Impact of Orthosurgical Treatment Phases on Oral Health-related Quality of Life

Introduction: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the impact of the orthosurgical treatment phases on the oral health-related and condition-specific quality of life (QoL) of patients with dentofacial deformities.

Methods: Two hundred fifty-four orthognathic patients were allocated into 4 groups according to treatment phase: initial (not yet treated), presurgical orthodontics, postsurgical orthodontics, and retention. Data were collected using the Oral Health Impact Profile to evaluate the oral health-related QoL, the Orthognathic QoL Questionnaire to analyze the condition-specific QoL, and the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need to assess malocclusion severity and esthetic impairment. Specific malocclusion characteristics were also documented.

Results: A negative binomial regression analysis showed that the initial group had a more negative oral health-related QoL than did the postsurgical, presurgical, and retention groups (relative risks, 1, 0.79, 0.74 and 0.25, respectively). The initial group had a more negative condition-specific QoL than did the presurgical, postsurgical, and retention groups (relative risks, 1, 0.77, 0.38 and 0.15, respectively) regardless of age, income, or education; women reported greater negative impacts than men. Certain occlusal traits were related to higher Orthognathic QoL Questionnaire scores (P <0.01).

Conclusions: Patients who completed their orthosurgical treatment had a significantly better oral health-related QoL and a more positive esthetic self-perception than did those undergoing treatment and those who were untreated. Crowding, crossbite, open bite, concave profile, edge-to-edge overjet, or Class III malocclusion negatively affected oral health-related QoL.