How Does Jaw Surgery Change Your Nose?
The relationship between upper jaw surgery and the nose is important to understand. Here is what changes.
Upper jaw surgery (maxillary osteotomy) can subtly affect the appearance of your nose because the upper jaw forms the base of the nose. Here is what to expect:
- Common changes:
- Nasal tip β may rotate slightly upward when the upper jaw is moved up or forward
- Nasal width β the base of the nose may widen slightly
- Nostril asymmetry β may improve if the upper jaw was asymmetrical
- Nasal projection β may change slightly with jaw repositioning
- Factors affecting nasal changes:
- Type of upper jaw movement (up, forward, or both)
- Amount of movement
- Existing nasal structure
- Use of alar cinch suture (a technique to control nasal width)
- How surgeons manage this:
- An alar cinch suture is often placed during surgery to control nasal width
- This small stitch narrows the nasal base to prevent widening
- Your surgeon will discuss this technique during planning
- Permanent changes:
- Most nasal changes are permanent
- They are usually subtle and complementary to the facial changes
- In rare cases, patients may want rhinoplasty to refine the result
What Does Not Change
- Nasal bridge shape
- Nasal bone structure
- The overall size of your nose
Clinical Guidance
Upper jaw surgery can cause subtle changes to your nose β the tip may rotate slightly upward and the base may widen. Surgeons use techniques to control these changes. Most patients find the nasal changes complement the overall facial improvement.