Is jaw surgery painful?

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Jaw surgery

When a bite is too severe to be corrected with braces alone, then jaw surgery will be needed. To some people, the procedure may seem scary but it is usually quite simple. In today's blog, we’re going to discuss a commonly asked question of whether jaw surgery is painful.

Why is jaw surgery needed?

Jaw surgery is usually performed when you have a malocclusion. A malocclusion is caused when the top and bottom jaws aren’t correctly aligned. Types of malocclusion include an overbite, underbite, crossbite and open bite. If your dentist/orthodontist has told you that your malocclusion is severe then you should consider having it fixed to avoid any dental problems occurring.

Reasons people choose to have jaw surgery include:

To correct your malocclusion,
Make chewing easier and discomfort-free,
Improve face shape,
Avoid tooth wear,
Relieve jaw pain.

Does jaw surgery hurt?

Any surgery may cause some discomfort afterwards. The most common side effects that you should be aware of include pain after the surgery, some swelling around the face and also numbness to your lower face, although this tends to recover postoperatively.

You are under general anaesthetic during the procedure, so no pain is felt. After the surgery, you will be given painkillers to help make the recovery stage as easy as possible. If you follow the correct recovery steps, you will recover in as little discomfort as possible.

What is involved in the recovery stage?

After your surgery, you will need time off work so that you give your jaw time to heal. You will be given steps to follow after you have been discharged from the hospital.

You will need to: