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Patients' perceptions and preferences of oral and maxillofacial surgeons in a university dental hospital PurposeThere is a lack of information regarding the dental patient's point of view of oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFSs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceptions and preferences of a group of university dental hospital patients for OMFSs. Materials and methodsThis study was based on patients' self-assessment using a questionnaire. A total of 530 patients were enrolled for the study. The patients' preferences regarding the surgeons' age, gender, religion, race and experience were determined and compared statistically. ResultsA total of 506 questionnaires were considered as complete and used in the analysis. Female patients preferred female practitioner more than male patients did (p=0.002), but no significant difference was found between male and female patients regarding preference for the age (p=0.464), ethnicity (p=0.926) and religion (p=0.261) of the OMFS. The educational status of the patients did not have an effect on the gender preference for the OMFS (p=0.114); however, educational status significantly affected the preferences for the ethnicity and religion of the practitioners (p=0.001). ConclusionToday patient expectations and perceptions take place in post graduate education programs. In this study we determined a wide range of different factors for choosing an OMFS. The diversity of these factors may affect the quality of the health service and thus must be considered in determining the content of oral and maxillofacial curriculum.

Skeletal changes following surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME)Purpose Surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) is a common treatment technique in the correction of maxillary transverse deficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate nasal and palatal skeletal changes following SARME using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and posterior anterior (PA) cephalograms. Materials and MethodsIn this retrospective study, the radiographic images obtained from 14 patients with transverse maxillary deficiency before treatment and 6 months after SARME operations were evaluated. The changes in nasal bone width and palatal bone width were measured on CBCT. The changes in basal maxillary width, nasal cavity width and angular measurements were evaluated on PA cephalograms. ResultsNasal floor width was measured at the levels of upper first premolar teeth and molar teeth which significantly increased following SARME (p=0.005 and 0.017 respectively). Palatal bone width between first premolar teeth and molar teeth also significantly increased (p=0.003 and 0.002 respectively). Basal maxillary width (p=0.026), nasal cavity width (p=0.024) and other angular measurements also significantly increased (p<0.05). ConclusionNasal and palatal skeletal transverse dimensions increased following SARME. Due to the enlargement of the nasal floor and nasal cavity, it is likely to improve air pass through the nose.

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