Scheduling your orthognathic surgery will take some time. Your dentist, orthodontist and OMS will work together to determine whether you are a candidate for corrective jaw, or orthognathic, surgery. The OMS determines which corrective jaw surgical procedure is appropriate and performs the actual surgery. It is important to understand that your treatment, which will include orthodontics before and after surgery, may take several years to complete. Your OMS and orthodontist understand that this is a long-term commitment for you and your family, and will try to realistically estimate the time required for your treatment. Pre-operative preparations will begin approximately 12 months prior to your anticipated surgery date. Appointments will be made for consultative visits and for any necessary pre-operative records.
Generally speaking, this type of surgery is covered by insurance only in cases of medical necessity such as speech, breathing or eating difficulties, weight loss, and/or sleep apnea. In order to determine whether your insurance company will cover this surgery, we will attempt to pre-authorize the procedure(s) prior to surgery. Pre-authorizing this type of surgery is a challenging process which requires the submission of medical records, professional letters of medical necessity, radiographs and photographs. Pre-Authorization can take anywhere from 15-90 days to complete depending on your insurance company. However, if we may need to file an appeal, that process could take an additional 60 days.
