Corrective Jaw Surgery · Orthognathic (Corrective Jaw) Surgery Indianapolis
Corrective jaw surgery in Indianapolis to fix severe bite, breathing, and facial balance problems that braces alone cannot. Board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons at Oral Surgeons of Indiana.
Six chapters that follow a real orthognathic patient from the orthodontist's referral to the day they see their new profile in the mirror.
[PLACEHOLDER] Describe the lived experience of a severe bite discrepancy: chewing fatigue, jaw pain or clicking, sleep disrupted by airway issues, headaches, self-consciousness about a recessed chin or open bite. End on the orthodontist saying braces alone won't fix it.
[PLACEHOLDER] Walk through the joint workup with the orthodontist and surgeon: cone beam CT, photographs, virtual surgical planning that previews the new bite and profile on screen, and a candid conversation about timeline (typically 12–18 months of pre-surgical orthodontics first).
[PLACEHOLDER] Step through the surgical day in an accredited hospital OR: morning admission, general anesthesia, the surgeon repositioning the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both via incisions hidden inside the mouth, titanium plates securing the new position, and waking up in recovery with no external scars.
[PLACEHOLDER] Set realistic expectations: typically one overnight hospital stay, significant facial swelling that peaks days 3–4, liquid then soft diet for 4–6 weeks, sleeping upright, light guided jaw exercises, school or desk work usually possible by week 2–3.
[PLACEHOLDER] Explain bone healing in plain language: the osteotomies fuse over 6–8 weeks while the patient progresses through soft to regular foods, returns to the orthodontist for final bite refinement, and watches the swelling continue to resolve through month 6 and beyond.
[PLACEHOLDER] Describe the day the braces come off and the year that follows: chewing without thinking about it, the new profile in family photos, sleeping through the night without airway interruptions, the quiet realization that this changed more than just the jaw.
[PLACEHOLDER] Describe the lived experience of a severe bite discrepancy: chewing fatigue, jaw pain or clicking, sleep disrupted by airway issues, headaches, self-consciousness about a recessed chin or open bite. End on the orthodontist saying braces alone won't fix it.
[PLACEHOLDER] Walk through the joint workup with the orthodontist and surgeon: cone beam CT, photographs, virtual surgical planning that previews the new bite and profile on screen, and a candid conversation about timeline (typically 12–18 months of pre-surgical orthodontics first).
[PLACEHOLDER] Step through the surgical day in an accredited hospital OR: morning admission, general anesthesia, the surgeon repositioning the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both via incisions hidden inside the mouth, titanium plates securing the new position, and waking up in recovery with no external scars.
[PLACEHOLDER] Set realistic expectations: typically one overnight hospital stay, significant facial swelling that peaks days 3–4, liquid then soft diet for 4–6 weeks, sleeping upright, light guided jaw exercises, school or desk work usually possible by week 2–3.
[PLACEHOLDER] Explain bone healing in plain language: the osteotomies fuse over 6–8 weeks while the patient progresses through soft to regular foods, returns to the orthodontist for final bite refinement, and watches the swelling continue to resolve through month 6 and beyond.
[PLACEHOLDER] Describe the day the braces come off and the year that follows: chewing without thinking about it, the new profile in family photos, sleeping through the night without airway interruptions, the quiet realization that this changed more than just the jaw.
A consultation is the only way to know what your specific journey looks like — and there's no obligation.
Schedule Your Orthognathic Consultationof adults have a jaw discrepancy severe enough to benefit from orthognathic surgery.
— American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), 2023
of pre-surgical orthodontics typically precedes the operation.
— JOMS, 2022
typical operative time, performed in an accredited hospital under general anesthesia.
— OSOI internal data, 2025
typical inpatient stay before recovering at home.
— OSOI internal data, 2025
until the osteotomies have healed enough for return to most normal activity.
— IJOMS, 2023
Adults and older teens with a jaw discrepancy that orthodontics alone cannot correct — including significant underbite, overbite, open bite, or crossbite; a small or asymmetric jaw; sleep-disordered breathing tied to a small lower jaw; and certain TMJ or facial-balance concerns. Patients are typically referred by an orthodontist after a course of evaluation.
Reported risks include temporary or, rarely, permanent altered sensation of the lower lip or chin (most commonly with lower-jaw surgery), bleeding, infection, hardware-related issues requiring later removal, and minor relapse over time. Serious complications are uncommon in healthy patients operated on by an experienced orthognathic team. — JOMS, 2023.
Every orthognathic case at OSOI is co-planned with the referring orthodontist using 3D virtual surgical planning and a custom surgical splint, so the surgical movement and the orthodontic finishing line up exactly. Surgery is performed in an accredited hospital by a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon with subspecialty experience in orthognathic and reconstructive cases.
Because orthognathic surgery treats functional problems (bite, chewing, breathing, jaw pain), it is generally billed to medical insurance rather than dental. Coverage varies by plan; our team handles the medical necessity letter and pre-authorization on your behalf. Out-of-pocket costs typically include surgical, hospital, and anesthesia fees and depend on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Financing is available through CareCredit, Cherry, and Sunbit — see /oral-surgery-cost-financing.
See also our cost and financing guide and IV sedation options.
