Jaw Surgery Archives - Huntsville Alabama Oral

An oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) performs corrective jaw surgery, or orthognathic surgery, to correct a variety of minor and major dental and skeletal irregularities, including misaligned jaws, and teeth.

Surgery can improve activities such as breathing, chewing, and speaking. Orthognathic surgery can significantly improve the patient’s appearance, but it is primarily undertaken to address functional issues.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain provides treatments to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding locations.

Who May Need Jaw Surgery?

Patients experiencing the following conditions may require corrective jaw surgery:

Difficulty swallowing
Problems in chewing or biting food
Chronic jaw or jaw joint (TMJ) pain and headaches
Excessive wear of the teeth
An unbalanced facial appearance from the front or side
Facial injury
Inability to make the lips meet without straining
Open bite (the space between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed)
Birth defects
Receding lower chin and jaw
A protuberant jaw
Sleep apnea (breathing issues when sleeping, such as snoring)
Chronic mouth breathing

To determine whether the patient is a candidate for corrective jaw surgery, their dentist, orthodontist, and OMS will work together. The OMS surgeon will determine which orthognathic surgery technique is most suitable and perform the actual procedure.

Patients must understand that their treatment, which will likely include orthodontics pre and post surgery, may take a number of years to complete. The OMS and orthodontist will try to provide a realistic estimate of the time required for the patient’s treatment with the understanding that it is a long-term commitment on the part of the patient and their family.

Upper jaw (Maxillary Osteotomy)

In this procedure, the OMS surgeon places incisions in the upper jaw. They then move it up, down, forward, or backward, depending on the patient’s needs, and secure it with screws and plates.

Maxillary Osteotomy can help correct the following conditions:

Crossbite
Open bite
A protuberant or very receded upper jaw
Too much or too little teeth showing
Reduced facial growth of the midface (midfacial hypoplasia)

The surgeon will cut the bone above the teeth to enable the whole upper jaw, including the mouth’s roof and upper teeth, to move as one unit. They will move the jaw and upper teeth forward until they are correctly aligned to the lower teeth.

This procedure can be planned on a computer to establish whether additional work, such as orthodontics, will be required to address any remaining difference in the fit.

An open bite develops when extra bone grows above the molars. This causes the surface to become angled when it should be flat and even. The surgeon will correct this condition by trimming away or excising the excess bone.

After the jaw is repositioned, the surgeon will use screws and plates to hold the bone in its new placement.

Lower Jaw (Mandibular Osteotomy)

In this procedure, the OMS surgeon divides the lower jaw and moves the front section forward or backward and secures with screws and plates.

Lower jaw surgery can correct the following conditions:

Protruding lower jaw
Receding lower jaw

The surgeon places incisions behind the molars and lengthwise along the jawbone enabling the front of the jaw to move as one unit. After repositioning the jaw by moving it either forward or backward, the surgeon secures it with screws and plates to allow it to remain in position as it heals.

Recovery

The initial jaw healing usually requires around six weeks following surgery while complete jaw healing can take up to 12 weeks.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and nearby areas.

McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here.

Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.

Facial Trauma: Fractures Jaws (Upper and Lower) Treatments | Madison Facial injuries usually do not occur in isolation. For instance, the mouth and the cheek may sustain damage due to the same injury. A broken jaw typically leads to pain and inflammation, changes teeth alignment, and prevents the mouth from opening fully.

Unappealing Possible Outcomes

Midface fractures lead to inflammation, facial numbness, double vision, changes in teeth alignment, a sunken eyeball, and the inability to open the mouth completely. The treatment for a lower jaw fracture may include surgery, resting the jaw, or wiring the jaw shut until the bones heal.

Midface fractures can be addressed surgically. However, the patient will typically require surgery only in case the fracture leads to issues other than inflammation and pain, such as facial deformity.

Jaw fracture usually refers to a break of the mandible (lower jaw). At times, upper jaw (maxilla) fractures are called jaw fractures but are typically classified as facial fractures.

Successful surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain provides treatments for facial trauma to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and other towns and cities in this part of the US.

Treatment

The patient should go to emergency immediately if they suspect a jaw fracture.

It may be necessary to insert an endotracheal tube to aid breathing if the inflammation or bleeding initiates close to the breathing passages.

Mandible Fracture Treatment

Mandible fracture treatment involves allowing the jaw to rest enabling the bone to heal. In case of mild fractures, the treatment may only require the patient not to chew.

Therefore, doctors may prescribe a soft-food or liquid diet. More severe fractures, such as fractures with breaks in multiple places or where the ends of the bones separate (displaced fracture), may warrant jaw repair.

The doctor may screw metal plates into the bone on either side of the fracture. On top of this, they may wire the upper and lower jaw together for many weeks. The patient can only drink liquids via a straw if the jaw is wired shut. This may also pose a challenge in brushing teeth. Therefore, the doctor will prescribe a mouth rinse to be used twice a day.

The jaw will typically require strengthening exercises following many weeks of being wired shut. Certain mandible fractures near the ear are not immobilized in kids. Mild jaw motion restriction using a device for five to ten days will suffice.

Maxillary Fracture Treatment

These fractures are surgically treated in case they pose problems such as a change in teeth alignment, vision issues, restriction in jaw opening, facial numbness, a sunken eyeball, or an unwanted change in appearance.

The doctor will typically wait for a few days following the injury until the inflammation subsides to decide whether surgery is required. Surgical intervention usually involves fixing plates and screws. Following surgery, the jaws may require immobilization but only for a few days. The patient should consume only soft foods for several weeks after this treatment.

Tooth socket fractures can usually be treated with antibiotics. Focused surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and other suburbs and neighborhoods in this prolific part of the country for facial trauma treatments.

Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.

McLain Surgical Arts, led by double board certified cosmetic and oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Landon D. McLain, is a premier practice providing cutting edge procedures in aesthetic as well as oral and maxillofacial surgery. The practice offers the dual benefits of cosmetic surgery as well as oral health procedures under the same roof.

As an experienced cosmetic surgeon, Dr. McLain provides customized treatments that are tailored to meet the specific health and aesthetic needs of a patient. The practice is equipped with latest technologies to help deliver the safest and most effective outcomes in every procedure. Dr. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, AL and surrounding communities.

Oral and Maxillofacial Procedures

McLain Surgical Arts provides a comprehensive range of oral and maxillofacial procedures, including the following:

Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Wisdom teeth are also called the third molars. Very often these teeth may come in impacted, requiring extraction. Dr. McLain is highly trained and experienced in performing this procedure with satisfying and sustainable results for his patients.

Dental Implants

Dental implant surgery is a complex procedure, but it is by far the most effective procedure for teeth replacement. Dr. McLain provides advanced dental implants to restore both function and aesthetics.

Jaw Surgery

As a leading double board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. McLain specializes in procedures that repair jaw related irregularities, improve bite and breathing ability, and enhance orthodontic outcomes. He provides this surgery to patients in Huntsville, AL and nearby areas.

Facial Trauma Surgery

Dr. McLain puts his extensive training in dental, medical, and cosmetic surgery to full use when performing advanced and complex procedures such as facial trauma surgery. He can achieve corrective results while maintaining the aesthetic balance at the same time.

Aesthetic Surgery Procedures

McLain Surgical Arts is fully equipped to provide the latest and proven aesthetic surgery procedures. Dr. McLain is a trained and experienced cosmetic surgeon providing these procedures.

Breast

Breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, breast augmentation with lift, and breast revision are some of the key breast cosmetic surgery procedures offered by Dr. McLain.

Body

Major body contouring procedures performed at McLain Surgical Arts include liposuction and tummy tuck surgery. Liposuction is the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the US today. Both women and men can benefit equally from these procedures.

Face

With his strong training background in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Dr. McLain is in the perfect position to provide facial cosmetic surgery as well as oral and maxillofacial procedures.

Skin

A number of non-surgical skin rejuvenation procedures are also provided at Dr. McLain’s practice. These may be performed independently or in conjunction with facial plastic surgery procedures. The procedures include Botox, dermal fillers, laser skin resurfacing, and other aesthetician and skin care services and products.

Dr. McLain practice is based out of Huntsville, AL, and serves Birmingham and Decatur, AL, as well as parts of Georgia and Tennessee. Dr. McLain is a recognized leader in the field, who is involved in multiple lecturing, training, and research activities, in addition to providing cutting edge treatments to his patients.

Link to Business Insider Article

I recently came across this online article on Business Insider, about what physical features make men attractive to women. Below are the 5 features discussed in the article.

Facial Symmetry– which is an indicator of good genes and health. This is a common feature of attractiveness in both sexes.
Voice– deeper voices were more attractive to women. This clearly explains the fascination of many women and Barry White love songs.
Jaws– large, well defined jawlines were deemed to be a good indicator of reproductive health. Certainly, a more prominent and well defined lower jaw has been pretty ubiquitous to Hollywood’s leading men over the years
Eyes– the outline of the colored portion of the eye is termed the limbal ring. A prominent limbal ring, which is only visible in lighter eye colors, signals health and youth. Advantage to the blue-eyed beaus.
Height– a recent study showed men with kids were, on average, one inch taller than men without kids.

None of this is very earth-shattering and follows most of our assumptions about male attractiveness. Interestingly, there is only one feature that can be “easily” altered. And, no, I’m not suggesting we all go and get colored contact lenses with prominent limbal rings. Those look pretty fake once your within 3 feet of a person wearing them. I’m referring to the jaw or jawline more specifically. The good news is, there are several procedures that can increase the prominence of the lower jaw and render a more attractive appearance. Consider these options before buying platform shoes or having leg lengthening surgery.

Neck Liposuction

As men (and women for that matter) age, especially with a little weight gain, the fat pockets underneath the chin and jaw may enlarge. This hides the once prominent jawline that was so well defined in our youth or when we were more physically fit. Liposuction to the neck is one of the easiest cosmetic procedures to undergo and has a very high satisfaction rate with minimal downtime.

Chin Implants

For those who have a small retruded chin, placement of a anatomically contoured chin implant can make the world of difference. Despite what you may have seen in the movies, most chin implants are very natural looking without any stigma of surgery. There are even implants to improve the angle of the jaw. These solid silicone implants are very safe and most types can be easily removed if the patient desires.

Jaw Surgery

Otherwise known as orthognathic surgery, which is primarily intended to improve the patient’s bite and function. The “extra” benefit to this procedure is that in many situations we are moving the lower jaw forward, creating more prominence to the jawline and significantly improving the patient’s appearance. This procedure is almost always combined with a period of braces applied by an orthodontist before and after the surgery and although this has a bit more recovery, the results are lifelong.

Facelift

This is the gold standard in facial rejuvenation. With the passage of time, the soft tissues of the face and neck descend and literally hide the chin and jawline even if your bone structure is ideal. If you are in your fifties or sixties, you most likely know what I am referring to. A facelift or rhytidectomy, addresses the sagging tissues and restores a more youthful contour to the jawline.

Many times, some of the aforementioned procedures are combined to yield an even more significant result. If you are interested in improving your jawline or any other aspect of your appearance, please contact our office by phone or email. While we cannot make you a Hollywood’s A-lister, we can definitely improve your attractiveness.

-Landon McLain MD, DMD

Category Archives: Jaw Surgery