Orthodontics
Jaw surgery and braces
Some bite problems come from the position or size of the jaws, not just the teeth. In adults, when the jaws have finished growing, correcting the bite may require braces combined with corrective jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery). Your orthodontist plans the tooth movement; an oral and maxillofacial surgeon performs the surgery.
When surgery may be recommended
For children and teens who are still growing, early treatment can sometimes guide jaw growth and reduce the need for surgery later. That’s one reason we recommend a first check-up around age 7.
- A severe underbite or overbite caused by the jaws.
- An open bite, where the front teeth don’t meet.
- Facial asymmetry, or a jaw that is much larger or smaller than the other.
- Difficulty chewing, biting or closing the lips comfortably.
How treatment usually works
- Planning: Your orthodontist and your surgeon review records, imaging and your goals together.
- Braces before surgery: Braces line the teeth up in each jaw so they will fit together once the jaws are repositioned. This phase often takes several months to a year or more.
- Surgery: Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon repositions the jaw or jaws, usually in a hospital or surgical center.
- Braces after surgery: Once you’ve healed, your orthodontist fine-tunes the bite, followed by retainers.
Insurance
Corrective jaw surgery is often reviewed by medical insurance, while the braces fall under your dental orthodontic benefit. Our team can help you understand the orthodontic side; your surgeon’s office handles the surgical claim.
What the timeline usually looks like
Braces usually go on about 12 to 18 months before surgery, to line up the teeth in each jaw, and stay on for several months after surgery while the bite is fine-tuned. Retainers follow. Your orthodontist and surgeon give you your own plan, and it may differ.
In some cases, depending on the surgeon and the bite, treatment can start with surgery first and braces afterward.
3D planning with your surgeon
We share your 3D records, including CBCT imaging and digital scans, with your oral and maxillofacial surgeon for virtual surgical planning, so both of you are working from the same detailed model of your teeth and jaws.
Help with insurance paperwork
Jaw surgery is usually billed to medical insurance by the surgeon’s office, while the braces are billed to your dental or orthodontic benefit. Our team helps with the records and letters the surgeon’s office needs for medical insurance.
Questions
- Does Behl Orthodontics perform jaw surgery?
- No. Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon performs the surgery; we plan and carry out the braces before and after.
- How long are braces needed with jaw surgery?
- Usually about 12 to 18 months before surgery and several months after. Your own plan may differ.
- Can surgery come first?
- In some cases, depending on the surgeon and the bite. Your orthodontist and surgeon will tell you whether it suits you.
