Part 2

January, 2011 my orthodontist decided it was time to move ahead with my treatment plan. He introduced me to my maxillofacial surgeon and I began a series of pre-surgery appointments. Here are the basic steps of my surgery:

• Split and widen the upper jaw
• Cut and move the bottom jaw forward
• Push the chin outward

A wedge shaped cut in my upper jaw would widen it as it was too narrow for the desired bite. Next they moved the bottom jaw forward, by cutting a section of bone on either side, which would align the teeth for my bite. Then a sliding genioplasty pushes a horseshoe shaped section from the middle of my chin outward. I elected to do the genioplasty because my lower jaw was about to be shifted forward and my chin would diminish without a similar adjustment outward.

All my pre-surgery appointments were to build what is called a splint. The splint was made from impressions of my upper and lower teeth and x-rays and shaped to be the ideal model for my bite. This mold is what they would use to guide my jaw while in surgery, to provide the desired result.

Part 4