Evaluation of social appearance concerns and satisfaction after orthognathic surgery

The main aim of orthognathic surgery is to provide a good occlusion and masticatory function and to achieve positive changes in facial aesthetics. The aim of this study was to determine the reasons behind patients' acceptance of orthognathic surgery and their expectations from this treatment, to assess whether their expectations were met, the change in their self-confidence and their satisfaction, and finally, to use the results obtained to inform future surgical procedures to increase patient satisfaction. The study was designed as a cross-sectional observational study and included 73 people treated with orthognathic surgery (surgery group) and 42 people with minimal crowding who did not require treatment (control group). The study found that the primary reason for requesting orthognathic surgery was to improve facial appearance and that patients had high expectations in this regard. Using the Social Appearance Anxiety Questionnaire and the Expectation and Satisfaction Questionnaire, 73.97 % of patients in our study said the treatment met their expectations and 90.41 % said they were satisfied with the overall results of the surgery. The study also highlighted the importance of surgeon-patient communication and the satisfaction of the patient's environment with the final result in determining patient satisfaction. In conclusion, since patients' high expectations of orthognathic surgery influence treatment success and patient satisfaction, it is important to know and manage patients' expectations before treatment and to have good patient-surgeon communication to increase patient satisfaction after surgery.