What is Surgical Orthodontics?
Surgical orthodontics is a multi-step process. We begin with Damon braces or Invisalign treatment for about a year prior to surgery. The braces or aligners move your teeth in preparation for alignment during surgery. An oral surgeon will perform the surgery in a hospital. Lower jaw surgery moves the lower jaw forward or backward to better match the upper jaw. Similarly, with upper jaw surgery, the maxilla is repositioned forward or backward, raised or lowered.
Once the surgery is complete, you’ll rest and recover for about two weeks before returning to work or school. After six weeks, Dr. Smith will add elastics to your treatment to finish correcting your bite. Most often the post-surgery braces or Invisalign is finished within 6 months to a year.