Orthognathic Surgery – Orthognathic surgery and Orthodontics guided by 3D craniofacial diagnosis

Vol. 14 – Number 55 – 2021 Orthognathic Surgery Page 32-44 Orthognathic surgery and Orthodontics guided by 3D craniofacial diagnosis Luiz Felipe Rossi Tassara¹ Franciele Orlando² With this article, we want to lead you to reflect on how our diagnosis and treatment decision directly affects the quality of life, stability and longevity of the treatment we perform on our patients. Making a proper diagnosis today will impact the outcome of the treatment tomorrow. Therefore, diagnosis is the key to treatment success, regardless of the technique or philosophy used to perform the orthodontic and surgical treatment. We invite you to climb a mountain, the mountain of orthodontic surgical treatment. Let’s imagine that we are at the base of the mountain and that the base is the 2D diagnosis that we have been using for 90 years. When we are at the base of the mountain we have a limited vision and cannot see the horizon, we have overlapping of anatomical structures, we transform three-dimensional curved structures into two-dimensional images, we have image distortions, magnification errors, and thus we may have dubious interpretations to evaluate craniofacial structures, distinguish the origin and magnitude of the problem for a proper diagnosis. Consequently, our view of the patient is limited. Imagine yourself now looking beyond what your eyes are used to seeing, glimpsing the enchantment of being on top of this mountain. So now we invite you to begin the process of climbing that mountain, the process of beginning surgical orthodontic treatment. The destination – our mountaintop – is as important as the way we will perform the climb, that is, the 3D craniofacial diagnosis that is the mountaintop is as important as the technique (wires, brackets, orthodontic philosophy or orthognathic surgery) we will use during this climb. And when you reach the top, you will be amazed at the bigger picture and how much it will impact your life and the lives of your patients. ¹ Residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology – PUCBH, MSc in Orthodontics – UMESP, Professor of Orthognathic Surgery and TMJ Surgery – Simetrium, Coordinator of the CTBMF Improvement Course – Odontocenter. ² PhD candidate in Orthodontics – SL Mandic, MSc in Orthodontics – UMESP – SP, Specialist in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry – PF-RS, Professor of Orthodontics – Simetrium. DOI: 10.24077/2021;1455-3244