Jaw Surgery
Mount Sinai plastic and reconstructive surgeons treat all forms of jaw deformities. Working as a team of specialists, we coordinate your care with your dentist, orthodontist, and other plastic surgeons as needed. We can restore function and appearance as we work together to provide you the best possible outcome.
Our team of specialists is highly experienced in treating jaw deformities of all kinds, including complex cases.
Conditions We Treat
At Mount Sinai, we treat many conditions affecting the jaw, including:
- Mandibular hyperplasia (prognathism)—this appears as excess of the lower third of the face, making it appear very prominent and may include an underdeveloped upper jaw.
- Mandibular hypoplasia—with a small lower jaw and ab overbite (skeletal malocclusion) and may include a tall upper jaw and long face syndrome that looks like a small lower jaw and backward rotation of the lower jaw.
- Maxillary hypoplasia—appears as a small upper jaw with a shallow, concave midface and an under bite (skeletal malocclusion), may include an undersized, oversized or normal lower jaw, and may be associated with a cleft of the lip and palate or other craniofacial syndromes.
- Vertical maxillary deficiency (short face syndrome)—may cause an older appearance due to the absence of enough dental show from a vertical deficiency of the upper jaw.
- Vertical maxillary excess (long face syndrome)—causes the appearance of a long face with a possible open bite where the teeth do not come together from excess vertical height of the upper jaw present caused by more vertical growth occurring in the back of the maxilla versus the front and an associated shortness of the lower jaw.
Jaw deformities may occur because of different rates of growth of your upper or lower jaw, the maxilla and mandible, or both your upper and lower jaw. Your jaw condition may be present at birth; it may occur following a traumatic accident, or it may develop with growth of a tumor. However it happens, we can help.