Approximately five to seven percent of the population in the U.S. is believed to have facial skeletal deformities that result in incorrect relationships between the jaws. Frequently, orthodontic treatment alone will not provide the stable, ideal jaw and teeth relationship that these patients need. In these cases, orthodontic treatment in conjunction with orthodontic surgery, called orthognathic surgery, is the best solution. Orthognathic means ‘changing jaws’ and describes the interdisciplinary cooperation between orthodontists and oral surgeons.
Common Conditions
For conditions that require both orthodontic treatment and oral surgery, treatment normally begins with orthodontia. Dr. Mihalik uses orthodontic appliances to properly align the teeth so that when the jaw is surgically moved, the teeth will fit together properly. After surgery, further orthodontic treatment may be necessary to ‘fine tune’ the positioning of teeth.
Just as every patient is a unique individual, every case is different. However, a common case would involve:
- Six months of pre-surgery orthodontic treatment
- Orthognathic surgical procedure
- Six to 12 months of post-surgical orthodontic treatment
In the last 30 years, since orthognathic surgery was introduced, there has been a continuous improvement in oral surgery techniques, technologies and materials. Orthognathic surgery may be the best way to correct a severe jaw deformity and improve function, appearance and quality of life.
There are several other types of malocclusions (‘bad bites’) that may be severe enough to require surgical intervention. These include:
Overbite
- Class II malocclusion
- The upper teeth and jaw protrude forward of the lower teeth and jaw
- Caused by an overgrowth of the upper jaw, a receding lower jaw, or both
- Appearance – ‘buck tooth’ appearance, or a receding lower jaw (sometimes called a ‘weak chin’)
- Braces combined with surgery provide the best combination of aesthetics and function.
Underbite
- Class III malocclusion
- The lower teeth and jaw protrude forward of the upper teeth and jaw
- Caused by the under development of the upper jaw, over development of the lower jaw, or a combination of both
- Appearance – facial profile is often concave, chin is prominent
- Treatment is to correct the alignment of the teeth with braces and follow with appropriate surgical procedures
Crossbite
- Transverse discrepancy
- The upper teeth bite inside of the lower teeth
- Patients often have a narrow, high palate
- In a growing patient (child), correction can be achieved with a palatal expansion appliance; for patients whose growth is completed, surgical intervention may be necessary.
Gummy Smile
- Maxillary vertical excess
- The upper jaw grows down excessively
- Appearance – the lips may not close when relaxed, the upper front teeth may appear too full, and an excessive amount of gum tissue is revealed during smiling
- Often is seen in conjunction with other bite or jaw problems
- May not be treatable with orthodontic intervention alone; may require jaw surgery
Openbite
- Apertognathia
- Teeth don’t meet properly when biting down
- Results from the downward growth of the upper jaw which may affect muscle balance and further deformities of the upper and lower jaw
- Possible causes include tongue thrusting, thumb or finger sucking, poor lip musculature, and/or nasal passage pathology
- Patients frequently experience difficulty chewing and may experience TMJ/TMD problems.
Asymmetry
- Usually develops from discrepancy between the growth of the left and right sides of the jaws
- Causes include birth defect, trauma, or personal habits
- Appearance – facial imbalance
- Requires a complete interdisciplinary analysis with oral surgeon and orthodontist; surgical correction is frequently needed to restore balance, function, and appearance.
Corpus Christi Orthodontics Reviews
Great experience! I’m very happy with my teeth! The staff is amazing!
CC Braces is the absolute best! Dr. Mihalik and his staff are so friendly.
As soon as we walked in for the first time, they welcomed us so nicely.Dr.Mihalik talk to us, gave us his opinion and so many options that were comfortable for us and was honest ever step of the way just meeting him for the first time I already knew we was an amazing doctor my husband was in the right hands.I remember hearing their crew was a little shorthanded and Ashlee was amazing she was so patient for the being shorthanded and talked to us like she's known us forever that was a big win for us. to be honest, we had Insurance. I didn't even know it covered ortho Ashlee talked to Beth and that's when did her job Beth and dug and dug to find out we have a big chunk of coverage Beth definitely knows what she is doing and will trying everything she can to help youOver all 10/10 recommend
Another happy experience with CC Braces. Everyone is so nice and my daughter’s teeth look wonderful! I would recommend Dr. Mahalik and staff to everyone.
Excellent place to get service for braces. Great customer service and great dental service
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When you are ready to create your healthy, beautiful smile, call or text our office in Corpus Christi at (361) 992-4746 to schedule your no-cost new patient exam and get ready to start smiling. We look forward to meeting you!
