Corrective Jaw Surgery (Orthognathic Surgery)

Corrective jaw surgery involves the surgical repositioning of the upper and lower jaws, and chin to correct skeletal and dental irregularities that cause problems such as:

• Difficult in chewing or biting actions
• Excessive wearing of teeth
• A receding chin
• A protruding jaw
• Sleep apnea(a potentially serious sleep disorder with repeatedly interrupted breathing or shallow breathing)

While orthodontics can usually correct abnormal bites when only the teeth are misaligned, corrective jaw surgery may be needed to correct misalignment jaws. Such a correction can improve biting, chewing, speaking, and breathing actions.

TMJ (Temporo Mandibular (Jaw) Joint) Surgery

TMJ is a small joint located in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet. It allows the lower jaw to move and function. If you experience jaw pain, earaches, headaches, a limited ability to open or close your mouth, clicking or grating sounds, you may have Temporo mandibular Disorder (TMD). TMJ treatment may range from conservative dental and medical care to complex surgery. If non-surgical treatment is unsuccessful or there is clear joint damage, surgery may be indicated, which can involve either arthroscopy or repair of damaged tissue by a direct surgical approach.

Facial Trauma

Facial trauma can occur for reasons such as motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, humans-on-humans violence, etc. The treatment of facial injuries requires the involvement of multiple specialists, including oral and maxillofacial specialists, who are well versed in emergency care, and long-term rehabilitation.

Dr. Sriprakash will arrange for such a team to provide the best possible treatment for facial injuries such as facial lacerations, knocked out teeth, fractured facial bones (cheek, nose, or eye socket), and fractured jaws (upper and lower jaw):

• When soft tissue injuries of the maxillofacial region, such as lacerations, occur they are repaired by suturing. Injuries to facial nerves and salivary glands are also treated.
• Fractures to the bones of the maxillofacial region are treated in a similar manner to fractures in other parts of the body.
• Damage to teeth and surrounding dental structures may require the expertise of various dental specialists. Oral surgeons are needed to treat fractures in the supporting bone, or for replanting knocked-out teeth. Other dental specialists may be involved such as endodontists (for root canal therapy), and/or restorative dentists (to repair or rebuild fractured teeth). Dental implants can replace injured teeth that cannot be saved or repaired.

Impacted Tooth Removal

A tooth is said to be “impacted” when its normal eruption through the gum line is blocked by another tooth, by dense bone or by gum tissue or by any combination thereof. Impacted teeth get trapped between the jawbone and the gum tissue which:

• Cause swelling, pain, and infection of the surrounding gum tissue
• Can cause permanent damage to nearby teeth, gums, and jawbone
• Could lead to the formation of cysts that can destroy sections of the jaw bone

Hence, it is best to remove impacted teeth. It is not just wisdom teeth (third molars) that can get impacted. The upper eyetooth (maxillary cuspid) is the second most common tooth to become impacted.

Oral Cancer

If you notice white or red patches, an abnormal lump, chronic sore throat or hoarseness, or difficulty chewing or swallowing, you should get a clinical examination done for your mouth. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained to identify abnormal growths through such examinations and can remove a section of tissue to perform a biopsy and diagnose the problem.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are used to replace lost teeth and they look, feel, and function like natural teeth. Learn more