When it comes to straightening your teeth, many different factors come into play. Not only can orthodontics help you achieve a straight smile, but it is also beneficial to your overall health and wellbeing.
Bite correction plays a big role in orthodontics and sometimes this means surgery is necessary. Orthodontic treatment helps ensure proper function of teeth and creates healthy smiles.
A good bite makes it easier for you to chew, function and speak. Teeth that are misaligned are harder to clean and can cause abnormal wearing of tooth enamel which can lead to other general dental concerns.
Just as orthodontics repositions teeth, surgical orthodontics, known as orthognathic surgery, corrects the jaw in adults who have completed their growth.
Surgical orthodontics aligns the jaw which helps improve the ability to chew, speak, breath and can also enhance facial aesthetics. This then allows the orthodontist to straighten the teeth to the ideal position and create a perfect smile.
Your orthodontic treatment generally becomes before your surgical treatment, and after a complimentary consultation with Dr Hawkins we would then refer you onto an Oral Surgeon to have further discussion with them regarding the surgery side of treatment. This way you have a complete understanding on what is involved with the whole treatment process.
When you decide to move forward with treatment the orthodontist will advise you when it is time to see the oral surgeon again to book in a surgery date. Once surgery has been completed you generally have a further 6-9 months in orthodontic treatment. During this short period of time, we will finish bringing the teeth into their final optimal position before completing your orthodontic treatment.
The outcome is good function and an amazing smile, a great investment into your long term health!
