Presurgical orthodontic planning: Predictability

The success of orthognathic surgery depends upon the anatomical details of the patient, the direction and extent of the necessary displacement, the experience of the surgical and orthodontic team, and the precision of presurgical orthodontic planning. The authors describe an experimental protocol to optimize presurgical orthodontic planning by the study of linear and rotational discrepancies of skeletal structures. Rotational changes of the skeletal structures can result in an overestimation or underestimation of linear discrepancies. Moreover, teeth can interfere with rotational movements, complicating presurgical planning. The study sample was a group of 20 adult patients, 7 males and 13 females. The inclusion criterion was adult patients who required correction of skeletal asymmetric class II or III malocclusion by osteotomy. Movements in the horizontal, frontal, and midsagittal planes can be simulated and measured through model surgery after diagnostic wax-up of the orthodontic treatment objective. Orthodontic presur-gical preparation can be verified through the use of an occlusal splint, which represents a reliable guide during orthodontic preparation. The presurgical orthodontic phase can be obtained in less time and with more accuracy using this treatment planning method and indirect bonding of the orthodontic appliances.