Most normal, healthy people suffering from jaw imbalance are excellent candidates for orthognathic surgery, but it's important that you know what you're getting into. This is not a trivial cosmetic enhancement. Given the complexity and length of the surgical and orthodontic treatment, you must have a clear understanding of what it can accomplish and what it can't.
Of course you will be given a thorough examination before undertaking orthognathic surgery. A pre-op physical, medical history and blood work will be taken. And many questions such as, "Do you show a tendency to form heavy scar tissue?" will be asked. Your orthodontist will also attempt to learn if you possess the emotional and psychological stability to tolerate the unavoidable inconveniences of the treatment, including the surgery itself, time required to complete the process and temporarily refraining from smoking, drinking and taking some medications that impede healing.
It is essential that you form realistic expectations. Both your orthodontist and your oral or maxillofacial surgeon can help you with this. A computer-generated three-dimensional model drawn from photographs of your face and X-rays of your jaw will be manipulated to provide you with an "after" video image predicting what you will look like following surgery.
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