Orthognathic surgery refers to “alignment of the face and jaws using surgery” (ortho – straight, gnathic – jaws). Whereas orthodontic treatment corrects the position of the teeth, orthognathic surgery positions the bones of the jaws. One or both jaws may be surgically repositioned during the surgery. This involves making cuts in the bones and moving the cut segments into their predetermined position. The surgery is normally preceded by a period of orthodontic treatment so that post-operatively both the teeth and the bones will be in their correct position. Finally, a short period of orthodontic treatment is also required after the surgery to complete the alignment of the teeth.
