Macrognathy is an abnormal enlargement of the jaw with severe consequences

Macrognathy is a pathological development of the human jaw, as a result of which any of its half is excessively increased in size.

Anomaly is traditionally classified according to which half of the jaw develops correctly and which does not. By this sign, macrognathy happens:

• is the most frequent lower;
• rarer upper;
• mixed.

Causes of development of

Genetic malfunctions lead to the upper form of the anomaly, and this gene is dominant and transmitted from parents to children.

The pathological enlargement of the upper jaw is also associated with shortness of nasal breathing.

Lower macrognathia also develops due to heredity and genetic malfunction. An abnormal increase in the jaw contributes to the pathology of the fetus during pregnancy, excessive growth of the tongue.

Symptomatics and Diagnosis

The peculiarity of the pathology is that the defect has a significant effect on the quality of life of the patient, causing him a range of health problems:

• macrognathia can lead to the development of speech defects;
• the upper type of anomaly causes shortness of breath;
• a person with a pathological development of the jaw worse chewing and ingesting food, which leads to diseases of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
• abnormal development of the jaw causes malocclusion;
• with the lower form of the pathology there are periodontal diseases, very often they lead to tooth loss;
• strongly affects the appearance of a person, in some cases externally making him older than his age;
• disease usually leads to the development of an inferiority complex and other psychological problems.

Diagnostics requires a comprehensive study of the patient's condition:

• studies genetic material;
• examines the face of the patient;
• the doctor checks how teeth are closed;
• jaw models are created including with the purpose to predict the development of pathology;
• X-ray images of the jaw area are made.

What modern medicine offers

This violation is treatable. The choice of specific tactics of therapy depends on the results of diagnosis and features of the patient's condition.

Combination therapy is also possible, including the following tools and methods:

• treatment in the orthodontist, aimed at reducing the growth rate of the jaw, correcting the bite and preventing tooth loss;
• hardware-surgical method involves correction of the jaw shape with surgical instruments and prevention of the repeated development of pathology by hardware;
• joint application of methods of orthognathic surgery and prosthetics makes it possible to fully restore chewing function with lower macrognathy and to relieve the increased load from periodontal disease, for which doctors use braces, dental plates and other orthodontic equipment.

Possible consequences of

In addition to the cosmetic defect and the psychological problems of macrognathia, in the absence of timely correction leads to concomitant health problems:

1. This anomaly seriously worsens the condition of the teeth .Because of malocclusion, they begin to break down, they can fall out due to increased loads on the periodontal, and nerves close to the chewing surface will become a source of painful sensations.
2. Disturbance of the masticatory function of due to abnormal development of the jaw provokes gastritis, peptic ulcer and other problems with the digestive system.
3. If the disease is not treated, the patient may develop migraine and discomfort in the shoulder girdle due to incorrect positioning of the muscles in the neck and increased loads on the muscular tissues of the jaw.

The most important consequence of failure to treat an anomaly will be its further development with a proportional progression of symptoms, so macrognathy should be treated immediately after finding its first symptoms.