Orthognathic surgery has the role of repositioning and resizing the maxillary bones to correct severe dento-maxillary anomalies, in association with orthodontic treatment, with the restoration of normal occlusal relationships and the considerable improvement of facial aesthetics.
What should be the main reason why patients with such severe dento-maxillary anomalies turn to the orthodontist and oro-maxillofacial surgeon: the fact that they have a masticatory dysfunction or that the facial aesthetics are seriously disturbed? From the first presentation to the orthodontist, the facial appearance is the central element of dissatisfaction of patients with such serious anomalies. In these cases, the orthodontist has the obligation to explain to the patients the need for interdisciplinary collaboration with the oro-maxillofacial surgeon and sometimes even with a prosthodontist, for a desired aesthetic and functional result.
Thus, the modification of facial contours by repositioning the maxillo-mandibular complex, restoring facial symmetry and obviously the masticatory function, through specific techniques of orthognathic surgery, results in a significant improvement of facial harmony. So, the great challenge of the oro-maxillo-facial surgeon in the treatment of this pathology is not only to restore the masticatory function but to obtain an attractive facial harmony, in most cases the main reason for the patients’ expectations and satisfaction.