Cosmetic surgeons do not always deal with purely cosmetic surgery. Many patients visit cosmetic surgeons for more functional surgery, because they feel their problem will be dealt with faster and in a more caring manner.
Such an example would include surgery such as to overcome a dysfunction of the jaw. In a majority of cases, the jaw dysfunction is marked by a facial deformity, which is visible even to the untrained eye. However, it is incorrect to assume that the procedure is purely cosmetic in nature. In this case, facial deformity is just the visual aspect of a functional problem. Misaligned jaws can cause great difficulty, for example, while biting and chewing food. They also can be very painful and can cause speech difficulties and breathing problems, such as sleep apnea.
Severe overbites and underbites are among the most common causes for undergoing orthognathic surgery. In the case of severe underbites, the lower jaw teeth overlap the teeth in the upper jaw, while biting. Individuals with severe underbites have chins which thrust forward in a rather pronounced manner. On the other hand, the lower jaw teeth are significantly overlapped by the teeth of the top jaw in a severe overbite. In this case, patients' chins can recede to an exaggerated degree.
Other patients needing orthognathic surgery may have a dysfunction of the jaw called an open bite. In this case, the front teeth do not meet while biting. There may be problem of misaligned jaws where the jaws do not match up at all. Such patients may have cheekbones, which appear flat, eyes that appear to bulge out of their sockets or teeth, which protrude too far.
Read more about maxillo-facial surgery procedures.
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