Corrective jaw surgery, or orthognathic surgery, can correct the alignment of your jaw bones and teeth to improve function and facial appearance.

Fun fact: “Orthognathic” comes from the Greek words “ortho,” meaning straight/to straighten, and “gnathia,” meaning jaw.

This surgery is typically recommended for jaw problems that can’t be resolved with orthodontics alone. You will need to wear braces before and after the surgery to ensure proper healing and alignment.

This article explains different types of jaw alignments to help you make an informed decision about your surgery and treatment.

But first, let us understand the terminologies associated with jaw alignments to see how corrective surgeries can improve the outcomes.

Refer to the table below for a detailed overview:

Features Jaw position Characteristics Treatment
Orthognathism Balanced alignment of the head, maxilla, and mandible
  • Upper teeth slightly overlap the lower teeth both vertically (overbite) & horizontally (overjet)
  • A balanced facial profile
 Dental braces only – if teeth alignment needs correction
Retrognathism Upper jaw is positioned behind relative to the facial bones
  • Reduced overjet – Upper teeth are horizontally forward
  • Concave appearance of the face on the side view
 Surgically reposition the upper jaw to bring it forward
Lower jaw is positioned behind relative to the facial bones
  • Front teeth crossbite – Lower teeth are ahead & horizontally forward
  • Convex appearance of the face on the side view
 Surgically reposition the lower jaw to bring it forward
Prognathism Upper jaw is positioned forward relative to the facial bones
  • Increased overjet – Upper teeth are horizontally forward
  • Convex appearance of the face on the side view
 Surgically reposition the upper jaw to place it backward
Lower jaw is positioned forward relative to the facial bones
  • Front teeth crossbite – Lower teeth are ahead & horizontally forward
  • Concave appearance of the face on the side view
 Surgically reposition the lower jaw to place it backward
Receding Chin Chin is positioned backward relative to the face Convex appearance of face on side view. Teeth are not affected. Surgically make the chin prominent
Protruding Chin Chin is positioned forward relative to the face Concave appearance of face on side view Surgically reduce the chin prominence

Source: NCBI, [1] PubMed, [2] John Hopkins Medicine [3]

Here’s an overview of common jaw alignment classes and their characteristics

Jaw alignment is classified into three types – Class I, Class II & Class III.

Class Characteristics Cause Type of Orthognathic surgery
Class I Orthognathism Ideal jaw alignment where maxillary jaw & teeth slightly overlap the mandibular jaw & teeth. No surgery needed
Class II Mandibular Retrognathism Due to a deficient mandible, the maxilla becomes prominent Mandibular advancement using Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy (BSSO) or Chin Augmentation
Class III Mandibular Prognathism Due to a deficient maxilla or prominent mandible Mandibular Osteotomy (Example – Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy – BSSO) or Genioplasty

Jaw Alignment Types

For more detailed information on the surgeries and treatments, please refer to our parent articles: