I have a few friends who have had corrective jaw surgery. It does make them look like a whole new person, but I’m not sure if it is a must-have procedure for medical reasons.
It is medically necessary. When the bite isn’t aligned right a person can end up with TMJ to the point of arthritis and massive migraines.
At one point one of daughter’s jaw joints swelled so much that it actually changed her face shape for months. She had to go on a liquid diet and wear a spacer for two weeks just to let the joint recover.
If you don’t have a good bite it is medically good. A bad bite will plague you all your life.
She didn't appear in public for over a year while it healed ~
I don't think she admits it yet but it's pretty obvious.
Girl I went to high school with had exactly the same problem ~ once you hit your early 20s you can do the surgery if you can afford it.
The Palin girl could very well have had some "ill fitting" teeth ~ that distorted her bite. This is exceedingly common in some ethnic groups and with mixed race folks.
Not to be ridiculed.
It is not a must have. My parents chose not allow the surgery even though it was recommended by every dentist and orthodontist I saw until my wisdom teeth came out about age 24. My current dentist has told me that everything is fine and the biggest reason, pockets in gums, don’t exist.