are made behind the back molars on each side, splitting the jaw so the front tooth-bearing part can slide forward or back while the joints stay where they are. Plates and screws again fix the new position.

A genioplasty reshapes the chin alone. The chin bone is cut and moved without disturbing the teeth. It may be done on its own or added to a jaw procedure to refine the profile.

Before the bone is fixed, the surgeon fits an acrylic splint, a thin custom-made wafer that slots between the upper and lower teeth in the planned bite. The splint guarantees that the jaws are fixed in exactly the relationship rehearsed on the models or digital plan. Small elastic bands between the braces then guide the bite as it heals.

Mayo Clinic notes the procedure is usually performed in a hospital with a stay of two to four days, and that surgery on both jaws takes longer than surgery on one.

What happens in the months before jaw surgery

People are often surprised that the operation itself is the shortest part of the process. The preparation is measured in months.

Pre-surgical orthodontics comes first. Mayo Clinic notes that braces are usually in place for 12 to 18 months before surgery. Their purpose during this phase is counterintuitive: rather than disguising the jaw problem, the orthodontist deliberately removes any compensations the teeth have made over the years, a process called decompensation. Teeth that have tilted to meet across a skeletal gap are uprighted, which often makes the bite look temporarily worse. That is expected. It means the teeth are positioned so they will interlock correctly once the bones move.

Planning runs alongside. A cone-beam CT scan, a three-dimensional X-ray of the face and jaws, is combined with digital scans of the teeth and standardized photographs. Many teams now perform virtual surgical planning, rehearsing the bone movements on a computer model and printing the intermediate and final splints from that plan. The surgeon and orthodontist meet to agree the exact movements in millimeters and to consider how those movements will affect the nose, lips and airway.

A pre-anesthetic assessment reviews general health, current medicines, allergies and airway anatomy. Anyone taking blood-thinning medicines, or medicines that affect bone healing, will have those reviewed by the prescribing clinician, who decides whether any change is needed before surgery. Nothing should be stopped or altered on a patient’s own initiative.

Dental health is checked and any decay or gum disease is treated. Wisdom teeth in the line of a planned lower jaw cut are commonly removed six months or more ahead so the bone can consolidate.

Practical planning matters too: arranging time away from work or study, stocking a liquid and soft-food kitchen, and identifying someone who can help at home in the first week.

What the first days and weeks after jaw surgery usually look like

The honest answer to what recovery feels like is: puffy, numb and tiring for a while, then steadily better.

In the hospital, the face swells considerably over the first two to three days, often peaking around day three before beginning to subside. The nose is congested from the breathing tube and from upper jaw surgery. Pain is usually described as less severe than people expect, in part because the nerve that supplies the lower lip and chin is commonly bruised during lower jaw surgery, leaving the area numb rather than sore. Prescribed pain relief and, where indicated, antibiotics are given; the surgical team sets the type and duration, and any questions about them go back to that team.

The jaws are not usually wired shut. Most surgeons rely on plates and screws for stability and use light elastics between the braces to guide the bite, which means the mouth can open a little from the outset. Speech is muffled at first and improves as swelling settles.

Eating follows a staged pattern. Liquids and smooth purees for the first weeks give way to soft foods, then to a normal diet as the bone unites. Mayo Clinic describes initial jaw healing as taking about six weeks, with complete healing taking up to 12 weeks. Most people return to work or study within that first window, depending on how physical their job is.

Weekly or fortnightly orthodontic visits resume within the first weeks to adjust elastics. Post-surgical orthodontics then fine-tunes the bite, typically over several further months, before braces come off and retainers begin.

Numbness of the lower lip and chin is expected and usually improves over months. Swelling in its final subtle form, and the face settling into its new proportions, can take longer still. Patience is the most frequently prescribed component of recovery.

What are the risks of orthognathic surgery?

Any operation under general anesthesia carries baseline risks: reactions to anesthetic agents, chest infection and blood clots in the legs or lungs. Orthognathic surgery adds a set of specific ones that every candidate should hear described plainly. Mayo Clinic lists the following.

• Blood loss, occasionally enough to require transfusion, more often with upper jaw surgery because the maxilla is richly supplied with vessels.
• Infection at the bone cuts or around the plates, which may need antibiotics or, uncommonly, removal of hardware once healing is complete.
• Nerve injury. The inferior alveolar nerve runs through the lower jaw close to the line of the cut and is frequently stretched or bruised. Temporary numbness of the lip and chin is common; permanent altered sensation affects a smaller number of people, and the risk rises with age and with the size of the movement. Injury to the facial nerve, which moves the facial muscles, is rare.
• Fracture of the jaw in an unplanned direction during the split.
• Relapse, meaning the jaw drifts partly back toward its original position, which is why growth must be complete and why retainers matter.
• Problems with bite fit or new jaw joint pain, which sometimes require further orthodontics or, rarely, additional surgery.
• Damage to the roots of teeth near a cut, occasionally requiring root canal treatment, and in rare cases loss of a segment of jaw or teeth if the blood supply to a moved segment fails.

Upper jaw movements also change the nose, most commonly widening the base slightly or altering the tip. Surgeons take steps to limit this and will discuss it beforehand.

The team weighs these risks against the functional problem at hand. For a large open bite that prevents chewing, or sleep apnea threatening cardiovascular health, the calculation differs from that for a mild profile concern. Frequencies vary between centers and case types, and reliable figures for an individual come from the surgeon who will operate.

What are the alternatives to jaw surgery?

Choosing not to operate is a legitimate clinical decision, and a good team will describe the non-surgical routes with the same care it gives the surgical one.

Camouflage orthodontics accepts the skeletal pattern and uses braces, elastics and sometimes extractions to make the teeth meet as well as they can. The NHS notes that braces alone can correct many bite problems, and that surgery is reserved for cases where the jaws themselves are misaligned. Camouflage suits mild and some moderate discrepancies in adults who prioritize avoiding surgery over a change in profile.

Growth modification is the alternative for children and young teenagers still growing. Functional appliances hold the lower jaw forward to encourage its development, and headgear or face masks can restrain or encourage the upper jaw. Results depend on cooperation and on the underlying growth pattern, and severe discrepancies often still need surgery later.

For sleep apnea, positive airway pressure remains the standard first treatment, and Mayo Clinic describes oral appliances that advance the lower jaw during sleep as an option for some people. Positional therapy, weight management where relevant and treatment of nasal obstruction are also considered before any jaw operation.

Restorative dentistry can sometimes improve function in a compromised bite through crowns or onlays that rebuild worn teeth, though it does not address the skeletal cause.

Genioplasty alone, or the addition of a chin implant, can improve the appearance of a receding chin without moving the teeth-bearing jaws, but does nothing for the bite or airway.

Doing nothing is also on the list. Some people with a stable, functional if imperfect bite reasonably decide that the years of treatment and the surgical risks are not worth it. The team’s task is to make sure that decision is informed, not to override it.

What people often get wrong about jaw surgery

Online forums and short videos have made orthognathic surgery more visible, and with visibility has come a crop of persistent misunderstandings.

The first is that it is a cosmetic operation. Hospital-based orthognathic surgery is planned around function: a bite that works, an airway that stays open, lips that close. The face does change, sometimes noticeably, because moving bone moves the soft tissue draped over it. That change is a consequence of restoring balance, not the goal, and teams routinely decline to operate when appearance is the only concern.

The second is that the jaws are wired shut for weeks. Rigid fixation with plates and screws has largely replaced wiring; most people can open a little from the first day and rely on elastics rather than wires.

The third is that the numbness is permanent for everyone. Altered sensation in the lower lip and chin is very common early on and typically improves over months. A minority are left with some permanent change, and the surgeon should quote the risk for the planned movement.

The fourth is that surgery replaces braces. Almost every orthognathic patient wears braces before and after the operation, and Mayo Clinic’s 12-to-18-month pre-surgical estimate surprises people who expected to skip straight to the operating room.

The fifth is that it fixes temporomandibular joint pain. Some people find jaw joint symptoms improve when the bite is corrected; others find no change, and a few develop new joint symptoms. Surgery is not offered as a treatment for joint pain alone.

The sixth is that a receding chin always means a small lower jaw. Chin shape and jaw position are separate variables, which is why a genioplasty on its own is sometimes the whole answer and sometimes no answer at all.

Questions to ask your care team

A consultation that leaves you with a clearer picture of your own anatomy is more useful than one that leaves you with a date. These questions tend to get to the substance.

• Is my bite problem in the teeth, the jaws, or both, and how far outside the normal range are my measurements?
• Which jaw, or jaws, would you move, in which direction, and by roughly how much?
• What would camouflage orthodontics achieve in my case, and what would it leave unaddressed?
• How have you confirmed that my growth is complete?
• How will the planned movement affect my nose, lips and profile, and can I see a simulation based on my own scans?
• If sleep apnea is part of the reason, how will we measure whether the airway has actually improved afterward?
• What is your estimate of the chance of lasting numbness for this specific movement?
• How long do you expect me to be in braces before surgery, and how long afterward?
• What will I be able to eat, and when?
• How long would you advise away from work or study, and from sport?
• Which of my current medicines need to be reviewed before surgery, and who will make that decision?
• What signs after surgery should prompt me to call, and whom do I call out of hours?
• How often does relapse occur with this movement, and what is done if it happens?
• Who is on the team, and how do the orthodontist and surgeon communicate during planning?

Write the answers down or ask permission to record the conversation. Bring someone with you. Ask for a copy of the written treatment plan, including the planned movements, so that if you seek a second opinion the next clinician can see exactly what was proposed.

A team that welcomes these questions is generally one that has thought carefully about your case. The final decision, at every stage, remains yours and theirs together.

When to call your doctor

Most of recovery from jaw surgery is uncomfortable rather than dangerous, but a handful of signs need same-day attention from the surgical team or, out of hours, an emergency department.

Call urgently for any difficulty breathing, noisy or obstructed breathing, or swelling of the tongue or floor of the mouth that is rapidly increasing. Bleeding from the mouth or nose that does not slow after several minutes of firm pressure with gauze, or that soaks through repeated pads, also needs immediate assessment.

Contact the team the same day for a fever, especially if it is accompanied by increasing pain, spreading redness or warmth of the face, foul taste or discharge from inside the mouth. These can signal infection at the bone cuts or around the plates.

Report promptly any sudden change in your bite: teeth that met a day ago and now do not, a clicking or shifting sensation at a cut, or an elastic arrangement you cannot restore. Early loosening of fixation is easier to manage than late.

Seek help if you cannot keep fluids down, are passing very little urine or feel faint on standing. Dehydration is common on a liquid diet and is treatable.

Calf pain or swelling in one leg, chest pain, or sudden breathlessness are signs of a possible blood clot and are emergencies.

Persistent numbness alone is not an emergency and is expected. Numbness that is accompanied by new weakness of the face, an eye that will not close or a drooping mouth corner should be reported.

Before surgery, anyone waiting for orthognathic assessment who develops worsening breathing pauses in sleep, morning headaches with pronounced daytime sleepiness, or pain and difficulty opening the mouth should let their doctor know rather than waiting for the next scheduled appointment.

When in doubt, call. The team would far rather hear from you about something minor than not hear about something serious.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the typical jaw surgery candidates?

Typical candidates are adults, or older teenagers whose growth has finished, with a mismatch between the upper and lower jaws large enough that braces alone cannot make the teeth meet. Common reasons include an open bite that prevents chewing with the front teeth, a pronounced underbite or overbite of skeletal origin, facial asymmetry from uneven jaw growth, and obstructive sleep apnea in someone with set-back jaws. An orthodontist and oral and maxillofacial surgeon assess jointly.

What are the orthognathic surgery age requirements?

There is no fixed legal age, but surgeons wait until jaw growth is complete, which Mayo Clinic gives as around 14 to 16 for females and 17 to 21 for males. Growth is confirmed for each person with X-rays taken months apart rather than by birthday. There is no upper age cutoff; older adults are assessed on general health, bone quality and dental condition. Children with severe congenital deformities may have staged surgery earlier under specialist teams.

Is jaw surgery for sleep apnea a first-line treatment?

No. Positive airway pressure, oral appliances that hold the lower jaw forward during sleep, and lifestyle measures are tried first. Mayo Clinic lists jaw repositioning among surgical options for people who cannot tolerate or do not respond to those treatments. Candidates usually have a small or retruded lower jaw seen on imaging. A sleep study must confirm the diagnosis, and the decision involves the sleep physician, surgeon and orthodontist together.

Underbite surgery vs braces: how do I know which I need?

The distinction rests on measurements from a side-view skull X-ray and bite records, not on appearance. If the reversal is small and the jaws are close to proportionate, braces can tip the teeth to meet. If the lower jaw is markedly long or the upper jaw markedly short, teeth cannot safely be moved far enough and surgery is discussed. Camouflage orthodontics remains an option for borderline cases in adults who prefer to avoid surgery.

Do I have to wear braces if I have jaw surgery?

In nearly all cases, yes. Mayo Clinic notes braces are usually placed 12 to 18 months before surgery to align the teeth within each jaw so they interlock once the bones are repositioned. Braces stay on after surgery for fine-tuning, and retainers follow. Some centers use a surgery-first approach with braces only afterward, but this suits selected cases and is decided by the team.

Will my jaw be wired shut after surgery?

Usually not. Modern orthognathic surgery fixes the bone with small titanium plates and screws, which are stable enough that light elastic bands between the braces guide the bite instead of wires. Most people can open the mouth a little from the first day, although eating is restricted to liquids and purees early on. Wiring is occasionally still used in specific circumstances, and the surgeon will say in advance if it applies.

How long is recovery from orthognathic surgery?

Mayo Clinic describes a hospital stay of two to four days, initial jaw healing of about six weeks and complete healing of up to 12 weeks. Swelling peaks in the first few days and fades over weeks. A liquid diet progresses to soft food and then a normal diet as the bone unites. Numbness of the lip and chin commonly lingers for months. Return to work depends on the job and is agreed with the team.

Does jaw surgery change how your face looks?

Yes, usually to some degree, because moving the bone moves the overlying soft tissue. Advancing a set-back lower jaw defines the chin and jawline; moving the upper jaw forward supports the lips and can alter the nose slightly. The extent depends on the size and direction of the movement. Surgeons plan around function and balance rather than a particular look, and many teams can show a simulation based on the person’s own scans.

Is orthognathic surgery permanent, or can the jaw move back?

The repositioned bone heals in its new place and the plates generally stay permanently, but some degree of relapse, meaning partial drift toward the original position, can occur. Mayo Clinic lists relapse among the recognized risks. Operating only after growth has finished, achieving a stable bite with orthodontics afterward and wearing retainers as instructed are the main safeguards. If relapse affects function, further orthodontics or occasionally revision surgery is discussed.

Will jaw surgery fix my TMJ pain?

It is not offered for that purpose. Temporomandibular joint pain has many causes, including muscle tension, clenching and joint disc problems, and correcting the bite does not reliably resolve it. Some people notice improvement after surgery, others no change, and a few develop new joint symptoms, which Mayo Clinic lists as a possible complication. Joint pain is usually managed separately, and the surgeon will explain what can and cannot be expected.

References

• MedlinePlus: Malocclusion of teeth
• NHS: Orthodontics

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.