From orthognathic to orthofacial surgery
Within orthodontic surgical treatment, the primary goal of correcting malocclusion has increasingly shifted towards an approach giving equal weight to facial harmony, softtissue support and airway optimization. This has resulted in an expanding usage of the term orthofacial surgery. Consequently, diagnosis and planning are not based primarily on cephalometric norms, but on proportion, projection and balance. 3D virtual planning and simulation have become the gold standard, enabling better assessment of deformities in all dimensions, as well as accurate transfer to surgery. In addition to occlusion, attention should explicitly be paid to harmony of facial features and airway complaints. Orthofacial treatment planning requires extensive facial analysis (frontal and in profile), and should include assessment of projection, symmetry and the outer frame. Adjunctive procedures such as mandibular or chin implants, liposuction, lipofilling, zygomatic augmentation osteotomy, or secondary rhinoplasty can improve results.