The way your facial bones develop affects your oral health, as well as your facial appearance and proportion. The position and size of your facial bones and teeth determine how well you bite, chew and speak.

A well-proportioned face can be separated into equal thirds from the hairline to the brows, the eyebrows to the base of the nose, and from the base of the nose to the chin. When your face is divided down the middle, each side should closely resemble the other.

If your face appears "out of balance" and you are not happy with the way you look, you may be a good candidate for corrective jaw (also called orthognathic) surgery.

Any of the following symptoms may indicate a need for corrective jaw surgery:

• Difficulty chewing or biting food
• Difficulty swallowing
• Chronic jaw pain
• Excessive wearing of teeth
• Open bite (a space between upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed)
• Overbite, where the teeth overlap too much
• Unbalanced facial appearance
• Facial injury or a defect from birth

If you suffer from any of these symptoms, we can work with you to diagnose the cause and plan for its treatment. Our state-of-the-art i-Cat Cone Beam 3-D Dental Imaging System can help us determine the cause and extent of your condition, and we will help you understand your treatment options.