Treatment demand, patient's self-esteem and

main expectation from orthognathic surgery in Saudi

patients with dentofacial deformity

Ahmed A. Al-Deaij, BDS, MSc
Dental Department, King Fahd Security College, Riyadh,  KSA

The aims of this study were: first, to determine treatment demand and factors that affect the decision of a Saudi patient with dentofacial deformity to undergo orthognathic surgery; second, to determine patient's self-esteem and main expectation from orthognathic surgery; third, to determine educational level, gender and age distribution in Saudi patients with dentofacial deformity. The study sample included all 115 Saudi patients that were screened and assigned for orthognathic surgery at the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh during the period from 1997 to 1999. The collected data of the present sample were obtained from distributed questionnaire. Chi-square test was used for data analysis. Most individuals in the investigated sample were single and at a higher educational level with mean age of 21.4 years ±0.7. Improvement of facial appearance was a major expectation from surgical outcome (70.4%). Teasing and criticism from others were the main reasons for seeking treatment, which adversely affected patient self-esteem. Self-motivation was the main factor for patient's decision to undergo orthognathic surgery. Saudi female and male patients showed relatively similar demand and self-motivation for orthognathic surgery. There was positive correlation between high educational level and treatment demand for orthognathic surgery. Furthermore, among the different classification of dentofacial deformity, patients with skeletal Class III expressed higher demand than others.

Saudi Dental Journal 2005;17(2):101-107.