Surgery first approach in orthognathic surgery: An overview

Abstract

The “Surgery-first” approach, defined as a team approach between surgeons and orthodontists for orthognathic surgery without preoperative orthodontic treatment, is aimed at dental decompensation. The surgery first approach provides an alternative treatment protocol in orthognathic surgery cases. The conventional ortho-surgical approach includes preoperative orthodontics which requires 7 to 20 months and will result into temporary worsening of facial profile. Surgery first approach shortens the treatment period and reduces facial profile worsening by addressing skeletal discrepancy first and makes use of the regional acceleratory phenomenon and the natural forces from the soft tissues and helps in greatly reducing the treatment time. This article will provide an overview of the surgical first orthodontic approach.