Surgical Orthodontics
Cincinnati, Fairfield, & West Chester, OH
 If you have been told that braces alone will not correct your bite, surgical orthodontics at Nelson R. Diers Orthodontics offers a coordinated path forward for patients in Cincinnati, Fairfield, and West Chester, OH.
Surgical orthodontics combines orthodontic treatment with jaw surgery to correct severe bite problems that come from the position of the jaws themselves, not just the teeth.
Our orthodontist leads the orthodontic side of treatment and works alongside an oral surgeon, who performs the jaw surgery itself. We do not perform jaw surgery in our offices. Instead, we plan and guide the tooth movement before and after surgery, then coordinate every step with your surgical team so the two halves of treatment fit together. That coordination sits at the center of the orthodontic care we provide.
Most people who need surgical orthodontics are adults whose jaws finished growing in a position that braces cannot fully fix. If a deep underbite, a severe overbite, or noticeable facial asymmetry has made it hard to bite, chew, or feel confident, this treatment was designed for exactly that situation. Many people come to surgical orthodontics after being told for years that their bite was too complex for braces alone.
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What Is Surgical Orthodontics?
 Surgical orthodontics, also called orthognathic orthodontics, is a coordinated treatment for bite problems that begin with the jaws rather than the teeth. When the upper and lower jaws are different sizes or sit in the wrong position relative to each other, braces can straighten the teeth but cannot move the jawbones into balance. Surgical orthodontics solves the underlying skeletal problem by pairing orthodontic treatment with a jaw procedure performed by an oral surgeon.
We reserve this approach for more severe cases. A pronounced underbite, where the lower teeth sit ahead of the upper teeth, is one of the most common reasons, along with a severe overbite, an open bite where the front teeth do not meet, and facial asymmetry. These are jaw alignment problems that have grown beyond what tooth movement alone can address, and for less severe versions we also provide focused underbite treatment.
Is Surgical Orthodontics Right for You?
Surgical orthodontics is not the right answer for every bite problem, and an honest evaluation is the only way to know. You may be a candidate if you recognize one or more of these signs:
- A severe underbite or overbite that changes how your teeth meet and how your profile looks.
- Difficulty biting, chewing, or closing your lips comfortably because of jaw position.
- An open bite where the upper and lower front teeth do not touch when you close.
- Noticeable facial asymmetry that traces back to uneven jaw growth.
- A history of being told braces alone will not fully correct your bite.
Growing children are rarely candidates, because their jaws are still developing and growth guidance during two-phase orthodontic treatment can often steer the bite in a better direction before surgery is ever needed. For adults whose jaws have finished growing, surgery may be the most reliable way to reach a stable, balanced result. We will tell you plainly at your consultation which approach fits your case.
Your Surgical Orthodontics Specialist
Dr. Nelson R. Diers, DDS, MSD is a board-certified orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, with more than 45 years of practice. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Northwestern University and his Master of Science in Dentistry from Indiana University, where he serves on the orthodontic faculty. Surgical orthodontics is part of the full range of treatment he provides. More on his training in his doctor bio.
Complex surgical cases call for an orthodontist who is comfortable working as part of a larger team. Dr. Diers coordinates regularly with oral surgeons and other medical specialists, and as a longtime member of the Schulman Study Group, an association of the top one to two percent of orthodontic practices in the country, he plans each surgical case with the attention to detail that has defined his work for decades.
For you, that means the orthodontic side of your care and the surgical side stay in step from the first consultation through the final result. Dr. Diers maps out the tooth movement, sets the timing around your surgery, and stays involved while your surgeon does their part.
The Surgical Orthodontics Process, Step by Step
Surgical orthodontics unfolds over three main stages: orthodontic preparation, the surgery itself, and orthodontic finishing. The full timeline usually runs longer than braces alone, often somewhere between eighteen months and three years, because the teeth have to be positioned precisely both before and after surgery.
Planning and 3D Imaging
Treatment begins with a thorough evaluation and detailed imaging. We use i-CAT 3D imaging to capture a single low-dose scan that shows the teeth, jaws, and airway in three dimensions, which gives our orthodontist and your surgeon the same precise picture to plan from. Together we map out where the teeth need to be before surgery and what the surgeon will change.
Pre-Surgical Orthodontics
Before surgery, we place braces and begin moving your teeth into the positions they need to occupy once the jaws are realigned. This phase can feel counterintuitive, because the bite sometimes looks less even before it gets better. That is expected. We are setting the stage so the surgeon can bring the jaws together into a stable, comfortable bite.
Jaw Surgery With Your Oral Surgeon
An oral surgeon performs the jaw surgery, not our office. Once your teeth are ready, your surgeon repositions the upper jaw, the lower jaw, or both, following the plan built during the imaging stage. We stay in contact with your surgical team throughout and coordinate the timing so your orthodontic treatment picks back up at the right moment during healing.
Post-Surgical Orthodontics and Retention
After your jaws begin to heal, we fine-tune the bite with the braces already in place, closing any remaining gaps and settling the teeth into their final positions. When treatment is complete, a retainer holds everything in place, and because we run our own in-house lab, that retainer and a custom tooth positioner are built to our orthodontist’s exact specifications. Our office runs a thorough retention program, which matters even more after a surgical case given the work that went into reaching the result.
Benefits of Surgical Orthodontics
 The biggest advantage of surgical orthodontics is that it corrects the root of the problem instead of working around it. When the jaws are the real issue, moving only the teeth tends to leave the bite unstable and prone to relapse, so repositioning the jaws gives the result a foundation that holds. To protect that result, our in-house lab builds the retainers and the custom tooth positioner that keep a surgical correction stable for years after the braces come off.
What sets the outcome apart here is that we plan for more than straight teeth. Because our orthodontist evaluates the airway and jaw joints with i-CAT 3D imaging from the very first visit, a corrected bite is designed to support comfortable breathing and jaw function, not appearance alone.
- A result that stays put – Our in-house lab produces the retainers and tooth positioner that hold the corrected bite long after treatment ends.
- Airway and jaw-joint support – Planning with i-CAT 3D imaging lets us account for the airway and TMJ, not only tooth position.
- A bite that functions, not just one that looks corrected – Aligning the jaws improves how you chew and speak, with facial balance guided by the Golden Proportions method our orthodontist patented.
- One coordinated plan – Because we manage the orthodontics and stay in step with your surgeon, the parts of treatment fit together instead of working at cross-purposes.
For adults weighing their options, surgical orthodontics sits within the full scope of adult orthodontic treatment we provide, and we will be honest about what it can and cannot do for your specific case.
Why Choose Our Practice for Surgical Orthodontics
Surgical cases reward experience and coordination, and both run deep at Nelson R. Diers Orthodontics. Our board-certified orthodontist has guided complex bites for more than 45 years, and our team carries well over a century of combined experience working side by side.
We also look at more than the teeth. Our holistic approach to orthodontic care weighs how the jaws, airway, and jaw joints work together, which becomes especially important when a surgical plan changes the position of the jaws. Getting that balance right is the difference between a bite that simply looks corrected and one that functions well for years.
Because we coordinate so closely with oral surgeons and other specialists, your care stays organized across every appointment. With offices in Cincinnati, Fairfield, and West Chester, you can be seen close to home or work throughout a treatment that spans many months.
Surgical Orthodontics Cost and Financing
Cost matters, and we want to be straight with you about it. The cost of surgical orthodontics depends on the complexity of your case, how long the orthodontic phases take, and the surgical portion handled by your oral surgeon, which their office bills separately.
Surgical orthodontics often draws on both medical and dental insurance, since the surgical correction can qualify as a medical procedure. Our team files the applicable claims and helps you understand what your benefits cover. You can read how we handle orthodontic insurance, and we are glad to walk through your specific plan with you.
Flexible payment options are available to make treatment more manageable, including monthly payment plans and third-party financing. You can review our financing options online. Call us at (513) 829-4400 for a personalized estimate after your consultation.
Schedule Your Surgical Orthodontics Consultation
A consultation is the clearest way to learn whether surgical orthodontics is right for you. Call Nelson R. Diers Orthodontics at (513) 829-4400 to schedule your new patient exam in Cincinnati, Fairfield, or West Chester, OH. Our main office is at 1251 Nilles Rd, Suite 14, Fairfield, OH 45014-7205. You can also reach us through our Contact page with any questions before you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does your office perform the jaw surgery for surgical orthodontics?No. We handle the orthodontic side of treatment, and a partnering oral surgeon performs the jaw surgery in a surgical setting, not in a dental office. We share the same 3D treatment plan with your surgeon and stay in contact from planning through healing, so the timing of your braces lines up with your recovery. That coordination is the whole point of a surgical orthodontic plan.
How long does surgical orthodontics take in Cincinnati, Fairfield, or West Chester?Most cases run between eighteen months and three years, from the first braces to the final result. What lengthens it is the pre-surgical phase, where the teeth have to be moved into position before the jaws can be realigned. For patients who qualify, accelerated orthodontic treatment can shorten the braces phases, and we will tell you whether that fits your case.
Can surgical orthodontics fix facial asymmetry?It often can, when the asymmetry comes from uneven jaw growth. Because the surgical step repositions the jaws themselves, it can bring the profile and facial proportions into better balance, not only straighten the teeth. The i-CAT 3D imaging we take at the start shows exactly how your jaws line up, which guides what is realistic for your case.
Does insurance cover surgical orthodontics?Often, at least in part. The surgical correction can qualify as a medical procedure, so it may draw on medical insurance, while the orthodontic work runs through dental coverage, which usually carries a lifetime orthodontic maximum. Our team files both sets of claims and tells you what to expect before treatment begins.
What if I would rather avoid surgery?Sometimes you can. For milder discrepancies, modern braces such as the Damon System, which our orthodontist helped design, can camouflage a bite difference without surgery. For severe skeletal problems, though, braces alone tend to relapse, and surgery is usually the more stable long-term answer. We will always be honest about which one fits your bite.
How do you decide which oral surgeon I work with?We refer to oral surgeons we have worked alongside on complex cases and trust to follow a detailed surgical plan. If you already have a surgeon you prefer, we are happy to coordinate with them instead. Either way, everyone works from the same i-CAT 3D imaging and the same treatment plan.
Is surgical orthodontics painful?The orthodontic part feels much like regular braces, with some soreness for a few days after each adjustment that over-the-counter pain relief usually handles. Recovery from the surgery itself is managed by your oral surgeon, who will explain what to expect for your specific procedure. Most patients find the orthodontic visits routine and easy to fit into daily life.
Why should I choose your practice for surgical orthodontics in Cincinnati?The strongest reason is that one experienced orthodontist guides the entire orthodontic side from start to finish, while coordinating closely with your surgeon. Our board-certified orthodontist has managed complex bites for more than 45 years and is a longtime member of the Schulman Study Group. With offices in Cincinnati, Fairfield, and West Chester, you can keep every appointment close to home across a treatment that lasts many months. |
