The Clinical Observership Program: A Valuable Experience for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residents.

PURPOSE: Training during oral and maxillofacial surgery residency must include exposure to the scope of the specialty, but success in practice often requires particular experience and knowledge of complex oral regenerative procedures such as bone grafting and implant surgery, as well as practice management. Osteo Science Foundation created the Clinical Observership Program (COP) in 2017 to provide residents the opportunity to spend several weeks in an established oral and maxillofacial surgery practice to increase experience in these areas. The purpose of this study is to report the results of a survey of all resident participants in the COP from 2017 to 2021 in which participants were asked to rate their experience numerically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an institutional retrospective case series completed via an electronic survey sent to all participants in the COP from 2017 to 2021. The primary outcome is the subjective assessment of the COP based on six questions in which the respondent was asked to rate the program on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best). Categories included: 1) Did the program achieve expectations? 2) Was adequate time spent with the mentor? 3) Did you observe/participate in a variety of procedures? 4) Did the mentor provide additional didactic education? 5) Did you learn about practice management? and 6) How would you rate the overall experience? Descriptive statistics including mean score and standard deviation of each question were calculated, and no other covariates were analyzed. RESULTS: All 55 participants in the COP from 2017 to 2021 were contacted and 55 complete responses were received. The overall mean score for all categories rated by the residents was 9.63, the mean rating for questions 1 to 6 were 9.55, 9.89, 9.21, 9.60, 9.69, and 9.86 respectively, and the range of scores was 7 to 10. CONCLUSION: Overall, residents rated the COP experience highly. This survey indicates that the COP is a valuable supplemental experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery resident education.

Virtual surgical planning for orthognathic surgery using digital data transfer and an intraoral fiducial marker: the charlotte method.

PURPOSE: We describe an alternative workup protocol for virtual surgical planning of orthognathic surgery using an intraoral fiducial marker, clinical photography, and the digital transfer of occlusal data. We also discuss our initial experience using this protocol in a series of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed of consecutive patients who had undergone combined maxillary and mandibular osteotomies for the correction of dentofacial deformities at 1 center. These patients underwent treatment planning using the modified virtual surgical planning protocol described in the present report. The primary outcome evaluated was the accuracy of the method, which was determined through superimposition of the surgical plan to the postoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan. The secondary outcomes included the accuracy of the natural head position readings and the adequacy of the CBCT scanned stone models for the fabrication of occlusal splints. RESULTS: The population included 25 patients. The root mean standard deviation (RMSD) from the preoperative plan to the postoperative scan at the maxillary cephalometric points was 1.2, 1.4, and 2.1 mm in the axial, sagittal, and coronal planes, respectively. The RMSD of the superimposed plan to the postoperative scan at the 3 mandibular cephalometric points was 1.2, 0.8, and 0.7 mm in the axial, sagittal, and coronal planes, respectively. The average variance from the axial, sagittal, and coronal planes for the natural head position was 0.05, 2.22, and 0.69 mm, respectively. All splints fabricated from the CBCT occlusal data fit the stone models and were used intraoperatively. In the subset of patients whose models were both digitally transferred and laser scanned, the superimposition of the laser scan data to the CBCT scanned data was found to have a maximum variation of 0.2 mm at the occlusal level. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an intraoral fiducial marker changed the workflow for the data collection needed for virtual surgical planning of the correction of dentofacial deformities, while still obtaining accurate results. Because the device does not cause lip distortion, the possibility of virtually predicting a more expectant postoperative lip position exists without the need for additional scans. Furthermore, this work flow allows the transfer of data to be isolated to digital media.

Virtual surgical planning in orthognathic surgery.

Computer-aided surgical simulation has greatly enhanced the efficiency and accuracy of orthognathic surgery for correction of dentofacial deformities. Virtual surgical planning (VSP) improves the efficiency of the presurgical work-up and provides an opportunity to illustrate the multidimensional correction at the dental and skeletal level. VSP provides preoperative insight into the surgical intervention and the fabrication of cutting jigs/guides and templates can help decrease intraoperative surgical inaccuracies. VSP is rapidly becoming the standard of care for surgical treatment planning of dentofacial deformities.

Orthognathic surgery in the office setting.

The delivery of care by oral and maxillofacial surgeons is becoming more challenging because of escalating health care costs and limited reimbursement from insurance providers. The changing health care landscape forces surgical practices to be flexible and adaptive to change in order to remain viable. The delivery of surgical services continues to evolve as care traditionally performed in a hospital environment is now routinely achieved in an outpatient setting. Outpatient facilities can aid in controlling the perioperative costs associated with orthognathic surgery. Safe and efficient orthognathic surgery completed in the office can aid in controlling the escalation of health care costs.

Complications in orthognathic surgery: a report of 1,000 cases.

The authors review complications by studying those that occur in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of treatment. One thousand consecutive patients who underwent orthognathic surgery performed by the senior author over a 5-year time period were evaluated. These cases included 337 mandibular osteotomies, 274 maxillary osteotomies, and 389 combined osteotomies. A precise breakdown of the procedures is provided. Reviewing these cases provides a better understanding of the most common complications, management of these situations, and resolution of the complications.

Visible third molars as risk indicator for increased periodontal probing depth.

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between visible third molars and the periodontal status of teeth more anterior in the mouth from reports that included periodontal probing data for all teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each of 4 reports that included periodontal probing data, 6 probing sites for all teeth, including third molars collected by trained, clinician examiners, were briefly summarized. The design, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the 4 studies were compared and summarized. A Forest plot was used to combine the findings from the 4 studies comparing the mean second molar probing depth differences in mm by the presence of at least 1 visible third molar or no visible third molar. RESULTS: A review of the data from 4 reports, 1 from middle-age adults and 3 from young adults, suggested an association between the visible presence of a third molar and increased periodontal probing depths on teeth more anterior in the mouth, predominately the first and second molars. Coupled with the probing depth around the third molars, the result was an expanded surface area at the biofilm-gingival interface. CONCLUSIONS: Although all those with retained third molars are not at increased risk, the summary data we have reported suggest that those with a visible third molar are more likely to have greater periodontal probing depths overall, particularly on second molars, and a greater surface area of the biofilm-gingival interface compared with those with no visible third molar.

Sensory retraining after orthognathic surgery: effect on patient report of altered sensations.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether, over a 2-year period after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy, patients who received facial sensory-retraining exercises with standard opening exercises in the first 6 months after surgery were as likely to report an alteration in facial sensation as those who received standard opening exercises only. METHODS: 186 subjects were enrolled in a multi-center, double-blind, stratified-block, randomized clinical trial with 2 parallel groups. Patient reports of altered sensations were obtained before surgery, and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. A marginal model was fit to examine the effect of sensory retraining while controlling for potential explanatory effects related to demographic, psychological, and clinical factors on the odds of postoperative altered sensations being reported. RESULTS: Age (P <0.0001) and severity of presurgical psychological distress (P <0.0001) were significantly associated with the presence of altered sensations after controlling for the exercise training received. After controlling for age and psychological distress, patients who received opening exercises only were approximately 2.2 times more likely to report postoperative altered sensations than those who also received sensory-retraining exercises (P <0.03). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a simple noninvasive exercise program started shortly after orthognathic surgery can lessen the likelihood that a patient will report altered sensations in the long term after orthognathic surgery.

Safe, efficient, and cost-effective orthognathic surgery in the outpatient setting.

There has been a dramatic decline in the number of orthognathic surgery cases over the past 15 to 20 years. This decrease is a result of several compounding factors including decreasing coverage by major medical insurance companies and increasing health care costs. The difficulty associated with making orthognathic surgery financially practical has turned the interest of many oral and maxillofacial surgeons away from orthognathic procedures. The combination of these factors has resulted in decreased availability of surgeons participating in the correction of dentofacial deformities and has forced orthodontists and patients, without surgical correction as an option, to settle for less-than-ideal treatment results. To reverse this trend and make surgery more affordable and available, surgeons must work to make surgical treatment more acceptable to patients. This can be accomplished in several ways. First, the oral and maxillofacial surgery profession must reinforce the importance and value of orthognathic surgery to insurance providers, patients, and referring clinicians, as well as to surgeons within our own specialty. Alternative methods for providing high-quality surgical services at a reasonable cost must be explored including providing options for cost-effective outpatient surgical care, making better arrangements for financial assistance, and exploring options to obtain coverage from third-party providers. Outpatient surgery in facilities that can substantially reduce cost can be an effective way of providing quality treatment that is affordable to patients. Efficient, safe, and effective outpatient orthognathic surgery will help patients benefit from this valuable service.

Sensory retraining after orthognathic surgery: effect on patients' perception of altered sensation.

PURPOSE: The primary research hypothesis was that the magnitude and duration of the perceived burden from altered sensation reported by patients after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy and trauma to the third division of the trigeminal nerve are decreased when facial sensory retraining exercises are performed in conjunction with standard opening exercises as compared with standard opening exercises alone. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 186 subjects were enrolled in a multicenter, double-blind, 2 parallel group-stratified block randomized clinical trial. Oral and facial pain, unusual sensations, numbness, and loss of sensitivity were scored from "no problem" to "serious problem" before surgery and 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. A proportional odds model for the ordered multinomial response was used to compare the responses of the 2 exercise groups. RESULTS: The 2 exercise groups did not differ significantly at any postsurgical time in terms of perceived problem level from intraoral of facial pain. The difference between the 2 groups at each visit was not statistically significant for unusual sensations, although the trend was for the sensory retraining group to have a higher likelihood of reporting fewer problems. By 6 months, the likelihood of a subject reporting lower problem or interference level related to numbness or decreased lip sensitivity was significantly higher in the sensory-retraining group, approximately twice that of the opening exercise-only group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the premise that a simple noninvasive exercise program initiated shortly after orthognathic surgery can lessen the objectionable impression of negative altered sensations.

Relationship between patients' perceptions of postsurgical sequelae and altered sensations after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy.

PURPOSE: Following orthognathic surgery, patients use qualitatively different words to describe altered sensation on their face. These words indicate normal, hypoesthetic, paresthetic, or dysesthetic sensations and so reflect the intrusiveness of the altered sensation. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the intrusiveness of the altered sensation and the extent to which it and the associated impairment in facial function were perceived to be a problem in the lives of the patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-six patients who had a mandibular osteotomy with or without a maxillary procedure were included. Word choice data were obtained during patients' assessment of spontaneous and evoked facial sensations before surgery and at 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery and the difficulty or problem levels associated with the altered sensation itself (PAS) and facial functions or oral behaviors in every day life (PAF) were obtained from validated questionnaires. Stratified-by-subject repeated measures Mantel Haenszel correlation statistics were calculated to assess the associations between the intrusiveness of the altered sensation and the problem levels associated with the altered sensation and with the facial functions. RESULTS: On average, the perception of the difficulty with each of the PAS and PAF items decreased from 1 week to 6 months after surgery (all P values < .0001). Patients reported more difficulty in every day life related to the effect of the altered sensations than they did related to the effect on facial functions. The correlations of the intrusiveness of the altered sensation and problems with altered sensations (PAS) were stronger overall and at each visit than the correlations with problems of altered facial function (PAF). Although the correlation coefficients tended to increase in value from 1 week to 6 months postsurgery for the PAF items, the increase was proportionately greater for the PAS items. CONCLUSIONS: The difficulties in everyday life perceived by patients following orthognathic surgery caused by altered sensations and, to a lesser extent, altered facial function are positively related to the type of altered sensation experienced. The extent of the difficulty follows the intrusiveness level: patients whose sensations are uncomfortable or painful report the most difficulty followed by those who experience nonpainful sensations that are not normally present (ie, positive symptoms), then those who experience only a simple loss in sensation (ie, negative symptoms). Subjective difficulty with altered sensation reflects, in part, its qualitative nature; whereas subjective difficulty with function may reflect the extent of loss in sensory innervation.

Qualitative descriptors used by patients following orthognathic surgery to portray altered sensation.

PURPOSE: Following orthognathic surgery, patients use qualitatively different words to describe the altered sensation on their face that results from tissue inflammation and nerve injury. These words indicate normal, hypoesthetic, paresthetic, and dysesthetic sensations, and reflect the intrusiveness of the alteration. Our intent was to study the words chosen by patients from a standardized list to characterize sensory recovery during the first 6 months after surgery and to examine whether patients who underwent different surgical procedures tended to choose different sets of words. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients' selections from a list of 27 words that described their assessment of spontaneous and evoked facial sensations were obtained before surgery and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. Data were obtained from 146 patients enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the potential of sensory retraining in the rehabilitation of patients who experience impairment in sensory function after nerve injury. Mantel Haenszel general correlation and row mean score statistics were used to assess the association between time and word choice and to compare the word choice categories of 4 surgical groups: bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) only, with or without genioplasty; BSSO + Le Fort I, with or without genioplasty. RESULTS: In general, the number of words selected to describe the alteration in sensation decreased over time, as did the intrusiveness of the category of words chosen. However, the intrusiveness remained the same or worsened from 1 week to 6 months for 32% of patients. With increased time after surgery, the percentage of patients who reported altered evoked sensations exceeded the percentage who reported spontaneous sensations. For example, at 6 months the altered sensation of 66% of the patients was classified in the paresthesia and dysesthesia categories by the evoked assessment of sensation; whereas, that of only 47% of the patients were classified as such by the spontaneous assessment. The addition of Le Fort I to BSSO did not affect the way patients reported altered sensation on their lower face. Hypoesthesia and paresthesia, but not dysesthesia, were less of a problem on the midface than on the lower face after BSSO + Le Fort I. Patients who had genioplasty more frequently chose descriptors for the lower face that reflected soft tissue trauma and inflammation ("swollen," "tender," and "burning") than patients without genioplasty; however, this difference decreased with time after surgery. CONCLUSION: The current findings indicate that patients' selection of words differentiates individuals who experienced only a simple loss in sensation (ie, present negative symptoms), those who experienced active sensations that are not normally present (ie, present positive symptoms), and those whose active sensations are additionally uncomfortable or painful. It is possible that continued study of the latter group of patients will reveal patterns of word usage that predict poor long-term recovery and disabling sensory disorders.