When jaws don’t meet correctly, orthodontics alone can’t fix it. Corrective jaw surgery repositions the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both — correcting your bite, improving function, and transforming your facial profile.
Correcting the jaw problems orthodontics alone cannot fix.
Orthognathic surgery — also called corrective jaw surgery — repositions the upper jaw (maxilla), the lower jaw (mandible), or both, to correct skeletal discrepancies that affect how your teeth come together and how your face looks and functions.
When a bite problem comes from the position of the jaw bones themselves, braces and aligners can align the teeth, but they cannot move the bone. Surgery works alongside orthodontic treatment to deliver a bite that functions correctly and a more balanced profile.
The specific procedure, or combination of procedures, is determined by the nature and severity of your jaw discrepancy.
The maxilla is repositioned in three dimensions to correct open bites, crossbites and midface deficiencies, improving lip support and facial balance.
The most common orthognathic procedure. The mandible is repositioned forward or backward to correct underbites, overbites and many asymmetries.
Both jaws are repositioned in the same surgery for complex discrepancies — one anesthesia event, one recovery, a more comprehensive result.
The chin bone is advanced, set back, raised, lowered or shifted to complete the facial harmony that jaw surgery alone may not achieve.
Every case is planned in 3D before surgery, with custom surgical splints that support highly precise jaw positioning.
Corrective jaw surgery can address:
Orthognathic treatment is coordinated with your orthodontist at every stage.
A complete clinical exam, X-rays, photographs, a digital oral scan and a 3D CT scan determine whether surgery is indicated and which procedures fit your case.
Braces or aligners align the teeth within each jaw, typically over 6–18 months, so they fit together after the jaws are repositioned.
Custom planning is done for each patient: jaw movements are simulated on a 3D model, then performed under general anesthesia at Baylor University Medical Center, secured with titanium plates.
Most patients return to work or school within 2–3 weeks. Your orthodontist then fine-tunes the final bite over 6–12 months.
A board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon with more than 20 years of experience. Trained as a dentist in Colombia, he completed surgical training at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago and a fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas — and remains on the faculty of Texas A&M University, so the latest research and techniques go directly into how he treats every patient.
Where Dr. Franco trained as a dentist and earned his surgical foundation.
Surgical training in Chicago.
Fellowship training in Dallas.
Our surgical team will evaluate your jaw, explain your options, and show you the expected results in 3D. Serving Irving, Mesquite, Ennis, and all of Dallas–Fort Worth. Medicaid accepted. Most insurance plans welcomed.