American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

  The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is a non-profit professional association serving the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery, the surgical arm of dentistry. Its headquarters are in Rosemont, Illinois.

Founded in 1918, AAOMS currently has an affiliation base of more than 9,000 fellows, members and residents in the United States, as well as 250 affiliate members from nations around the world. More than 90 percent of oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States belong to AAOMS. In addition to its membership, AAOMS has state component societies in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and eight regional component societies.

AAOMS publishes the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and conducts the Daniel M. Laskin Award for an Outstanding Predoctoral Educator.

     The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) represents more than 9,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States, supporting specialized education, research and advocacy. AAOMS fellows and members comply with rigorous continuing education requirements and submit to periodic office anesthesia evaluations to ensure that office procedures and personnel meet stringent national standards.

http://myoms.org/

 Through the AAOMS Website you will be able to find information such as what they do, who they are, what treatments they offer, informative videos, news in the Oral and Maxillofacial world and even find a surgeon in your area. 

Corrective Jaw surgery (Orthognathic Surgery)

   Orthognathic surgery is surgery to correct conditions of the jaw and face related to structure, growth, sleep apnea, TMJ disorders, malocclusion problems owing to skeletal disharmonies, or other orthodontic problems that cannot be easily treated with braces. Originally coined by Harold Hargis, it is also used in treatment of congenital conditions like cleft palate. Bones can be cut and re-aligned, then held in place with either screws or plates. Orthognathic surgery can also be referred to as corrective jaw surgery.

    The surgery is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in collaboration with an orthodontist. It often includes braces before and after surgery, and retainers after the final removal of braces. Orthognathic surgery is often needed after reconstruction of cleft palate or other major craniofacial anomalies. Careful coordination between the surgeon and orthodontist is essential to ensure that the teeth will fit correctly after the surgery.



Procedure: 
  

•    The surgery might involve one jaw or the two jaws during the same procedure. The modification is done by making cuts in the bones of the mandible and / or maxilla and repositioning the cut pieces in the desired alignment. Usually surgery is performed under general anaesthetic and using nasal tube for intubation rather than the more commonly used oral tube; this is to allow wiring the teeth together during surgery. The surgery often does not involve cutting the skin, and instead, the surgeon is often able to go through the inside of the mouth.
• Cutting the bone is called osteotomy and in case of performing the surgery on the two jaws at the same time it is called a bi-maxillary osteotomy (two jaws bone cutting) or a maxillomandibular advancement.

    After orthognathic surgery, patients are often required to adhere to an all-liquid diet. After time,  soft food can be introduced, and then hard food. Diet is very important after the surgery, to accelerate the healing process. Weight loss due to lack of appetite and the liquid diet is common, but should be avoided if possible. Normal recovery time can range from a few weeks for minor surgery, to up to a year for more complicated surgery.

    For some surgeries, pain may be minimal due to minor nerve damage and lack of feeling. Doctors will prescribe pain medication and prophylactic antibiotics to the patient. There is often a large amount of swelling around the jaw area, and in some cases bruising. Most of the swelling will disappear in the first few weeks, but some may remain for a few months.

Also, the surgeon will see the patient for check-ups frequently to observe how the patient is doing, etc. 

http://myoms.org/procedures/corrective-jaw-surgery