Orthognathic surgery and implants.

The resorptive pattern of the maxilla and mandible after the dentition has been lost often leads to a discrepancy between the jaws such that a significant Class III malocclusion occurs. This discrepancy between the jaws leads to problems with both fixed and removable prosthetic reconstruction of the jaws with teeth. The jaws are often resorbed to the point where the muscle attachments become dislodging forces for conventional dentures and also to the point where adequate implants cannot be placed. Various procedures have been developed to augment the alveolar ridges to allow for adequate reconstruction of the dentition. Orthognathic surgical procedures have been developed to reposition the jaws and have been traditionally used in the dentate patient to correct a skeletal malocclusion. These procedures are usually carried out with orthodontic control of the dentition to produce the best results. These same procedures can be used on the edentulous patient to correct the discrepancies between the jaws in order to reconstruct the dentition with implants. Bone grafting procedures are often required for these procedures so that the alveolus can be augmented at the same time and allow for dental implants to be placed at a later date.