Prognathism Surgery

 

676. <Prognathism Surgery>
Prognathism surgery corrects a protruded or overly developed lower jaw. If only the chin sticks out and the bite is normal, it’s called a witch chin. When the entire lower jaw protrudes and causes a misaligned bite, it’s true prognathism. Some have a retruded chin but forward lower teeth, or simply a long jaw without protrusion.

For long jaws, a horizontal ostectomy genioplasty reduces the chin’s length. If the chin is also retruded, it's slightly advanced. If the whole lower jaw is long, a long linear ostectomy trims the lower edge of the jaw.

For witch chins, we contour the jawline and perform a curved chin reduction to improve balance. In cases with a double chin due to bone, we trim the lower border to refine the chin shape.

If there’s a bite issue (malocclusion), orthodontic treatment comes first, followed by orthognathic surgery. If immediate correction is possible, surgery-first orthognathic surgery is performed. A BSSO (bilateral sagittal split osteotomy) moves the lower jaw back, while a Le Fort I osteotomy may bring the upper jaw forward if needed.

Whether one-jaw or two-jaw surgery is done depends on airway width. If one-jaw surgery risks narrowing the airway and causing sleep apnea, we do rotational two-jaw surgery to preserve breathing function. If the airway stays sufficient, one-jaw surgery can be safely done.

In retruded-chin prognathism, chin advancement is often combined with two-jaw surgery for better profile harmony.

Prognathism surgery isn’t just cosmetic—it balances function and aesthetics.

– 676mm Growing Pine Tree 🌲