One Plan, Not Separate Pieces
Jaw surgery and orthodontics should not feel like two unrelated treatments. The tooth movements before surgery, the surgical jaw position, and the finishing afterward all need to make sense as one sequence.
Teens · Adults
Surgical Orthodontics in Weston, FL
Some bite problems can be corrected by moving teeth alone. Others begin with the position of the jaws themselves. Dr. Caldas provides surgical orthodontics in Weston, FL for complex cases that may require coordinated orthodontic care before and after corrective jaw surgery performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Complex Care, Clearly Coordinated
Surgical Orthodontics Is a Team Treatment
Surgical orthodontics combines orthodontic treatment with orthognathic surgery when a significant jaw discrepancy cannot be corrected predictably by moving the teeth alone. The orthodontist prepares and positions the teeth; the oral and maxillofacial surgeon evaluates and performs the jaw procedure; then orthodontic treatment continues to refine the bite.
At Caldas Orthodontics, the focus is coordination. Dr. Caldas plans the orthodontic side of care, helps sequence treatment around the surgical phase, and keeps the dental movements aligned with the larger goal of improving how the teeth and jaws fit together.
The Essentials
What You'll Want to Understand First
Best Fit
Surgical orthodontic treatment may be considered when the upper and lower jaws are significantly out of relationship, the bite cannot be corrected with orthodontics alone, and jaw growth is sufficiently complete for surgical planning. Not every severe-looking bite requires surgery; the decision depends on where the problem actually comes from.
What It Can Address
- ·Significant underbite, overbite, or open-bite relationships
- ·Jaw asymmetry or a marked jaw discrepancy
- ·Skeletal malocclusion that cannot be corrected with tooth movement alone
- ·Functional bite concerns related to the way the jaws meet
- ·Complex bite correction that requires both dental and skeletal change
How It Works
Treatment is usually sequenced in stages. Pre-surgical orthodontics positions the teeth so they can fit properly after the jaws are repositioned. The surgical phase is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. After healing begins, post-surgical orthodontics refines tooth positions and the bite before treatment moves into retention.
What Supports It
Complex care depends on diagnosis, appropriate records and imaging, careful sequencing, and clear orthodontist and oral surgeon coordination. Each provider has a distinct role, and the plan works best when those roles are connected before treatment begins, not pieced together later.
In Real Life
What Coordinated Care Should Feel Like
Clear Roles
Dr. Caldas manages the orthodontic planning and tooth movement. The surgeon manages the surgical procedure and surgical recovery. Knowing who is responsible for each phase makes a complex process easier to understand.
Function Comes First
Facial balance can change with jaw surgery, but the treatment conversation should begin with diagnosis, bite function, jaw relationship, and what orthodontics alone can or cannot accomplish.
No Rush to Surgery
A complex bite does not automatically mean surgery. The first job is to determine whether the concern is primarily dental, skeletal, or a combination of both, and whether advanced orthodontic treatment without surgery can reasonably meet the goals.
Your Surgical Orthodontic Journey
The Sequence Matters as Much as the Surgery
1
Orthodontic Evaluation
We begin by understanding your bite, jaw relationship, concerns, and treatment goals, then determine whether the case appears to need a surgical opinion.
2
Interdisciplinary Planning
If surgery may be appropriate, Dr. Caldas coordinates with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon so the orthodontic and surgical goals are developed around the same end point.
3
Pre-Surgical Orthodontics
The teeth are moved into positions that support the planned jaw correction. During this phase, the bite can sometimes look temporarily less ideal because the teeth are being prepared to fit after surgery.
4
Surgical Phase
Corrective jaw surgery is performed by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who determines the specific procedure and manages the surgical care and recovery.
5
Post-Surgical Finishing
After surgery, orthodontic treatment continues to refine the tooth positions and bite. Once the result is stable, retention becomes part of protecting the final alignment.
Personal by Design
What Shapes a Surgical Orthodontic Plan?
Where the Problem Starts
A tooth-position problem and a jaw-position problem are not treated the same way. Diagnosis has to separate dental compensation from the underlying skeletal relationship before the plan is built.
The Jaw Relationship
The size, position, and symmetry of the upper and lower jaws can influence whether orthodontics alone is enough or whether orthognathic surgery should be part of the discussion.
Dental Health & Existing Work
Crowns, restorations, missing teeth, periodontal health, and previous orthodontic treatment can all affect how complex orthodontic cases are sequenced and which movements are realistic.
Your Goals & Readiness
Surgical care is a major commitment. Understanding why surgery is being considered, what orthodontics needs to accomplish before and after it, and what alternatives exist is part of making an informed decision.
The Caldas Approach
Complex Cases Need Clear Hand-Offs
The most important part of advanced care is not making the treatment sound complicated. It is making the coordination feel clear. Dr. Caldas focuses on the orthodontic decisions before and after surgery while working with the appropriate surgical specialist when a skeletal problem requires more than tooth movement alone.
Plan Before the First Movement
Presurgical tooth movement only makes sense when everyone understands where the jaws and teeth need to end up. The orthodontic plan is built around the surgical objective rather than treating surgery as an afterthought.
Coordinate With the Surgical Team
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon determines and performs the jaw procedure. Dr. Caldas coordinates the orthodontic preparation and finishing so both parts of care are working toward the same bite.
Finish the Bite After Surgery
Surgery repositions the jaws; orthodontics still has work to do afterward. Post-surgical adjustments help refine how the teeth meet and bring the orthodontic phase to completion.
Frequently Asked
Questions, answered.
The key question is whether the bite problem comes mainly from tooth position, jaw position, or both. Orthodontics can correct many dental bite problems, but a significant skeletal jaw misalignment may require a surgical evaluation. An orthodontic consultation is the starting point for understanding that difference.
Corrective jaw surgery is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Dr. Caldas does not perform the jaw surgery; he manages the orthodontic side of treatment and coordinates the tooth movement before and after surgery with the surgical team.
Before orthognathic surgery, the teeth often need to be moved into positions that will fit correctly once the jaws are surgically repositioned. This pre-surgical orthodontics phase prepares the dental arches for the planned jaw relationship rather than trying to make the current jaw position look ideal.
After the surgeon begins managing healing and recovery, orthodontic treatment usually continues. Post-surgical orthodontics is used to refine tooth positions and the bite as the jaws heal, followed by retention when active treatment is complete.
The total timeline varies widely because it includes orthodontic preparation, surgical scheduling, healing, post-surgical finishing, and the complexity of the individual case. A useful estimate can only be given after both the orthodontic and surgical teams have evaluated the plan.
Explore What's Possible
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TMJ Therapy
If jaw discomfort or joint function is part of the concern, a separate TMJ-focused evaluation may help clarify whether the issue belongs within orthodontic care or needs additional referral and coordination.
You Don't Need to Know If Surgery Is Necessary Yet
Start with the bite problem, not the procedure. Dr. Caldas can evaluate the orthodontic picture, explain whether the concern appears dental or skeletal, and help you understand whether surgical orthodontics in Weston, FL, or a non-surgical orthodontic approach, deserves further consideration.
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