Surgical orthodontics requires a team effort and collaboration between the orthodontist and an oral surgeon. This team approach is vital for a successful healthy occlusion. Orthodontists and oral surgeons work together to correct a dentofacial orthopedic problem. In other words, orthodontics alone cannot correct the bite, but requires orthodontics and oral surgery to correct the malocclusion. There are several malocclusions that require this team approach: too large or too small of an upper or lower jaw, too narrow of an upper jaw (that is past the individual’s age to correct with an expander) or any of the aforementioned combinations.
The knowledge and expertise of the orthodontist is vital to the oral surgeon because the orthodontist places the teeth in each jaw into their proper position prior to the surgery. The surgeon then realigns the jaws with the teeth and jaws, in their proper position. A key element to this approach is not only the mathematical proportions that occur between the orthodontist and oral surgeon to allow for a successful alignment of the teeth and jaws, but the aesthetic outcome and facial proportions of each individual.
Orthodontics is both an art and a science. Dr. Ramaswamy understands this concept quite well. He has worked with various oral surgeons over his 22 years in practice to accomplish excellent results when this orthodontic-oral surgery approach is required to give the patient a beautiful smile!
