Featured
Diet Guidelines During Treatment with Braces
How to eat comfortably and successfully during your orthodontic treatment with braces or aligners
Read articleMisalignments of the teeth and jaws (dysgnathia) can not only disturb the aesthetics of the face, but also lead to a wide range of health problems and complaints. For the diagnosis and treatment of dysgnathia, an orthodontist like Dr. Hakim is exactly the right person to turn to. He advises you in detail and presents therapy options that are tailored to you.
Treating misaligned teeth and jaws: dysgnathia surgery with Dr. Hakim
Misalignments of the teeth and jaws (dysgnathia) can not only disturb the aesthetics of the face, but also lead to a wide range of health problems and complaints and considerably affect your well-being and your quality of life. In cases of mild dysgnathia it is often possible to eliminate the cause with orthodontic treatment and so relieve the complaints. If the dysgnathia is severe, however, often only dysgnathia surgery will help.
For the diagnosis and treatment of dysgnathia, an orthodontist like Dr. Hakim is exactly the right person to turn to. He advises you in detail and presents therapy options tailored to you that can help you regain more quality of life. Would you like to learn more about dysgnathia first? In what follows we take a closer look at the causes and symptoms as well as the treatment options for misaligned teeth and jaws.
Table of contents
Dysgnathia: causes and symptoms
Treatment options for dysgnathia
Benefits of dysgnathia surgery
Requirements for dysgnathia surgery
Arrange a consultation appointment
What is dysgnathia?
Dysgnathia is the medical term for a congenital or acquired misalignment of the jaw. This can take various forms. In principle, dysgnathia can be divided into two groups: acquired and congenital dysgnathia.
Acquired dysgnathia refers to misalignments that are primarily due to misalignments caused by outside influences. Typical examples of this are misalignments resulting from accidents or from bad habits.
Congenital dysgnathia, by contrast, refers to a misalignment that is due to jaw position and genetics. This is the case, for example, when the upper jaw is noticeably positioned forward or the lower jaw is shortened to such a degree that the upper jaw protrudes beyond the lower jaw. This category also includes an underdeveloped / shortened upper jaw and a lengthened lower jaw, which lead to the lower jaw protruding so far that it extends beyond the upper jaw.
Dysgnathia: causes and symptoms
Besides the genetic component, there are further causes that can bring about dysgnathia or at least encourage it. These include, for example, prolonged thumb sucking, persistent mouth breathing, inadequate dental care or an unhealthy diet.
Dysgnathia can bring about various symptoms and complaints such as problems and/or pain when biting and chewing, swallowing and speaking. The misalignment usually leads to excessive strain on individual teeth, which as a result become more susceptible to disease and premature tooth loss. Beyond that, dysgnathia frequently also affects the aesthetics of the face, which for many of those affected means an additional burden.
In order to reduce this burden as well as the physical complaints and pain, and to help those affected to a better quality of life, early treatment is of great importance. Depending on which kind of misalignment is involved, different treatment options are available.
Treatment options for dysgnathia
Dysgnathia is treated orthodontically, whereby the type and extent of the treatment can differ greatly from one person to the next, depending on the type and severity of the misalignment. Age, too, plays a role in the choice of the appropriate treatment method.
Misaligned teeth (dental dysgnathia) can be corrected with braces at any age. Sometimes removable braces or aligners are enough for this; sometimes fixed braces are necessary in order to correct the misalignment.
Mild misalignments of the jaw (skeletal dysgnathia) can also be corrected with orthodontic appliances such as braces or aligners. In the case of very severe misalignments of the jaw, dysgnathia surgery is (additionally) required. This is only carried out in adults whose jaw growth is already complete, that is, from the age of 18 at the earliest.
Benefits of dysgnathia surgery
Dysgnathia surgery offers several benefits compared with other treatment methods: for one thing, it allows — in combination with conventional treatment methods — a comprehensive treatment with which both misaligned teeth and misaligned jaws can be corrected. This applies in particular to severe misalignments of the jaw that cannot be corrected by purely orthodontic measures. For another, surgical procedures usually offer more lasting results. The surgical repositioning of the jaw bones generally remains stable over the long term, which not only reduces the risk of relapse but also helps prevent late consequences of the misalignment such as temporomandibular joint disorders.
Requirements for dysgnathia surgery
Dysgnathia surgery is advisable or necessary whenever the misalignment of the jaw is so severe that it causes serious functional impairments (for example problems with biting, chewing, speaking or breathing), but cannot be corrected — or cannot be corrected sufficiently — by conservative, that is non-surgical, treatment methods. Aesthetic reasons, too, can make dysgnathia surgery advisable, when the misalignment changes the outward appearance to such an extent that it affects the self-confidence and the quality of life of the person concerned.
Regardless of the reasons for the procedure, certain requirements have to be met in order for dysgnathia surgery to be carried out successfully. First of all, jaw growth has to be complete, in order to ensure stable and long-term results. As a rule this is the case from the age of 18 (in men up to the age of 23). In cases of very severe misalignments, dysgnathia surgery may possibly be an option earlier, but these are very rare exceptions.
In order to minimize the risk of complications during and after the operation, you should be in good general health. In the case of certain pre-existing conditions or the regular use of certain medications, it has to be clarified precisely whether dysgnathia surgery is possible and is a suitable treatment option. It is also important to have realistic expectations of the results of the operation. Dr. Hakim will be glad to advise you on this in detail and to show you the possibilities of dysgnathia surgery in combination with conventional orthodontic treatment.
How dysgnathia surgery works
Dysgnathia surgery generally takes place under general anesthesia. This ensures that the patient feels no pain during the operation and that the surgeon has sufficient freedom of movement to carry out the procedure. First, the surgeon makes incisions inside the mouth that give access to the jaw bones. The jaw bones are then brought into the correct position by means of appropriate cuts and fixed with titanium screws or plates, so that they keep this position during healing. Depending on the type and severity of the misalignment, the procedure can be carried out in the upper jaw or the lower jaw or in both jaws. The incisions are closed with sutures — often self-dissolving ones.
No externally visible scars remain, but it takes several weeks to months until the jaw has fully healed after such a procedure. The titanium plates are then removed again if necessary. During the healing process you receive various tips on aftercare, for example regarding diet, physiotherapy exercises or appointments for follow-up examinations. Orthodontic follow-up treatment is also frequently necessary in order to hold the teeth in their new position and to prevent relapse. Please follow this advice in order to support the healing process and with it the final result.
Arrange a consultation appointment with Dr. Hakim now!
If you have misaligned teeth and jaws, you are in good hands with Dr. Hakim. The experienced orthodontist knows this clinical picture well and, after thorough diagnostics, can present you with various options for treating the misalignment. It is best to arrange an appointment online directly — we look forward to meeting you!
