Jaw prognathism is a genetic condition where the lower jaw protrudes in front of the upper jaw, causing misalignment of teeth and disfigurement. It is also known as progenism and can be treated with orthognathic surgery. The Habsburg family was famous for having this condition due to intermarriage and consanguinity.
Jaw prognathism is a condition in which the lower jaw protrudes in front of the upper jaw. This results in an extended chin. Jaw prognathism affects humans, but it also occurs in some dog breeds such as boxers and shih tzus. The disorder is also known as progenism.
The condition gets its name from the jawbone, which is the medical term for the lower jaw or jawbone. While the maxilla refers to the fusion of two bones that creates the upper jaw and fixes the upper row of teeth, the mandible is a unit that holds the lower teeth in place. Jaw prognathism causes misalignment of the teeth, a condition known as malocclusion. It also gives some disfigurement to the face. Mandibular prognathism usually occurs when the head of the condyle, which is the part of the posterior projection of the jaw known as the condylar process, grows excessively, with the jaw unable to reach.
Jaw prognathism is classified as a genetic disease. It is sometimes known as a Habsburg jaw, Habsburg lip, or Austrian lip, after a famous family identified with the condition. The Habsburgs were an aristocratic royal house that ruled much of the known world in the forms of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire, and the Spanish Empire for approximately six centuries. Family members were believed to have developed this deformity due to intermarriage and consanguinity that supported the dynasty.
Historians point to Maximilian I as the first recorded Habsburg ruler to endure this mess. A famous member of this family with jaw prognathism is Charles I of Spain, otherwise known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The most severe case of mandibular prognathism recorded in the family’s history, however, was that of Charles II of Spain; his condition was so bad that he could barely chew his food.
In such a dramatic case, a modern person would probably undergo surgery. Called orthognathic surgery, or ramus osteotomy, named after the edge of the bone that articulates with the head of the condyle, the procedure requires a dental surgeon to remove part of the jawbone. This is intended to realign the jaw and items such as screws and plates may be introduced for the application of this purpose. Dental surgeons usually work with orthodontists who will recommend appliances to straighten your teeth before surgery. With the combination of braces and surgery, it is possible to achieve a perfectly aligned jaw and row of teeth.
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