Can lower jaw surgery alone help with breathing? (Photo)

Question

I recently had braces put on to prepare for lower jaw surgery, I have an over bite and a full on mouth breather due to narrow airways. My orthodontist referred me to the surgeon to help correct over by and reading it through research and learning that upper and lower jaw may be needed, is this true? Will I still see the benefits with lower jaw alone?

Timothy Osborn, MD · Answer

Although we do not have all the details of your history, in general, double jaw surgery will get you the best results. Especially when correcting an overbite, the upper jaw will most likely have to be moved regardless. The benefit of having both done is that the surgeon is able to plan every detail to make your jaws and bite fit together. Technically yes, lower jaw surgery would open up your airway more, but it can be harder to then fix your bite, and would not really address the overbite. Fixing and overbite does not mean just moving the lower jaw forward to meet the upper jaw because then both jaws would be over-extended. Jaw surgery will change your appearance, especially your profile. And just moving one jaw may not give you the best aesthetic results. Generally speaking, double jaw surgery is recommended to fix mechanical issues and appearance because it allows surgeons to plan ahead details and account for all movements to give patients the best outcome possible.

Can lower jaw surgery alone help with breathing? (Photo)

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Can lower jaw surgery alone help with breathing? (Photo)

Answers (1)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Jaw Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.