If you have struggled to feel confident in the appearance of their face, you are certainly not alone. Beauty standards and expectations change all the time, and it sometimes feels like our natural appearance just can’t keep up. But did you know that there are some interventions available that can actually improve the symmetry of your face, often improving your appearance and confidence at the same time?
At Northeast Arkansas Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, we have solutions for all kinds of facial and oral health issues, including corrective facial surgeries. Some of our patients need Dr. McDonough and Dr. Phillips to treat severe oral health problems like jaw pain or impacted wisdom teeth, others want help with their symmetry and appearance. Our doctors are trained experts with specializations in surgery, plastic surgery, anesthesiology, and more in order to care for these unique needs!
What Causes Facial Asymmetry?
Often facial symmetry is just a matter of genetics and bone growth in your face. Some people’s upper or lower jaws grow too large or too small, impacting the appearance of the face. Others grow too far forward or backward, causing bite problems and appearance concerns. Though these issues often happen naturally, there are surgical solutions available!
Other causes might be an injury to the bones of the face. This can sometimes cause the face to look different due to a new bone structure. Other genetic causes can be cleft lip or palate that would genetically alter the appearance of the face and mouth.
Why Fix Facial Asymmetry?
There are a number of excellent reasons why it might be worth it for someone to come into our office to discuss their options for achieving facial symmetry. One reason would be to restore the appearance of their face after an accident or facial trauma. Others need to prevent pain and discomfort, often including TMJ pain from jaw issues and bite problems. Others simply want to boost their self-confidence by improving their symmetry and overall appearance.
Whatever the reason may be, it will be worth your time to stop into our office for a consultation appointment to see what options Dr. McDonough or Dr. Phillips might suggest for your unique case. Everyone’s face is different and may require a different approach and evaluation from the doctors, so don’t hesitate to get in touch and set up an appointment!
How We Treat Facial Asymmetry
There are several ways to treat facial asymmetry, some of which require plastic surgery, implants, lifts, and more. At our office, we focus on one particular type of surgery called orthognathic surgery. Regardless of which intervention you need, you will need to come in for a consult where the doctor can evaluate your facial structure, sometimes requiring photos, x-rays, or even CT scans, and make models of your jaw in order to verify the best treatment options.
Orthognathic Surgery
To prepare the mouth and jaw for surgery, our doctors will often recommend a year or so of orthodontic treatment to shift your teeth into the best possible position for your improved jaw alignment. This might also include some extractions if your teeth are crowded due to a small jaw. Once your orthodontist and your surgeon agree that your teeth are ready, then we can go in and perform surgery to strengthen and align the jaw.
After surgery, the patient will need some time to rest and recover, usually requiring some time off work. Though slightly inconvenient, many of our patients still report a high level of satisfaction due to just how effective surgery is in improving appearance, confidence, and overall health! Your orthodontist may recommend that you continue wearing braces for a few months after your surgery, and once those come off, you will need to continue wearing a retainer at night to help preserve your beautiful jaw and smile.
Other Ways that Maxillofacial Surgery Improves Health
A few of the other ways that our center can surgically support oral and facial health is through bone grafting or augmentation, impacted canine treatment, implant placement, pre-prosthetic surgery, corrective jaw surgery like orthognathic surgery, and of course wisdom teeth removal.
Don’t hesitate to give our office a call if you have questions about the type of treatment you may need, or if you have been referred to us by an orthodontist, dentist, or another doctor. We take your treatment seriously and want to help create the solutions that you need for a healthy, happy facial structure!
Achieve Facial Symmetry With Us!
Because we specialize in creating beautiful, symmetrical faces, we are always ready to welcome new patients to our office and see what our surgeons can do to help them achieve their goals. If that’s you, then don’t hesitate to give us a call and schedule a consultation appointment soon! We have been treating patients in the Jonesboro area for over 40 years and are ready to work with you and your family! We hope to see you in our office soon!