Jaw surgery in Turkey

• A bite braces cannot correct

  When the jaws themselves are mismatched in size or position, orthodontics can move teeth but not bones. Surgery moves the bone so the teeth can meet properly.

• Chewing and speech difficulty

  An open bite where the front teeth never meet, or a severe underbite or overbite, makes eating and sometimes speaking harder. This is the commonest functional reason.

• Obstructive sleep apnoea

  Moving both jaws forward enlarges the airway, and this is an established treatment for selected patients whose apnoea has not responded to other measures.

• Facial appearance

  A receding or protruding chin and jawline change substantially. This is a real and legitimate motive, but it should be discussed alongside the functional plan rather than instead of it.

1. 1

   Planning

   Scans, dental models and, increasingly, a digital plan of the movement. The surgeon and orthodontist agree the final position before anything is cut.
2. 2

   Pre-surgical orthodontics

   Braces align the teeth within each jaw. This phase lasts many months and the bite often looks worse during it, which is expected.
3. 3

   Surgery

   Done inside the mouth under general anaesthetic. The bone is cut and repositioned, then fixed with small plates and screws. There is usually no external scar.
4. 4

   Early recovery

   Swelling peaks in the first days. Diet is liquid then soft, and elastic bands are often used to guide the bite rather than wiring the jaws shut.
5. 5

   Post-surgical orthodontics

   Braces continue for months while the bite settles, then retainers.

• One jaw or both. A single-jaw operation is shorter and cheaper than a double-jaw procedure.
• Whether the chin is repositioned too. A genioplasty is often combined and adds to the operation.
• Planning technology. Digital planning and custom surgical guides cost more and are priced accordingly.
• Whether orthodontics is included. Usually it is not, and it is the larger part of the total time and often a significant part of the total cost. Ask explicitly.
• Hospital stay. This is inpatient surgery with a stay, not a day case.

The clinic list on this page shows the current price for each hospital with a label saying what it covers. On staged payment, see the payment plans page.

• British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, orthognathic surgery patient information.
• NHS, orthognathic surgery and orthodontic treatment.
• British Orthodontic Society, guidance on combined orthodontic and surgical treatment.
• Turkish Ministry of Health, health tourism authorisation for hospitals.