Maxillofacial surgery is also called as Oral Surgery, Facial Surgery, and Oral-Facial Surgery. As a result, this surgery takes place due to the injury of n areas like the face, jaw, head, and neck sinuses. To be more clear, “Maxillo” refers to Maxillae, which are two maxillary bones, that create the upper palate i.e., the roof of the mouth and upper jaw. While the “Facial” refers to structures of the face.
A Beautiful face embellished with great features is everyone’s dream. But, imagine when an injury damages the beauty, how demotivating it is for that person? Because the jaw is the foundation of overall facial structure. In that case, if this part gets misaligned by any situation, it affects the overall health. According to the research, the patients with this problem may not only suffer from physical trauma but also vulnerable to physical and emotional problems. In these cases, maxillofacial surgeons perform a surgery called “ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY”.
Why Maxillofacial Surgery?
There are a wide range of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery procedures that can be done on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia, like
- Removal of Impacted teeth
- Pre – Prosthetic surgery
- Intra-oral and facial soft tissue procedures.
The critical surgeries like cancer, trauma, and facial deformities takes place on an inpatient basis under general anesthesia.
The following are some conditions that indicate the requirement of Maxillofacial Surgery
- Removal of cysts and tumors of the jaw
- Head and neck cancer
- Face injuries including the treatment of craniofacial fractures and soft tissue of the face, mouth, and neck.
- Receding chin and difficulty in swallowing.
- Reconstructive surgery that includes microvascular free tissue transfer
- Issues with temporomandibular joint pain
- Removal of impacted teeth and complex dental roots
- Dry mouth or chronic problems with mouth breathing
- Imbalance of facial features.
- Unwanted space between upper and lower teeth.
In this article we are going to discuss about Orthognatghic surgery.
Before the surgery, the surgeon places the braces, 12-18 months before the surgery. As a result, this is necesary to level up the teeth which are aligned. However, there are some pre-surgery tests prior to the surgery, which includes
- Pictures of the teeth
- X-Rays
- Updated records
- CT Scanning
- Blood tests
How does an Orthognathic Surgery do?
In a Maxillofacial Surgery, the jawbones are repositioned according to their preferences. Therefore, our jaw consists of two main parts: the upper jaw of the maxilla and the lower jaw of the mandible. As a result, the surgeries are done to handle the abnormalities in these parts.,
Maxillae Osteotomy (Upper Jaw)
This surgery is necessary when a patient is suffering from a receding jaw or crossbite. However, an open bite can also be adjustable through this surgery. In this procedure, a cut takes place through the gum above the upper teeth to gain access to the jawbone. Hence to break the upper jaw, it is then cut. Later, it moves into a new position and maintained with metal plates and screws. Consequently, the gum will be back into its original place with dissolvable stitches.
Mandibular Osteotomy (Lower Jaw)
This surgery is beneficial for a significantly receding lower jaw. Here, the jawbone is shifted backward or forward by evaluating the possible adjustment and alignment.
Genioplasty (chin)
A defective chin comes with an extremely receded lower jaw. The surgeon can adjust the chin within this surgery.
What is the recovery period for the surgery?
The recovery period for any surgery is different from patient to patient. It is maybe one or two days for a hospital stay. After the surgery, the surgeon takes the X-Ray of the jaw’s position, and if everything is alright, the patient discharges. Initially, only a liquid diet is the best choice. Gradually a soft diet is permitted and later the patient can continue his/her normal diet.
Care to be taken after Maxillofacial Surgery
- Medications
- The nasal spray to improve breathing
- Antibiotics must be taken as prescribed
- Pain medications
- Lip ointment
- However, It is difficult to have complete food as usual. So, it is better to have small portions of food at regular intervals.
- Oral Hygiene
- Clean and rinse your mouth every time after eating
- Cleaning with warm salt water will be helpful
- Application of Bandages or pressure dressing is necessary to reduce bleeding or swelling. However, it depends on the type of surgery.
- The physical exercise starts after 2-3 weeks post-surgery. Initially, go with a light form of exercise.
Benefits of the maxillofacial surgery
Looking at ourselves with a misaligned jaw is the most hated thing for every individual. As a result, Maxillofacial surgery is a huge ray of hope for such patients. Hence, this surgery will be beneficial for the following issues.
Speech – The misaligned teeth and jaw can definitely affect the speech. However, this is a big issue that frightens every individual to coordinate with the people around them. Moreover, for children, it becomes a big harm while learning how to speak. So, this Oral Surgery can disappear the inconvenience of speech.
Sleeping – The patients having jaw recesses inward or jaw protrudes outward may experience issues while sleeping or breathing. The person who is experiencing sleep apnoea will be better beneficiated with this surgery.
Chewing – A misaligned jaw can create issues while chewing or swallowing. For such issues, maxillofacial surgery gives great relief. Correcting the jaw problem helps you to eat normally.
Joint Pain – Due to the misaligned jaw, a patient can experience chronic jaw pain. It also leads to putting additional pressure and strain on the teeth. So, with this surgery, the patient gets relief from the pain and feel comfortable.
Maxillofacial Surgery cost in India
The cost of Orthognathic Surgry depends on the Skill of the Surgeon, procedure materials and Equipment, and condition of the patient.
Sky Dental hospital in Vijayawada provides high-quality dentistry & also artistic skills that can improve a person’s health, smile, and confidence. Sky Dental Provides services like Root canal treatment, Gum Treatment, Implants, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Full mouth Rehabilitation and much more. Apart from this, there is a separate ward for any dental problems related to Children