Jaw surgery might feel like a last resort, but the benefits are far-reaching. Here are a few encouraging things you should know about this type of procedure.
Most people don’t think much about their jawbone. As long as it enables their talking and eating, they don’t worry about this bone.
But if you have a misaligned jaw — like a receding or protruding jawline — you probably think about your jaw quite a bit. The good news: You’re not stuck with it. At Georgetown Orthodontics in Washington, DC, Dr. Maya Oliver specializes in jaw surgery to help people just like you.
But still, you may be wondering if your jaw issue is serious enough to constitute a diagnosable receding or protruding jawline. Is it worth visiting Dr. Oliver? Let’s find out.
If your lower jaw is set farther back than your upper jaw, you have retrognathia, or a receding jawline. It might be hard to see your retrognathia from the front, but it’s usually noticeable when people look at your profile.
A receding jawline can make it harder to eat and could contribute to the development of TMJ, an uncomfortable condition that causes jaw pain.
Generally, you should talk to Dr. Oliver about your receding jawline when:
Dr. Oliver offers jaw surgery to reposition your lower jaw so it aligns with your upper jaw. This restores your ability to eat and talk normally, and it also changes your facial profile. Generally, people feel more confident after their jaw surgery.
Your upper and lower jaw are supposed to line up. If your lower jaw sticks out in front of your upper jaw, you have prognathism. Like retrognathia, prognathism can affect your self-confidence.
It also impacts the alignment of your teeth. With misalignment in your jaw, your teeth don’t fit together the way they should. This can make it harder to eat, talk, and properly clean your teeth.
With jaw surgery, Dr. Oliver can correct this issue for you, realigning your teeth and jaws.
Dr. Oliver offers minimally invasive jaw surgery to reduce your downtime and scarring afterward. In fact, you should have little or no visible scarring after this procedure.
You can go home the same day as your jaw surgery, and most people recover enough to return to work or school within two weeks. Within a month or two, you’ll be fully healed.
If you’re living with a receding or protruding jaw, don’t wait to talk with our team about your options. To set up a surgical consultation with Dr. Oliver, call our office at 202-600-8060 today.
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Jaw surgery might feel like a last resort, but the benefits are far-reaching. Here are a few encouraging things you should know about this type of procedure.
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