Concierge maxillofacial surgery · UK
Orthognathic surgery - jaw correction, done properly.
Le Fort I, BSSO, genioplasty and bimaxillary correction for skeletal malocclusion, facial asymmetry and sleep apnoea. A consultant maxillofacial surgeon and a specialist orthodontist planning together - with the full 18–24-month pathway laid out before you start.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A consultant maxillofacial surgeon, in a proper hospital
A named consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon with high orthognathic volume - operating in a hospital with an overnight ward and HDU cover, never a dental-chair setting.
- 02
Joint orthodontic–surgical planning, from day one
Orthognathic surgery only works when the orthodontist and surgeon plan together over 18–24 months. We only introduce teams that run genuine joint clinics with virtual surgical planning.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation - including “orthodontics alone would fix this” - is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What private orthognathic surgery costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner maxillofacial units. Send the details and we quote firm all-in figures - surgery and orthodontics together - across two or three teams.
In short
Single-jaw surgery in our network: £8,000–£15,000, home after 1–2 nights.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-jaw surgery (Le Fort I or BSSO) | £8,000–£15,000 | 2–3 hours | 1–2 nights |
| Bimaxillary osteotomy (both jaws) | £15,000–£30,000 | 3–5 hours | 2 nights |
| Genioplasty (chin repositioning) alone | £5,000–£9,000 | 1–2 hours | Day-case or 1 night |
| Genioplasty added to jaw surgery | £2,000–£4,000 extra | +30–60 min | No extra stay |
| Pre- and post-surgical orthodontics | £4,000–£8,000 | 18–24 months total | Outpatient visits |
| Virtual surgical planning and imaging package | £1,000–£2,500 | 1–2 visits | Plan within 2–4 weeks |
| Joint consultation (surgeon + orthodontist) | £200–£400 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
Prices vary by hospital, by the surgeon, by whether one or both jaws are moved, and by whether custom guides and plates are used. Bimaxillary cases with genioplasty are always the top of the range - and remember to budget the orthodontics on top of the surgery. We come back with a firm all-in quote within one working day.
The problem
A two-year pathway that lives or dies on the planning.
Orthognathic treatment fails when the orthodontist and surgeon work in silos, when expectations aren’t set, or when nerve risk is glossed over. We fix all three before you consent.
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Could orthodontics alone fix it?
Many bites can be camouflaged with braces without any surgery. A good joint clinic says so at the first visit - and so do we.
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One team, one plan
The orthodontist decompensates the teeth for the surgeon’s planned movements. If the two aren’t planning from the same 3D records, the result suffers. We only introduce genuine joint clinics.
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Consent to the numbness, not just the surgery
Altered lip and chin sensation is the honest headline risk of lower-jaw surgery. You should hear it - with numbers - before you start two years of braces, not the week before theatre.
The journey
From enquiry to retainers - what happens, in order.
One team from first message through planning, braces, theatre, the six-week soft diet and the finishing phase.
Phase 1 · Before your surgery
Joint planning, virtual surgery, 12–18 months of braces
Phase 2 · In hospital
Theatre and 1–2 nights on the ward
Phase 3 · After
Soft diet, finishing braces, retainers
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. Your bite, jaw or facial concerns, any snoring or sleep apnoea, previous orthodontics, and photos or scans if you have them.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether this looks like a single-jaw or bimaxillary case, which joint orthodontic–surgical team fits, and an indicative all-in price including the orthodontics.
- 03
Before
Joint clinic and virtual surgical planning
Consultant maxillofacial surgeon and orthodontist assess you together. Cone-beam CT, 3D photographs and digital models feed a virtual plan - you see the predicted jaw position and profile before anything starts.
- 04
Before
Pre-surgical orthodontics - the long phase
Braces or aligners for roughly 12–18 months to decompensate the teeth so the jaws can be moved into the correct bite. This phase temporarily makes the bite look worse; that is by design.
- 05
In hospital
Admission and surgery
General anaesthetic, 2–5 hours in theatre. Le Fort I, BSSO, genioplasty or a bimaxillary combination - all cuts from inside the mouth, jaws fixed with small titanium plates and screws. No wiring shut.
- 06
In hospital
The first nights in hospital
One to two nights on the ward. Expect significant facial swelling, a numb lip and chin, and a liquid diet. Elastics may guide the new bite. Home once you are eating, drinking and comfortable.
- 07
After
Soft diet, finishing orthodontics, review
Six weeks of soft diet while the bone heals. Reviews at 1, 3 and 6 weeks. Finishing orthodontics for 3–9 months to detail the new bite, then retainers. Swelling settles over 3–6 months.
Typical end-to-end: 18–24 months including orthodontics. Time off work after surgery: 2–3 weeks. Bone healed: about 6 weeks.
When it helps
When orthognathic surgery is the right step.
The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means urgent maxillofacial assessment rather than a routine orthodontic booking.
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Underbite (class III malocclusion)
A lower jaw that sits ahead of the upper - the teeth cannot meet properly and orthodontics alone cannot bridge the skeletal gap.
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Severe overbite or overjet (class II)
A small or set-back lower jaw leaving the front teeth far apart - often with lip strain, chewing difficulty and a recessive chin.
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Open bite - front teeth that never meet
An anterior open bite that makes biting into food impossible and often persists or relapses after orthodontics alone.
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Facial asymmetry
A jaw grown longer on one side, tilting the bite and the chin - corrected by repositioning one or both jaws in three dimensions.
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Obstructive sleep apnoea
Maxillomandibular advancement enlarges the airway and is one of the most effective surgical treatments for OSA in patients who cannot tolerate CPAP.
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Chewing, speech and lip-closure problems
Difficulty biting, eating or sealing the lips at rest - the functional problems that make jaw surgery medical, not cosmetic.
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Jaw joint and muscle strain from a poor bite
Chronic muscular pain and uneven tooth wear driven by a skeletal discrepancy the teeth are straining to compensate for.
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Red flag: a jaw changing shape in adulthood
A bite that is newly shifting, a jaw growing or a new asymmetry in adult life needs urgent maxillofacial assessment to exclude condylar hyperplasia or a tumour - not a routine orthodontic booking.
Procedure options
Which osteotomy - and how many - depends on the diagnosis.
What each option involves - upper jaw, lower jaw, chin, or all three - and how virtual planning ties them together into one operation.
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Le Fort I maxillary osteotomy
The upper jaw is cut above the tooth roots, repositioned - forward, up, down or rotated - and fixed with titanium plates. The workhorse upper-jaw movement.
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Bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO)
The lower jaw is split lengthways on both sides so the tooth-bearing part slides forward or back, then fixed with plates and screws. The standard mandibular procedure.
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Bimaxillary osteotomy
Le Fort I and BSSO in the same operation. Needed when both jaws contribute to the discrepancy - most asymmetries and larger corrections are bimaxillary.
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Genioplasty
The chin point is cut and repositioned independently of the bite - advanced, set back, lengthened or straightened. Often added to jaw surgery for balance.
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Maxillomandibular advancement for OSA
Both jaws moved forward to pull the tongue base and soft palate off the airway. Strong evidence in obstructive sleep apnoea when CPAP has failed.
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Surgery-first approach
In selected cases the operation comes before the braces, shortening the total treatment time. Only suitable for specific bite patterns - the joint clinic decides.
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Segmental and multi-piece osteotomies
The upper jaw divided into segments to correct width or level the bite plane in the same operation - adds complexity and is planned virtually.
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Custom plates and patient-specific guides
3D-printed cutting guides and custom titanium plates made from your CT plan transfer the virtual movements to theatre with millimetre accuracy.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of maxillofacial teams, we picked them.
Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeons with their orthodontic partners, across London and the major UK cities. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every maxillofacial team in our network.
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Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeons with high orthognathic volume, operating in hospitals with overnight and HDU cover
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Genuine joint clinics with a specialist orthodontist - one team, one plan, from records to retainers
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Virtual surgical planning with 3D imaging as standard, so you see the predicted result before committing
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Honest counselling on nerve recovery, relapse risk and the 18–24-month total timeline - before you consent, not after
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
Orthognathic surgery is safe and well-established in experienced hands. The things worth planning are the swelling, the six-week soft diet, and the lip-and-chin numbness that deserves an honest conversation.
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GA in a proper hospital, 1–2 nights in
Orthognathic surgery is major elective surgery under general anaesthetic. One to two nights in hospital is standard; bimaxillary cases occasionally need a third.
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Your jaw is not wired shut
Modern fixation uses small titanium plates and screws, so you can open your mouth from day one. Light elastics often guide the new bite for a few weeks - that is guidance, not wiring.
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Numb lip and chin - common, sometimes lasting
The nerve that supplies the lower lip and chin runs through the BSSO cut. Numbness is near-universal at first; most feeling returns over 3–12 months, but around 10–30 percent of patients keep some permanent altered sensation.
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Swelling is dramatic, then slow to finish
Expect a very swollen face for the first fortnight. Around 80 percent of swelling goes by six weeks, but the final facial shape takes 3–6 months to emerge. Plan photographs - and big events - accordingly.
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Six weeks of soft diet
The bone cuts heal like fractures. Liquids for the first days, then a no-chew soft diet for about six weeks. Most patients lose a few kilograms; we plan nutrition up front.
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Bleeding, infection and hardware
Significant bleeding and infection are uncommon and treatable. Plates and screws usually stay for life; a small minority need a plate removed later for infection or irritation.
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Relapse and the retainer contract
Small settling movements are normal; meaningful relapse is uncommon with modern fixation but rises with larger movements. Wearing retainers as instructed is non-negotiable.
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Time off work and sport
Most people take 2–3 weeks off work or study, avoid exertion for four weeks, and contact sport for three months. Speech is temporarily thick while swelling settles.
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Red flags after surgery
Heavy bleeding, fever, spreading facial redness, worsening rather than settling pain, or difficulty breathing needs the on-call maxillofacial team or A&E, not a routine call.
Reading your operation note
Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever combination was done - Le Fort I, BSSO, genioplasty or bimaxillary - the note the surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Surgical language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the operation note, the elastic-wear instructions and the finishing-orthodontics plan before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Diagnosis, movements and fixation
The skeletal diagnosis, which osteotomies were done, exactly how many millimetres each jaw moved and in which direction, and the plates and screws used.
- 02 Technique
Approach, guides and nerve handling
Confirmation the cuts were made from inside the mouth, whether patient-specific guides and custom plates were used, and how the inferior alveolar nerves were identified and protected.
- 03 Findings
The bite achieved on the table
How the final occlusion matched the virtual plan, whether elastics were placed, and anything unexpected - an unfavourable split, a segment adjusted - and how it was managed.
- 04 Impression
Diet, elastics, orthodontics, review dates
Read this first: the soft-diet timeline, elastic-wear instructions, when finishing orthodontics resumes, and the review schedule through to retainers.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Orthognathic surgery is sometimes covered when there is a clear functional indication, but cosmetic-only cases are not - and most policies exclude the orthodontic phase entirely. We confirm exactly what your policy covers before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about jaw surgery.
Quick answers on wiring, numbness, the two-year timeline, cost, the NHS route and sleep apnoea.
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What actually happens in orthognathic surgery?
Under general anaesthetic, the surgeon makes cuts through the jaw bone from inside the mouth - a Le Fort I osteotomy for the upper jaw, a bilateral sagittal split for the lower - moves the jaw into the planned position and fixes it with small titanium plates and screws. There are no visible facial scars. A genioplasty can reposition the chin at the same time. The operation takes two to five hours depending on whether one or both jaws are moved.
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Will my jaw be wired shut?
No. Wiring the jaws together belongs to a previous era. Modern plate-and-screw fixation is rigid enough that you can open your mouth from the first day, and most patients wear only light guiding elastics for a few weeks. You will be on liquids and then a soft diet while the bone heals, but you can speak, drink and open your mouth throughout.
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How long does the whole process take?
Plan for 18–24 months end to end. Pre-surgical orthodontics takes roughly 12–18 months, the operation itself is a single admission of one to two nights, and finishing orthodontics runs another three to nine months before retainers. In selected cases a surgery-first approach shortens this - the joint clinic will tell you if your bite pattern qualifies.
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Will my lip and chin be numb?
Almost certainly at first - the nerve supplying the lower lip and chin runs directly through the lower-jaw cut. Sensation usually recovers over three to twelve months, but you should consent knowing that roughly 10–30 percent of patients keep some permanent altered feeling in the lip or chin. It rarely affects movement or appearance, but it is the honest headline risk of this surgery.
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How much does orthognathic surgery cost privately in the UK?
Roughly £8,000–£15,000 for single-jaw surgery and £15,000–£30,000 for bimaxillary, covering the surgeon, anaesthetist and hospital stay. Budget a further £4,000–£8,000 for the specialist orthodontics either side of surgery, and £200–£400 for the initial joint consultation. We confirm a firm all-in figure across two or three teams within one working day.
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Can I get jaw surgery on the NHS?
Yes - the NHS funds orthognathic surgery where there is a functional need: a significant skeletal discrepancy affecting eating, speech or the airway, usually assessed against IOTN criteria. Purely cosmetic cases are not funded. The trade-off is time: combined orthodontic–surgical pathways commonly run several years from referral to completion, which is why many patients with a genuine functional problem still choose to go privately.
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Can it treat my sleep apnoea?
Maxillomandibular advancement - moving both jaws forward - enlarges the airway behind the tongue and soft palate and is one of the most effective operations for obstructive sleep apnoea, with success rates well above other airway surgery. It is typically considered when CPAP has failed or cannot be tolerated, and always after a formal sleep study. It is major surgery, so the decision is made jointly with your sleep physician.
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What will I look like afterwards?
Virtual surgical planning means you see a prediction of your new profile before you commit, and custom guides transfer that plan to theatre accurately. Expect a very swollen face for the first two weeks; around 80 percent of the swelling resolves by six weeks, and the final result emerges over three to six months. Most patients describe the change as looking like themselves, in better proportion - dramatic transformations are neither the aim nor the norm.
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