Surgery-First Orthodontic Management

Book excerpt: This book is a comprehensive guide to the surgery-first orthognathic approach (SFOA), which overcomes the problem of the very prolonged treatment period associated with conventional orthognathic surgery by avoiding the presurgical phase. The shorter duration of the treatment is due to a phenomenon triggered by the surgery, termed the regional acceleratory phenomenon, whereby higher osteoclastic activity and metabolic changes at the dentoalveolar level accelerate postoperative orthodontic tooth movement. In this book, readers will find in-depth discussion of integration of the basic biological principles of SFOA with sound biomechanical doctrines. The authors’ own treatment protocol for surgical and orthodontic management is fully explained. Diagnosis and treatment plans are presented for various skeletal maxillofacial deformities, and key considerations in pre- and postsurgical patient care are highlighted. Detailed attention is given to complication management and to the impact of recent advances such as 3D image integration, virtual surgical planning, and rapid prototyping of surgical wafers. This richly illustrated book will be an ideal resource and quick reference guide for orthodontists at all levels of experience.