Maxillary Osteotomy
Do you long for a straighter smile but have been told you need jaw surgery to ensure effective treatment? A maxillary osteotomy can change the position of your upper jaw and make it easier to align your teeth. Trust our expert surgeons to help you achieve a beautiful and functional smile to be proud of.
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Why have a maxillary osteotomy?
A maxillary osteotomy can improve the position and function of your upper jaw, able to enhance your appearance, correct your bite and boost your confidence in your smile.
Benefits of the procedure
Long-term stability – improving the position of your upper jaw corrects your bite and ensures stable and more aesthetically pleasing teeth
Boosted confidence – achieve a more balanced facial appearance, a straighter smile and new-found confidence in your appearance
Improved function – a corrected bite and aligned jaw improves the way you eat and speak to enhance your quality of life
Long-lasting results – a maxillary osteotomy uses effective surgical treatment to make a permanent change to your jaw function and appearance
Frequently asked questions
At your first consultation, we examine your mouth and jaw and assess whether you are suitable for treatment. You may have been referred for surgery by your orthodontist, to ensure your teeth can be successfully aligned. We discuss the procedure with you in detail, letting you know what to expect, and give you the chance to ask us any questions.
Before the surgery, you may be given antibiotics or asked to rinse your mouth with chlorhexidine mouthwash to minimise the risk of infection. We perform the treatment under general anaesthetic, and it typically takes around an hour.
We make small cuts inside your mouth, above your top teeth. This enables us to move your jaw to the correct position, before fixing it in place with special plates and screws. We close the cuts using dissolvable stitches, which will disappear over time by themselves. Following your surgery, we provide detailed aftercare and support for successful healing.
Sometimes, just braces can be used to straighten your teeth. However, if your jaw is in the wrong position, it is unlikely that your teeth will bite together properly and you may need further treatment to keep your teeth in place.
A maxillary osteotomy procedure takes around an hour. It is performed under general anaesthetic, so a period of recovery will be needed afterwards.
The maxillary surgery itself is not painful, as you will be under general anaesthetic for the duration and unable to feel a thing. You will likely experience pain and swelling after the operation, but we will give you medication to control this and prevent headaches.
Depending on the type of work you do, you should be able to return after 2-4 weeks.
Initially, you will need to stick to soft foods, moving to solid food when you can chew comfortably, which is usually around 4-6 weeks. Every case is different, but you should be able to chew properly around three months after surgery.
