It is a recognized international surgical specialty: one of the nine specialties of dentistry recognized by the American Dental Association. While we don’t perform any of the following procedures at Bergen Orthodontics, we play a critical role in the recovery process. Final adjustments will be necessary after any surgical procedure to ensure long-term success. If you’re looking for post-orthognathic surgery treatment in Closter, NJ, give us a call or visit our office for a free consultation.
Oral Surgeons: Changing Lives with a Smile
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the only recognized dental specialists who, after completing dental school, are surgically trained in an American Dental Association-accredited hospital-based residency program for a minimum of four years. They train alongside medical residents in internal medicine, general surgery, and anesthesiology, and also spend time in otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat), plastic surgery, emergency medicine, and other specialty areas.
Their training focuses almost exclusively on the hard and soft tissue of the face, mouth, and jaws, and their knowledge and surgical expertise uniquely qualify them to diagnose and treat the functional and aesthetic conditions in this part of the body. Finding a surgeon you can trust can be a challenging process — particularly if you’re dealing with chronic or severe pain. There’s a lot to consider: track record, reputation, cost, and proximity. To make your life a little bit easier, we’re happy to provide our recommendations of the best surgeons in the area.
Conditions and Treatments
Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon has many years of education and hands-on training to provide treatment for a wide range of conditions. Each condition comes with its own specific set of challenges that can impact your quality of life. We’re talking about problems speaking, eating, and even sleeping. The right procedure, performed by a qualified surgeon, followed by post-surgery treatment at Bergen Orthodontics, can go a long way in the mitigation of these issues.
Corrective Jaw Surgery
Corrective jaw or orthognathic surgery is performed in which the upper jaw, lower jaw, and chin may be repositioned to correct minor and major skeletal and dental irregularities, including the misalignment of jaws and teeth, which can improve chewing, speaking, and breathing. Difficulty chewing or biting food, excessive wear of teeth, a receding chin, a protruding jaw, or sleep apnea may indicate the need for corrective jaw surgery.
Cleft Palate
Cleft lip and cleft palate result when all or portions of the mouth and nasal cavity do not grow together properly during fetal development. The result is a gap in the lip or a split in the opening in the roof of the mouth. Until it is treated with surgery, a cleft palate can cause problems with feeding, speech, and hearing. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons work as part of a team of health care specialists to correct these problems through a series of treatments and surgical procedures over many years.
Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to develop. Sometimes they emerge from the gum line, and the jaw is large enough to allow room for them, but more often than not, they fail to emerge and become impacted. When a wisdom tooth is impacted, it may need to be removed. Impacted wisdom teeth that are partially or fully erupted tend to be difficult to clean and susceptible to tooth decay, recurring infections, and even gum disease. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons strongly recommends that wisdom teeth be removed by the time the patient is a young adult to prevent future problems and ensure optimal healing.
Facial Trauma
Maxillofacial injuries or facial trauma encompass any mouth, face, and jaw injury. One of the most common types of serious injury to the face occurs when bones are broken. Fractures can involve the lower jaw, upper jaw, palate, cheekbones, eye sockets, or combinations of these bones. These injuries can affect sight and the ability to breathe, speak, and swallow. Because of this, the expertise of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon is indispensable. Avoiding injury is always best, so it is extremely important for everyone who participates in sports at any level to use seat belts, protective mouthguards, and appropriate masks and helmets.
Temporomandibular Joint Surgery
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a small joint in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet. It allows the lower jaw to move and function. If you experience jaw pain, earaches, headaches, a limited ability to open or close your mouth, and clicking, or grating sounds, you may have Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD). TMJ treatment may range from conservative dental and medical care to complex surgery. If non-surgical treatment is unsuccessful or there is clear joint damage, surgery may be necessary, which can involve either arthroscopy or repair of damaged tissue by a direct surgical approach.
Outpatient Anesthesia
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons can provide patients with safe, effective outpatient anesthesia including local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, IV sedation, and general anesthesia. During their surgical residency, residents must complete a rotation on the medical anesthesiology service, where they become competent in evaluating patients for anesthesia, delivering the anesthetic, and monitoring post-anesthetic patients.
Oral cancer
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons recommend that everyone perform an oral cancer self-exam each month. Suppose you notice white or red patches, an abnormal lump, a chronic sore throat or hoarseness, or difficulty chewing or swallowing. In that case, you should contact your oral and maxillofacial surgeon. They will remove a section of tissue to perform a biopsy and diagnose the problem.
Implants
Dental implants are long-term replacements for missing teeth that an oral and maxillofacial surgeon surgically places in the jawbone. Composed of titanium metal fusing with the jawbone through osseointegration, dental implants do not slip or decay. Because dental implants fuse with the jawbone, bone loss is generally not a problem.
Post-Orthognathic Surgery Treatment at Bergen Orthodontics
The healing process after jaw surgery usually takes about six weeks. You may have to wear a splint or other orthodontic device to keep your jaw in place and promote proper healing. Over the next month and a half, post-surgical care is critical to the success of the procedure. Rehabilitation and treatment play a big role in that process — even beyond those initial six weeks of healing.
At Bergen orthodontics, we specialize in treating patients both before and after oral and maxillofacial surgery. Our processes are thorough, state-of-the-art, and designed to keep your jaw and teeth functioning properly. Contact us to help you recover from orthognathic or jaw surgery.
