why do people have braces before jaw surgery?

[24braceface]

I'm confused. Why are braces needed one year before jaw surgery can be performed?

[foxparadox]

I'm confused. Why are braces needed one year before jaw surgery can be performed?

I don't think they always are. I was told that I'd need braces for a year before getting SARPE... but then they changed it and thought that there might not be enough room in my mouth to move my teeth into place, so I had it prior to getting braced. I think it's just easier to see how things should be moved if the teeth are already aligned... but I don't think they really need to be for things to work.

[mas604]

I got SARPE without getting braces on so maybe its different for each individual cases...

[Audra]

I'm confused. Why are braces needed one year before jaw surgery can be performed?

to straighten your teeth and round the arches so the teeth will mesh together properly afterwards for a proper bite. Most people who need jaw surgery do not have straight teeth or adequate arch width.

[Laundraholic]

I'm confused. Why are braces needed one year before jaw surgery can be performed?

to get your teeth into the position they need to be for the jaw surgery.
in my case (class 3 - underbite), my teeth had adapted themselves to my jaw and so my upper teeth were flared forward and my lower teeth had flared backward a little.

the braces are required to get my teeth straight. that's why my bite looks horrible right now (surgery in march 2011). my top teeth are straight and my bottom teeth are straight, but my teeth no longer meet and i'm left with an open bite.

after the surgery everything should be fine

ps. it CAN be longer than one year prior to surgery.
my original estimate was 18 months of braces prior to the surgery -- because my teeth moved REALLY slow and it took a long time to close the gaps (had 2 teeth removed on top), it's actually going to be just under 3 years in braces by the time i have the surgery.

[mamaneedsanewjaw]

I had upper and lower jaw surgery to correct my underbite. My teeth were perfectly straight but I still had to have braces on for six months prior to surgery to get my bite into the correct place for after my surgery.

From what I understand 99% of people need braces prior to jaw surgery.

[24braceface]

I had upper and lower jaw surgery to correct my underbite. My teeth were perfectly straight but I still had to have braces on for six months prior to surgery to get my bite into the correct place for after my surgery.

From what I understand 99% of people need braces prior to jaw surgery.

When you say the correct place, do you mean that they have to pull your jaw out with braces to put it in place during surgery?