Maxillofacial/Bony Contouring 

Jaw (orthognathic) surgery in Lubbock, TX can:

Enhance biting and chewing functions

Improve overall chewing ability

Address swallowing and speech difficulties

Prevent excessive tooth wear and breakdown

Fix issues with bite fit or jaw closure

Correct facial asymmetry, including underbites, overbites, and cross-bites

Enhance lip closure comfort

Alleviate pain associated with TMJ disorder and other jaw issues

Be combined with TMJ replacement to treat your TMJ issues and asymmetry.

Treat facial injuries or birth defects

Offer relief for obstructive sleep apnea (see the page on sleep apnea).

Improve your overall facial appearance and harmony

Improve how you look when you smile.

Improve jawline definition.

· Orthognathic surgery is a highly effective facial cosmetic procedure that can address various jaw irregularities.

· It can correct issues such as an overly small or prominent chin or lower jaw, as well as a weak upper jaw.

· Conditions like microgenia, mandibular prognathism, and maxillary hypoplasia can be treated with this surgery.

· It can improves your smile.

· Dental or occlusal problems like class II or class III malocclusions, crossbites, or open bite deformities may also be addressed.

· Furthermore, significant facial asymmetry or jaw narrowing can be corrected through orthognathic surgery.

· Additional cosmetic procedures can complement orthognathic surgery to further enhance facial aesthetics.

· These procedures may include lip enhancements, fillers, fat grafting, facial bone contouring or reduction, implants or augmentation, jowl manipulation, double chin liposuction or tightening, skin tightening, cheek implants, blepharoplasty, and rhinoplasty, among others. Chin surgery (genioplasty) can be performed at the same time as the jaw surgery to further enhance your cosmetic outcomes.

Note. Examples above are from the textbook 'Orthognathic Surgery' by Posnick.

No is the short answer. Surgery first concept can allow shorter time you have to wear braces before surgery. Please see section on surgery-first jaw surgery.

Surgery first orthognathic approach (SFOA) concept is the new concept of using braces only after surgery. This have been shown to reduce the total treatment time the patient need to be in braces from more than two years to less than a year in many cases.

This is due to the regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP), when the tooth movement can happens much faster after the jaw have been moved and bones have been cut near the teeth areas.

In his fellowship training, Dr. Boonipat was lucky to be able to train with the pioneers and innovators in orthognathic jaw surgery and is trained in the surgery first practice.

Conventional orthognathic approach is slow: Example from the paper 'Current concept of the surgery-first orthognathic approach' by JW Choi and JY Lee.

Change of profile. Change in the soft tissue profile after the conventional orthognathic approach. (A) Initial, (B) 5 months preoperative orthognathic, (C) 10 months preoperative orthognathic, (D) after surgery.

This new approach (SFOA) is, in many cases, now the standard practice in many jaw surgery centers in Asia. It is still not as widely adopted in the West. With this new approach, Dr. Boonipat can offer patient shorter total treatment time (e.g. the time you need to wear braces) and deliver the same final outcome. In most cases, you will still need to wear braces for about 1 month before the operation and then follow up with the orthodontist for a few months afterward.

You will see improvement to how your face look right after surgery and the swelling have come down.

Dr. Boonipat is happy to work with your orthodontist to offer surgery first orthognathic surgery in Lubbock, TX.

Jaw surgery, when performed by an experienced plastics and maxillofacial surgeon, often in conjunction with an orthodontist, is generally considered safe.

Risks associated with the surgery may include:

Blood loss

Risk of infection

Nerve damage (causing numbness to your chin area, up to 30% with some altered sensation in this area, with less than 5% of patient with permanent numbness).

Potential jaw fracture

Possibility of the jaw returning to its original position

Issues with bite alignment and jaw joint discomfort

Potential need for additional surgical procedures

Possibility of requiring root canal therapy for certain teeth

Partial loss of jaw function

Post-surgery, you may encounter:

Pain and swelling

Difficulties with eating, which can be managed through nutritional supplements or consultation with a dietitian

A period of adjustment to your altered facial appearance

In the traditional approach, an orthodontist will put braces on your teeth for 12-18 months before surgery to align your teeth. In the newer surgery first approach, only 1-2 months of braces are needed before surgery. Learn more about Dr. Boonipat approach with the surgery first concept.

Approximately one month before the surgery, the orthodontist halts tooth adjustment and installs passive brace/brackets.

Right before the surgery, the orthodontist might attach small hooks to the wires or brackets.

The procedure might vary for cases involving "surgery-first," clear aligners such as Invisalign, sleep apnea, or purely cosmetic concerns. Please inquire during your consultation for more details.

We will work with your orthodontist to come up with a treatment plan.

You will need to take x-rays, facial pictures, dental scan of your teeth (obtain 1-2 weeks prior to surgery), and CT scan or cone bean CT scan. With this information and after discussion about your aesthetic goals, Dr. Boonipat will perform virtual surgical planning and simulated the operation in 3D (VSP, CAD/CAM). He will show you this simulation of how your face and facial aesthetics will look and discuss the surgical plan with you in details. Any modifications can be made at this point.

A sample of soft tissue simulation after virtual orthognathic jaw surgery session.