Corrective Jaw Surgery
When teeth align but jaws don’t, orthodontics alone can’t fix it. Corrective jaw surgery — orthognathic surgery — repositions the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both, improving your bite, your breathing, and the balance of your face.
Mary, on going through corrective jaw surgery. Shared with her permission · individual results vary.
What corrective jaw surgery actually does
Your teeth sit in your jaws. If the jaws themselves are positioned wrong — too far forward, too far back, twisted, or open — braces can straighten the teeth but can’t move the bones they’re anchored in. Corrective jaw surgery moves the jawbones into the right position and fixes them there with small titanium plates, so your teeth finally meet the way they should.
The payoff is rarely just cosmetic. Patients come in for chewing that finally works, sleep that’s no longer interrupted, jaw pain that eases — and, yes, a profile that feels like theirs. It’s planned digitally in 3D before surgery, so the result is designed in advance, not improvised in the OR.
Signs you may be a candidate
One focus, tailored to your case
Which approach is right depends on where the discrepancy lives. That’s decided together at your consult, from 3D imaging — not guessed.
Single-Jaw Surgery
Repositioning the upper (Le Fort I) or lower jaw on its own to correct the bite, restore function, and balance the profile — when the discrepancy sits in one jaw.
Double-Jaw (Bimaxillary)
Repositioning both jaws together for complex bites, jaw asymmetry, and airway-driven cases — the most complete correction when both jaws are involved.
Sleep & Airway (MMA)
Maxillomandibular advancement moves both jaws forward to open the airway — a durable option for obstructive sleep apnea tied to jaw position.
Related concerns like underbite, overbite, open bite, jaw asymmetry, and chin position are all addressed within these approaches — dedicated guides are on the way.
From first visit to final result
Consult & imaging
3D scans and a full conversation about goals, options, and timing.
Orthodontics
Braces or aligners position the teeth so the jaws can meet correctly.
Surgery
A planned, hidden-incision procedure to reposition the jaws, done under general anesthesia.
Recovery & refine
Guided healing, then final orthodontic detailing for a settled bite.
What healing actually looks like
Swelling peaks then eases. Liquid diet, rest, and managed comfort at home.
Back to light routines and desk work for many. Soft foods, swelling visibly down.
Bones well on their way to union. Most normal activity resumes.
Final settling and orthodontic detailing. The result becomes fully yours.
Clear, upfront, and on your terms
Every plan comes with a written estimate — no surprises. We’re a cash-pay practice with financing options, and we’ll help you understand any medical-insurance pathways where they apply.
See cost & financing →A jaw-surgery journey
Drag to reveal.
Actual patient, shared with permission · individual results vary.
Before you book, you might be wondering…
Almost never anymore. Modern fixation uses small titanium plates that hold everything in place, so most patients can open and move their jaw soon after surgery—no wiring required.
More pressure and tightness than sharp pain. Most patients describe the first week as swollen and tired rather than agonizing, and comfort is well managed with a plan we set up before surgery.
Major swelling fades over the first 2–3 weeks, and you’ll look like you in public well before then. Final, settled results emerge over 3–6 months as the last swelling resolves.
Usually, yes. Orthodontics positions your teeth so the jaws can fit together correctly once they’re moved—surgery and orthodontics work as one plan, not two separate treatments.
It depends on your diagnosis and plan. Functional cases (airway, bite, injury) sometimes qualify for medical coverage. We’re a cash-pay practice and will give you a clear written estimate and guide you through any insurance pathways that apply.
Ready to understand your options?
Book a consult with Dr. Stosich—or just call and ask. We’re happy to help either way.