Why You May Need a Facial Surgeon in Lee's Summit

As a facial surgeon in Lee's Summit, we may be exactly who you need if you live in Missouri and are one of the estimated 5% of people who have a moderate to severe jaw deformity that cannot be corrected by orthodontics. All too many people have jaws that are not symmetrical. That is the upper and lower jaws are not in corresponding size, shape, or relative position. They could be born with the problem, suffer some form of trauma to the face and jaw, or their jaws simply do not develop symmetrically during their early years. The good news being that we ensure that people do not have to put up with these problems for the rest of their lives.
 
If a person's upper and lower jaws are malformed, or not the same size, they could have an overbite, an underbite or even a crossbite. In an overbite, a person's upper teeth protrude beyond their lower ones. This situation is reversed when they have an underbite, i.e. the lower teeth extend beyond the upper set. A crossbite is when both the upper and lower laws are misaligned. When the person bites down, the upper teeth do not meet the lower ones squarely but come down crookedly. One side of the upper set will come down on the inside of the lower set, either just on the side or in the front as well. These abnormalities often cause the person to be deeply conscious of, and unhappy with, their appearance, especially since they often cause "gummy" smiles where the lips expose large areas of gum. On the other side of the spectrum are "toothless" smiles where the lips completely cover the front teeth. Jaw deformities often cause less than desirable profiles because the lower stick out, or recedes, too far.
 
As a facial surgeon in Lee's Summit, we know that as important as it is, appearance is not the only consideration. Not being able to bring your teeth together correctly to bite into, or chew, food properly can be very uncomfortable and lead to dietary insufficiencies. A significant jaw deformity can also

• Contribute to obstructive sleep apnea, which is a serious and potentially fatal medical condition when a person stops breathing numerous times while they are asleep.
• Increase the risk of other jaw problems, including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder
• Lead to periodontal disease and the resulting tooth loss
• Lead to excessive and uneven wear of the teeth
• Cause problems with articulating or pronouncing words.

These problems can be corrected with orthognathic surgery, also known as corrective jaw surgery, which is performed from inside your mouth, thus leaving no scars on your face or jaw.
 
As a facial surgeon in Lee's Summit, our goal is to restore correct bites and smiles, creating an appearance that anyone can be extremely proud of. Using modern computer 3-D imaging we can show you not only how your bite will improve, but what you will look like after the recovery period.
 
Innumerable people whose facial balance has been restored have experienced a tremendous boost to their self-confidence, self-esteem, and sense of well-being.  Do not let a correctable jaw abnormality hold you back any longer. Come in and see us and we will be more than happy to discuss how it can be corrected, and answer any questions you may have.