Who actually needs jaw surgery
Most bite problems do not need surgery, and it is worth saying that first, before anything else. Jaw surgery is for a small group of cases where the jawbones themselves are markedly the wrong size or in the wrong position, far enough out that moving the teeth alone cannot give a healthy, stable bite. A pronounced underbite where the lower jaw sits well forward, a severe overbite, an open bite driven by jaw shape, or a noticeable facial asymmetry are the kinds of things that can fall into this group.
Timing matters. In a child who is still growing, guiding the jaws early can sometimes steer development away from surgery altogether, which is one reason an early assessment is so useful. In many adults, braces or aligners can quietly compensate for a moderate jaw difference by moving the teeth into a good bite without touching the bone. Surgery only comes into the conversation when neither of those will give a sound result.
How the treatment is planned, and who does what
When surgery genuinely is the right answer, it is very much a team effort, and Dr. Catherine McLeod is clear about her part in it. As a specialist orthodontist she plans and runs the orthodontic phases; the operation itself is carried out by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a dental specialist trained in jaw surgery. The two work from the same plan.
Treatment usually runs in three stages. First, braces or aligners line the teeth up to their own jaw, which can briefly make the bite look less even, and that is expected. Next, the surgeon repositions the jaw or jaws. Finally, a shorter orthodontic phase settles the bite into place, followed by a retainer. It is a longer road than braces alone, so Dr. Catherine McLeod talks you through the whole picture, and the recovery, honestly before you commit to anything.
We rule out the alternatives first, and a second opinion is free
The whole approach at Embrace Orthodontics is to try the simpler, less invasive routes before the bigger ones, and to avoid extractions and jaw surgery wherever it is clinically sound to do so. That is not a slogan; it shapes how every plan is drawn up. Where surgery can reasonably be avoided without shortchanging your result, it will be.
If another clinic has told you that surgery is your only option, it is entirely reasonable to want a second view before such a big decision. Dr. Catherine McLeod offers a free second opinion at our Spring Garden Road office in Halifax, with no referral and no obligation. She will look at your case afresh and tell you honestly what she thinks is achievable, whether that means surgery, a non-surgical plan, or simply reassurance that the advice you already have is sound.