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Correction of protruding upper jaw

Treatment Effect

Treatment Effects

The duration and outcomes of upper jaw protrusion correction vary depending on the orthodontic method and individual differences.

Orthodontic Treatment: The course typically spans 1 to 3 years. For upper jaw protrusion caused by dental alignment issues, it effectively adjusts tooth position and bite relationships, improving both the appearance and function of teeth. Upon completion, teeth become aligned, the bite becomes more normal, and facial aesthetics are enhanced.

Orthognathic Surgery: For severe upper jaw protrusion resulting from abnormal skeletal development, surgery significantly improves facial contours and bite function. When combined with post-surgical orthodontic treatment and rehabilitation exercises, the results are long-lasting. However, recovery time is extended; patients are generally discharged 1 to 2 weeks after surgery, but full recovery may take 3 to 6 months or longer.

Functional Appliances: Primarily used for children during their growth phase, the treatment course usually lasts 1 to 2 years. Early intervention guides normal jawbone development, reduces the likelihood of surgical intervention in adulthood, mitigates the severity of upper jaw protrusion, and promotes normal facial growth.

Dental Aligners: Suitable for mild upper jaw protrusion accompanied by protruding teeth, the treatment typically takes 1 to 2 years. It improves the overjet and overbite relationships, resulting in straighter and more aesthetically pleasing teeth.

Is this suitable for me?

Is It Right for Me?

To determine whether orthodontic treatment for maxillary protrusion is suitable for you, consider the following factors:

- Age: Childhood is the golden period for correction, as the jawbones are still growing and developing. Functional appliances and other methods can effectively guide normal jaw development. Adults can also undergo treatment, though it may require more complex plans, such as orthognathic surgery combined with orthodontics.

- Severity: Mild maxillary protrusion can often be corrected with relatively simple methods like dental braces. Severe cases, especially those caused by skeletal developmental abnormalities, may require orthognathic surgery.

- Cause: If the condition stems from不良 oral habits, correcting these habits alongside appropriate orthodontic methods can yield good results. If it is due to genetic factors or skeletal developmental issues, more aggressive treatment may be necessary.

- Health Status: Procedures like orthognathic surgery have certain health requirements for patients. Individuals with severe systemic diseases or cardiovascular conditions may not be suitable candidates for surgery.

Select Device

Select Equipment

- Orthodontic Treatment Equipment

- Fixed Appliances: Including metal brackets, ceramic brackets, and lingual appliances. Metal brackets have a relatively lower price in South Korea (approximately 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 KRW), offer high strength, but have poor aesthetics; ceramic brackets closely match tooth color with better aesthetics, but are more brittle; lingual appliances are installed on the inner side of teeth, completely invisible, but have lower comfort and require high technical skill from the dentist.

- Clear Aligners: Feature advantages such as aesthetics, comfort, and removability, but have a higher price (approximately 6,000,000 to 12,000,000 KRW in South Korea) and require high patient compliance.

- Orthognathic Surgery Equipment: Surgical procedures utilize osteotomy instruments and fixation materials. Advanced surgical equipment can improve precision and safety; for example, digital navigation systems assist surgeons in performing more precise operations.

Select Brand

Select Equipment

- Orthodontic Treatment Equipment

- Fixed Appliances: Include metal brackets, ceramic brackets, and lingual appliances. Metal brackets are relatively low in cost and offer high strength, but have poor aesthetics. Ceramic brackets closely match tooth color for better aesthetics, though they are more brittle. Lingual appliances are installed on the inner side of teeth for complete invisibility, but they tend to be less comfortable and require a high level of technical expertise from the dentist.

- Clear Aligners: Offer advantages such as aesthetics, comfort, and the ability to be self-removed and reinserted, but they come with a higher price tag and require high patient compliance.

- Orthognathic Surgery Equipment: Surgical procedures utilize osteotomy instruments and fixation materials. Advanced surgical equipment enhances precision and safety; for instance, digital navigation systems assist dentists in performing more accurate surgical operations.

Price

Price

The cost of correcting upper jaw protrusion varies depending on the correction method, equipment, region, hospital, and other factors.

- Orthodontic treatment: Metal braces typically cost between 1,000 and 3,000 USD; ceramic braces range from 2,000 to 4,000 USD; clear aligners are more expensive, with Invisalign generally priced between 4,000 and 8,000 USD and Angelalign between 2,000 and 6,000 USD.

- Orthognathic surgery: Surgical fees are relatively high, typically ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 USD or more, excluding the costs of pre-surgical and post-surgical orthodontic treatment.

- Functional appliances: These are relatively low-priced, usually costing between 500 and 2,000 USD.

- Dental aligners: Prices are similar to those of appliances used in orthodontic treatment and vary by type.

Expected Outcome

Expected Outcomes

Aesthetically: Post-correction, the protrusion of the upper jaw will be significantly improved, resulting in a more harmonious facial profile. The lips will no longer protrude, enhancing overall facial aesthetics.

Functionally: Bite function will be improved, chewing efficiency will increase, and the risk of tooth wear and temporomandibular joint disorders will be reduced.

Pychologically: Following improvements in appearance and function, patients will experience increased self-confidence, positively impacting their social interactions and mental well-being.

Combination Therapy

Combined Treatment

Correction of protruding upper jaws sometimes requires a combination of multiple treatment methods to achieve better results.

- Combined orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery: For severe upper jaw protrusion caused by abnormal skeletal development, pre-surgical orthodontics is typically performed first to align the teeth and adjust the dental arch width, creating conditions for surgery; then orthognathic surgery is conducted to move the jawbones into the correct position; finally, post-surgical orthodontics is carried out to finely adjust the tooth occlusion.

- Combined functional appliance and orthodontic treatment: For children during the growth and development phase, functional appliances are first used to guide normal jawbone development. Once tooth replacement is completed, orthodontic treatment is performed as needed to further adjust tooth alignment and occlusal relationships.

Adverse Effects and Complications

Side Effects and Complications

- Orthodontic Treatment

- Tooth Pain: When first wearing the appliance or after each adjustment, teeth may feel sore and weak, typically lasting 3–7 days before gradually subsiding.

- Oral Mucosa Injury: Brackets, archwires, and other components of the appliance may rub against the oral mucosa, causing mouth ulcers.

- Enamel Demineralization and Dental Caries: Maintaining oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment can be challenging, leading to food residue accumulation and increased risk of demineralization and cavities.

- Periodontal Tissue Damage: Poor oral hygiene may cause gum inflammation, redness, bleeding, and potentially lead to periodontitis.

- Orthognathic Surgery

- Bleeding and Infection: Bleeding may occur during surgery, and improper postoperative care can lead to infection at the surgical site.

- Nerve Injury: The surgery may damage the inferior alveolar nerve, infraorbital nerve, or other nerves, resulting in abnormal sensations such as numbness or tingling in the lower lip, chin, or upper lip. Most patients experience gradual recovery within several months to years, though a small percentage may suffer permanent nerve damage.

- Poor Bone Healing: The osteotomy site may exhibit non-union or bone resorption, potentially compromising surgical outcomes.

- Facial Asymmetry: Improper surgical technique or individual anatomical variations may result in facial asymmetry.

Select Instrument

Select Equipment

- Orthodontic Treatment: Key instruments include intraoral scanners and X-ray machines. Intraoral scanners rapidly and accurately capture 3D models of teeth, providing precise data for designing orthodontic treatment plans. X-ray machines produce images of teeth and jawbones, helping clinicians understand bone structure and tooth positioning.

- Orthognathic Surgery: Surgical tools such as navigation systems, surgical saws, and osteotomes are used. Surgical navigation systems assist surgeons in performing more precise procedures, enhancing both safety and accuracy.

Project Contraindications

Project Contraindications

- Orthodontic treatment

- Patients with severe periodontitis and significant tooth mobility are not suitable for orthodontic treatment and must first undergo periodontal therapy.

- Individuals with systemic diseases such as uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease, or hematological disorders may experience compromised effectiveness and safety of orthodontic treatment.

- Patients with mental illnesses cannot cooperate with orthodontic treatment.

- Orthognathic surgery

- Patients with severe cardiovascular or respiratory diseases may not tolerate surgery.

- Local oral infections, such as periodontitis or periapical periodontitis, must be controlled prior to surgery.

- Children whose skeletal development is not yet complete are generally not suitable for orthognathic surgery.

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Contraindications for Procedures

Orthodontic Treatment

Individuals with severe periodontitis and significant tooth mobility are not suitable candidates for orthodontic treatment and must first undergo periodontal therapy.

Patients with systemic diseases, such as uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease, or blood disorders, may experience compromised efficacy and safety of orthodontic treatment.

Individuals with psychiatric conditions who cannot cooperate with orthodontic procedures are not eligible for treatment.

Orthognathic Surgery

Patients with severe cardiovascular or respiratory diseases who cannot tolerate surgery are not suitable candidates.

Local oral infections, such as periodontitis or periapical periodontitis, must be controlled prior to surgery.

Children whose skeletal development is not yet complete are generally not suitable for orthognathic surgery.

Side effects

Side Effects

Similar to the content on side effects and complications, orthodontic treatment may cause tooth pain, oral mucosal injury, tooth demineralization and dental caries, and periodontal tissue damage; orthognathic surgery may result in bleeding, infection, nerve damage, poor bone healing, and facial asymmetry.

Self-Symptom Check

Self-Diagnosis of Symptoms

Initial self-diagnosis can be conducted using the following methods:

- Visual Assessment: Examine the profile of your face from the side to check for protrusion of the upper lip or prominence of the mouth. When smiling, observe whether the upper teeth are excessively forward.

- Occlusion Check: Under normal conditions, the upper and lower teeth should have a proper overbite and overjet relationship. You can assess your bite by checking how the upper and lower teeth meet to determine if the upper teeth cover the lower teeth excessively.

- Oral Habits: Reflect on whether you have long-term oral habits such as thumb sucking, lip biting, or mouth breathing, as these may be associated with maxillary protrusion.

Select treatment plan

Select Treatment Plan

Choosing a treatment plan requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors:

- **Etiology**: If caused by medical conditions, such as mouth breathing due to rhinitis leading to maxillary protrusion, the underlying disease must be treated first. If due to dental alignment issues or skeletal development problems, appropriate orthodontic methods should be selected.

- **Age**: Children are suitable for functional appliances and early intervention methods; adults may require more complex orthodontics or orthognathic surgery.

- **Severity**: Mild protrusion can be treated with simple orthodontic methods, while severe cases may require surgical intervention.