Is Jaw Surgery only Cosmetic? Or can it Improve my Daily Life?
A lot of people think that jaw surgery is only cosmetic. And that’s probably because cosmetic and aesthetic treatments have become more affordable and accessible in the last two decades.
But Jaw surgery can be functional. It can help reduce pain, treat sleep apnea, and improve your daily comfort.
What are the Cosmetic Reasons for Jaw Surgery?
People have various reasons to pursue cosmetic treatments. But ultimately it boils down to feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin. Everyone deserves to like what they see in the mirror.
You can redefine your jawline, making it appear stronger or softer. You could correct a recessed or protruding jaw or chin. You can correct congenital defects such as a cleft palate. Or you can make your face more symmetrical if you want.
What are the Functional Reasons behind Jaw surgery? How can Jaw Surgery help me in Daily Life?
- You can correct malocclusions also known as bite problems.
Malocculsions is a fancy medical term for misalignment of the dental arches and/or jaw. But you probably know them as underbites, overbites, open bites, cross bites, and asymmetrical bites. Basically, your bottom teeth should rest behind your top teeth, with the top of your bottom teeth making gentle contact with your top teeth.
But maybe your bottom teeth rest in front of your top teeth (underbite). Or vice versa (overbite). Or maybe they bite into the opposite arch (crossbite). You get the idea. Jaw surgery can reposition your jaw so your teeth meet properly, improving comfort and long-term dental health.
- You can treat Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders.
The temporomandibular joint is the hinge joint between the skull and the jaw bone. TMJ disorders are conditions that mess with those joints and the surrounding muscles. They can cause pain, jaw locking, headaches, teeth grinding, Maloculsions, and even arthritis. In short, TMJ can cause chronic pain. But Jaw surgery can fix these issues.
- Jaw surgery can improve speech articulation and swallowing.
As you can see, misaligned jaws can cause various problems. Sometimes misaligned jaws can alter how the tongue and mouth interact causing speech impediments. Not all speech impediments can be fixed by jaw surgery, but those caused by jaw problems can. Jaw surgery can correct the jaw’s position, improving oral coordination and articulation.
A misaligned jaw can also create swallowing issues. Misalignment can lead to difficult swallowing, a persistent feeling of having a lump in your throat, or even digestive issues by swallowing excess air. Again, jaw surgery can help with these problems.
- You can even treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is when the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep. This is often caused by soft tissues like the tongue, tonsils, or uvula relaxing and blocking the airway. Let’s focus on the tongue because that is the type we can fix with jaw surgery.
Simply put, if your tongue is too big for your mouth or your mouth is too small for your tongue, there’s not enough space. Your tongue relaxes when you sleep, blocking the airway. So procedures like maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) move your upper and lower jaws forward, expanding the airway.
So if you hate your CPAP machine, jaw surgery can fix your sleep apnea permanently.
So, is Jaw Surgery right for you?
Well, we can’t answer with one blog or Tik-Tok video. To learn how jaw surgery can help you, schedule a consultation with us. We’ll give you the personalized recommendation you deserve!
