The Impact of Preoperative Negative Overjet Amount on Postoperative Patient Satisfaction and Quality of Life in Orthognathic Surgery Patients with Skeletal Class III Malocclusion

Objective: Orthognathic surgery is a procedure performed to correct dentofacial deformities. Patient satisfaction depends on the success of the surgery, the patient’s expectations, and psychological factors. The aim of the study was to evaluate the aesthetic and functional satisfaction of patients with class III skeletal malocclusion who underwent orthognathic surgery by using the orthognathic quality of life questionnaire (OQLQ) and the effect of the change in preoperative negative overjet amount on quality of life. Methods: Patients with class III dentofacial deformities who underwent orthognathic surgery at Bezmialem Vakıf University Faculty of Dentistry in 2022-2023 were included in the study. The patients were requested to complete the OQLQ online. The negative overjet amount of the patients was measured on three-dimensional models in the virtual surgical planning software (NemoFab). The intersection length of the most anterior points of the incisal edges of the maxillary and mandibular incisal teeth was measured. The correlation between the survey scores and the measurements was evaluated statistically. Results: Sixty three patients (39 female, 24 male) were included in the study. The mean age was 25.7 years, and the mean negative overjet was 6.47 mm (minimum 1.15 mm, maximum 16 mm). Only in the 14th survey question “I am ashamed of the appearance of my face”, was a statistically significant correlation observed (p=-0.259). No statistically significant correlation was found between the severity of the patient’s deformity and patient satisfaction, concern about the social aspects of the deformity, oral function, or awareness of facial deformity (p>0.05). Conclusion: It was found that the amount of preoperative negative overjet was positively correlated with the feeling of embarrassment about the facial appearance after surgery. The results indicated that patients reported lower scores in oral function and facial aesthetics following the surgery, emphasizing the importance of orthognathic surgery for both functional improvement and aesthetic enhancement. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the impact of orthognathic surgery on patients’ quality of life increases in direct relation to the severity of malocclusion.