In a bilateral saggital split osteotomy (BSSO) surgery, cuts are made on the lower jaw, again all from inside the mouth, to allow the lower jaw to slide forward into a normal occlusion.
As shown here, the malocclusion is a class 3, retrognathia. If the lower jaw is more prominent than the upper jaw, then the same operation can be used except the jaw bones will slide back backward into a normal occlusion. The BSSO operation sometimes requires making a very small two-millimeter incision on the skin of the face just below the ear. This small incision helps us place three screws into the jawbone on each side. The screws hold the bones in there new position. Again the screws are imperceptible.
