Victor Vlad Costan, Ana-Maria Andreea Simionescu, Otilia Boisteanu, Bogdan Dragomir, Daniel Olteanu, Irina Zetu
ABSTRACT
The conventional approach for orthognathic surgery, still valid today and widely adopted, begins with an orthodontic, preparatory stage. This stage is the most criticized and the most difficult for the patients, presenting significant disadvantages: long treatment duration, aesthetic harm by increasing facial disharmony, functional impairment and a constant background marked by painful phenomena caused by dental movements. In striking contrast, the patient’s major motivation relies on aesthetic benefit, including multiple psychological and social dimensions, all converging towards quality of life improvement. The need to optimally solve these challenges and to focus on patient’s chief complaint has given rise to a new approach which modifies the conventional protocol by carrying out the surgery before orthodontic treatment – “Surgery First Approach”.