Jaw Surgery

About Jaw Surgery

Typically, preparation for jaw surgery begins with the placement of braces by a Mayo Clinic orthodontist or a hometown provider. Once teeth are properly aligned, surgery is scheduled. Not all patients require orthodontia.

Surgery is completed entirely inside the mouth, leaving no scars on the chin, jaw or around the mouth. The surgeon makes incisions in the jawbones so they can be moved into the correct position. Once the jaws are properly aligned, screws secure the bones into their new position.

Sometimes new bone may need to be added, called bone grafting. The bone is transferred to the jaw from the hip, leg or rib. Occasionally, wires may be required to hold the jaws in place until healing is complete.

Depending on the procedure, the hospital stay is usually one to three days. Then, the patient recuperates two to four weeks at home before returning to work or school.

During the healing process, doctors recommend a diet with food no firmer than cooked pasta. Doctors also suggest avoiding sports and other strenuous activities during recovery.

In most cases, patients continue to wear braces through surgery and recovery. Once the jaw has healed, the patient returns to the orthodontist, who finishes aligning the teeth and eventually removes the braces. The entire orthodontic process, including surgery, lasts from 12 to 24 months.

Jaw surgery is appropriate after growth stops. For women, that's around age 14 or 15; for men, between age 17 and 21.