Orthognathic Surgery in Thailand Your guide to cost, top dentists & hospitals

Our partner hospitals, including JCI-accredited institutions with dedicated maxillofacial departments, have operating theatres equipped for orthognathic surgery, in-house 3D planning suites, and post-operative care units with experienced nursing staff. These are not clinics; they are full-scale hospitals that handle complications in-house.

Our partner surgeons are board-certified by the Thai Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Many have trained internationally (fellowships in South Korea, Japan, or the US) and returned to Thailand where surgical volume is high. The combination of international training and high case volume produces reliable, consistent outcomes.

Board certification in oral and maxillofacial surgery is non-negotiable. Ask specifically about their orthognathic case volume and whether they use 3D virtual surgical planning with custom guides. Review before-and-after photos of cases similar to yours: same jaw problem, similar skeletal type. A surgeon who walks you through the virtual plan on screen is one who takes precision seriously.

The bite aligns properly, the facial profile balances, and functional problems resolve. Patients with severe underbite see the lower jaw brought back into harmony. Those with receding chins gain projection and proportion. Sleep apnoea patients experience measurable airway improvement. The changes are skeletal and permanent. The jaws do not move back.

Visible improvement emerges as swelling resolves over the first three months. The final facial shape is apparent by six months. Bite alignment is typically excellent from the immediate post-operative period, with orthodontic fine-tuning completing the detail. The combination of functional improvement and facial balance is what makes this procedure genuinely transformative for patients who have lived with severe malocclusion.

Orthognathic surgery in Thailand typically costs between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on whether one or both jaws are involved and the complexity of the case. Single-jaw procedures sit at the lower end. Bimaxillary osteotomy with virtual surgical planning sits at the higher end. The price includes the surgeon's fee, hospital stay, anaesthesia, and fixation hardware.

The total cost covers the maxillofacial surgeon's fee, general anaesthesia, hospital stay with nursing care, 3D imaging and virtual surgical planning, custom cutting guides and pre-bent plates, titanium fixation hardware, post-operative medications, and follow-up appointments. Pre-surgical orthodontic treatment is separate and typically completed at home.

The main variables are single-jaw versus bimaxillary surgery, the complexity of the virtual surgical plan, and the hospital chosen. Bimaxillary surgery costs more because it is a longer operation involving two jaw segments. Cases requiring segmental osteotomy or genioplasty (chin surgery) alongside the main procedure add to the total.

Orthognathic surgery in Thailand costs 60–80% less than the same procedures in the US ($15,000–$30,000), Australia (A$14,000–A$27,500), and UK (£12,500–£25,000). Even after adding flights, accommodation, and a three-week stay, patients typically save $10,000–$20,000 on a bimaxillary case.

The main alternative to jaw surgery is orthodontic camouflage: using braces or clear aligners on their own to tilt the teeth and disguise a mild skeletal discrepancy without moving the jaws. For a small overbite or underbite, this can deliver a good bite and a result that holds, with no surgery, no general anaesthetic, and no hospital stay.

What it cannot do is change where the jaw bones actually sit. Orthodontics moves teeth, not the skeleton, so it does not correct a protruding or receding jaw, restore facial balance in profile, or open a restricted airway. Pushed too far on a genuine skeletal case, camouflage can leave teeth over-tilted and unstable, and any aesthetic improvement is limited to the smile rather than the jawline.

When imaging confirms the discrepancy sits in the bone rather than the teeth, as covered earlier on this page, orthognathic surgery is the route that lastingly corrects the bite, the profile, and the airway together. Braces still play a part either side of it, but the jaws themselves can only be repositioned surgically, and that is what the rest of this page covers.

Plan to stay in Thailand for at least two to three weeks after jaw surgery. Swelling is significant in the first week, and your surgeon needs to monitor bone stability, wound healing, and jaw function through several follow-up appointments before clearing you to fly. Cabin pressure is not a concern, but you need to be well enough to manage a long flight comfortably.

You will be on a liquid-only diet for the first two weeks while the jaw heals in its new position, progressing to soft blended foods over weeks three to six². Chewing resumes gradually as your surgeon confirms bone stability, typically around six to eight weeks post-surgery. Full, unrestricted eating usually returns within three to four months.

The jaw is repositioned during surgery, so the structural change is immediate: but swelling obscures the result for the first several weeks. Most swelling resolves by three months, giving a clear sense of the new profile. Final soft-tissue settling and full functional adaptation take six to twelve months.

Orthognathic surgery is always performed under general anaesthesia, so you are fully asleep and feel nothing during the operation.^1,2 Because the surgeon works inside the mouth and repositions the jaw bones, a breathing tube is used to keep the airway protected throughout. A consultant anaesthetist stays with you for the whole procedure and monitors you continuously, which is standard at the JCI-accredited hospitals we work with.

This is hospital surgery, not a dental-clinic procedure, so before you are cleared you have a full pre-operative assessment: blood tests, a review of your medical history and any medication, and the cone-beam imaging that already forms part of your surgical plan. Your anaesthetist confirms you are fit for a general anaesthetic and a two to three night hospital stay before the date is set.

You feel nothing while the jaws are moved and fixed. When you wake, discomfort is controlled with IV pain relief in hospital and oral medication once you are back at your hotel. Most patients find the swelling, numbness, and weeks of liquid and soft food harder to live with than actual pain, which is usually well managed throughout recovery.

Yes, when performed at a JCI-accredited hospital by a board-certified maxillofacial surgeon with 3D virtual planning. Our partner hospitals maintain the same surgical standards, infection-control protocols, and anaesthesia monitoring as leading centres in the US, UK, and Australia. They have ICU backup and handle orthognathic cases regularly.

Choose a JCI-accredited hospital with a dedicated maxillofacial unit, not a dental clinic. Verify your surgeon is board-certified in oral and maxillofacial surgery specifically. Confirm that 3D virtual surgical planning with custom guides is part of the surgical protocol. Complete your pre-surgical orthodontic preparation thoroughly before travelling: cutting this short compromises the bite result.

Temporary numbness of the lower lip and chin is the most common side effect of lower jaw surgery. Some altered sensation affects roughly 70 to 90 percent of patients in the early weeks, because the inferior alveolar nerve runs through the bone that is cut. In the vast majority of cases, sensation returns fully within three to six months. Permanent numbness is uncommon, affecting roughly 1 to 5 percent of patients with experienced surgeons and proper technique.

Plan for 14–21 days. This covers pre-operative imaging and consultation, two to three nights in hospital after surgery, and multiple follow-up appointments to monitor healing, adjust elastic bands, and confirm you are safe to fly home. A longer stay gives more recovery time and greater confidence before a long-haul flight.

Your care coordinator manages hospital booking, surgeon communication, pre-operative scheduling, and all post-operative follow-up. The surgical quote covers the surgeon's fee, anaesthesia, hospital stay, 3D planning and custom hardware, titanium plates, post-operative medications, and follow-up appointments. Flights, accommodation, and pre-surgical orthodontics are separate.

The first week is dedicated to recovery: hospital stay followed by rest at your hotel near the hospital. Swelling peaks around day three and then progressively improves. By week two, most patients manage short outings. Staying close to the hospital for the full duration is important because follow-up visits are frequent and your surgeon needs access to you if anything requires attention.