Surgical Orthodontics

At Nowlin Orthodontics, we provide surgical orthodontics for adults living in the Tulsa, OK area. Surgical orthodontics addresses issues related to the jaw and the facial bones surrounding it. This is not a method that we use in children since the jaw doesn’t stop growing until sixteen to eighteen years of age. While we can start to move teeth into position and gradually manipulate the jaw ahead of time, if surgery is part of your treatment plan, you will need to wait until the jaw has stopped growing to complete this process of it. In many cases, patients will wear braces for up to eighteen months, have jaw surgery, then finish their treatment by wearing braces for another year or so. We can discuss this in further detail during your consultation so if you want to find out if surgical orthodontics will be required for improving your smile, call our office today!

Keep in mind that surgical orthodontics may be unnecessary for moving your jaw into position. In many cases, wearing rubber bands or removable oral appliances can move the jaw where it needs to go. Surgical orthodontics is only used in more extreme cases when there is a severe overbite, underbite or crossbite. The surgery itself is performed by one of our oral surgeons and done in a hospital. Since this is a full surgery, you will be sedated and sleeping during the procedure to ensure your comfort. The exact steps that will be taken depend entirely upon your situation.

For example, in some cases, the lower and upper jaw must be separated, and bone is either removed or added in order to position the jaw correctly. When treating patients throughout the 74136 area, we always seek to identify the least invasive approach and even when surgery is required, we will make as few cuts as possible to achieve the desired result.

Surgical orthodontics requires precision and skill that many orthodontists or dentists do not possess. Just like most family doctors don’t perform surgery, most dentists do not perform surgery and in this case you may be referred to us, even if you aren’t an existing patient. In any event, we will meet with you and discuss your surgical options, why it is necessary, what the surgery entails, and what the recovery process will be prior to getting started. At Nowlin Orthodontics, we want our patients to be well informed and educated, as this makes the entire process go more smoothly. In regards to recovery, you can expect to feel sore for a couple of weeks. We typically recommend that our patients take two weeks off of work or school in order to have the procedure done.

For this reason, many of our patients elect to have this completed in the summer while on school break. During this time, you will start by drinking only and we suggest drinking smoothies or protein shakes to ensure that you receive the nutrients you need for good health. Slowly, you will be able to add soft foods back into your diet, though it may take a few weeks or a month before you can eat like normal. We will monitor your recovery very closely in order to provide you with specific advice on what you can eat and when.

Once your jaw has sufficiently healed from your surgical orthodontics procedure, we will place braces back onto your teeth and begin the process of moving them into position. With your jaw in the appropriate place, you will begin to see the drastic improvements that you have been looking for. Patients throughout the Tulsa area, are pleasantly surprised when they see what a significant impact a properly aligned jaw can make. After all, the position of the jaw dramatically influence how the face appears. If it is too far forward, a person may appear more masculine, not enjoyable for our female patients, where a jaw that has fallen backwards will appear sunken and even weak. A perfectly positioned jaw, however, allows your face to have a natural beauty that is only enhanced with perfectly straight teeth.

Surgical orthodontics is also helpful for Tulsa patients that are concerned about discomfort since a jaw being out of alignment can lead to TMJ-like symptoms. If you live in the 74136 area and are feeling discomfort when chewing or speaking, we invite you to call (918) 369-6100 and schedule an appointment with our Oklahoma orthodontist office.