Life-quality of orthognathic surgery patients: The search for an integral diagnosis

Abstract

The decision on whether starting an orthosurgical treatment depends on the negative esthetic, functional and social impact the dentofacial deformity has on the quality of life of each patient. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the importance of assessing the quality of life of these individuals by means of applying specific questionnaires before treatment onset in order to increase the success rate of orthosurgical treatment. These questionnaires assess not only the esthetic factor, but also the functional conditions that may be affected as well as the psychological issues related to self-esteem and sociability, all of which must be assessed in order to enable the development of an individual treatment plan that meets patient's expectations. Thus, a more predictable level of satisfaction can be achieved at treatment completion, not only from a normative standpoint stated by professionals, but also from a subjective standpoint stated by patients. Although not enough comparable data is available in the literature for us to assess the extent of improvements produced by orthosurgical treatment, a few recent reports conducted by different universities around the world reveal a good response from the majority of patients after surgery, demonstrating great satisfaction with regard to esthetic, functional and psychosocial factors. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the current objective of orthodontic treatment associated with orthognathic surgery consists not only in treating the esthetic functional components of dentofacial deformities, but also in considering patients' psychological factor.

Quality of life after orthognathic surgery: a case report

“…We also observed that specific instruments of quality of life assessment had a better association with each other than generic instruments, which, according to the author, could reinforce the greater discriminatory power of specific instruments 29 . Conversely, changes in the quality of life of patients with DDF using the OHIP-14 and OQLQ protocols were reported by a study 25 , and there were no significant differences between the scores of both protocols. However, the authors recommended OQLQ for orthopedic patients.…”

“…The protocols OHIP-14 and OQLQ were used to evaluate the QoL of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery, and it was concluded that it is important to evaluate aspects related to the QoL of these patients for the success of the treatment 25 .…”

Evaluation of quality of life in Chilean patients with orthognathic surgery. A cohort study.

“…This increase can be observed in aspects such as facial aesthetics, oral function and social interaction, the latter being the most relevant. 4,7,8 However, studies suggest that in some cases patients may overestimate postsurgical results. A new facial appearance could give patients unrealistic expectations regarding the goals of the treatment, such as success in professional or marital relationships.…”

“…A new facial appearance could give patients unrealistic expectations regarding the goals of the treatment, such as success in professional or marital relationships. 7 Evaluation of patients' QoL before and after orthognathic surgery can provide complementary data to the objective assessments of success provided by the health team.…”

Orthognathic Treatment: Patient’s Perspective. A Survey Questionnaire

“…Odzyskanie właściwych proporcji twarzy, a co za tym idzie, jej estetyki, łączy ze sobą aspekt fizjologiczny i psychologiczny [2,[5][6][7][8][9]. Ocena wyniku leczenia w dużej mierze zależy od nastawienia pacjenta oraz sposobu postrzegania swojej wady [3,10].…”