title: Psychologic implications of orthognathic surgery in patients with skeletal Class II or Class ill malocclusion.
abstract: The psychologic profile of 100 consecutive patients undergoing orthognathic surgery for correction of Class II or Class III malocclusion was monitored in a prospective observational study. Patients and their relatives or friends completed questionnaires about their self-image before surgery, 6 weeks postoperatively, and 6 months postoperatively. Preoperatively, patients with Class III malocclusion felt significantly less attractive (P = .03), had slightly higher attention to physical appearance, and had slightly stronger feelings of insecurity regarding their facial appearance compared with Class II patients. Grading of attractiveness/self-confidence improved significantly in Class III patients at 6 weeks postoperatively (P = .006), while in Class II patients the improvement was less pronounced and only significant at 6 months postoperatively (P = .002). Grading of attractiveness/self-confidence by relatives/friends of patients with Class II and Class III was similar preoperatively, but was significantly higher for Class III patients 6 weeks postoperatively in comparison with Class II patients (P = .048). These data indicate that the psychologic profiles are significantly different between Class II and Class III patients preoperatively and show different dynamics postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, SMZ-Ost Donauspital Wien, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerzanic
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jagsch
authors.forename: Ingeborg M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Watzke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010379:Peer Group; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires