title: Postsurgical Orthodontic Treatment Planning: a Case Report with 20 Years Follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditionally, maxillofacial deformities are corrected surgically after an initial orthodontic treatment phase. However in, this article, the authors emphasize the postsurgical therapeutic protocol which is extremely important for determining the final and permanent retention of the corrected occlusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 55 year old female with severe skeletal Class II malocclusion is presented. Combined surgical and orthodontic correction of the malocclusion was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : The step-by-step procedure the authors followed for the postsurgical therapy is described. The goals of the postoperative therapy were to restore and rehabilitate neuromuscular function, obtain occlusal stabilization, grind teeth selectively, and final occlusion retention. The importance of a surgical occlusal splint for rehabilitating stomatognathic neuromuscular function postoperatively was demonstrated. Furthermore, the orthodontic-prosthodontic treatment ensured occlusion stability after the surgical correction. The long-term results confirmed the efficacy of the treatment protocol presented here from both functional and aesthetical perspectives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postsurgical orthodontic treatment is an important step in the surgical and orthodontic therapy of maxillofacial deformities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan Italy.
authors.forename: Giampietro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farronato
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Garagiola
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan Italy.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cressoni
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont Novara Novara Italy.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mortellaro
keywords: correctiveorthodontics; dental occlusion; malocclusion; maxillofacial orthognathic surgery; occlusal splints; orthognathic surgical procedures.