Jaw surgery, is it done to become prettier? Needed for people like 'this'

Every year on July 21st is 'Healthy Smile Day,' established to promote the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a specialty primarily focused on jaw correction surgeries to address issues such as jaw asymmetry and malocclusion.

Jaw correction surgery is better known by the name of orthognathic surgery. Many people think it is a cosmetic procedure after seeing celebrities appear with dramatically changed appearances following the surgery. While jaw correction surgery does improve appearance, its primary purpose is to enable better chewing of food, thereby enhancing quality of life.

The following are cases where jaw correction surgery is necessary.

△In case of jaw asymmetry

Cases where the upper or lower jaw grows excessively or insufficiently, resulting in a protruding jaw or a receding chin.

These are issues such as misaligned teeth or malocclusion that cannot be corrected by orthodontic treatment alone.

It takes approximately 2 to 4 weeks for the surgical site to heal and swelling to subside after surgery moving the jawbone to the planned position.

Until then, it is recommended to consume liquid foods such as porridge or rice porridge. Once the surgical site heals and you can open your mouth comfortably, orthodontic treatment will be used to make the bite more precise. Typically, the treatment takes about one year to complete.

It is also important to improve habits that put stress on the jaw and teeth along with surgery. If you frequently consume chewy and hard foods or have a habit of clenching your jaw, you should correct it. Applying force to the jaw or habitually grinding your teeth can also strain the temporomandibular joint, so it should be avoided.