The changes of self-esteem, sensitivity to criticism, and social appearance anxiety in orthognathic surgery patients: A controlled study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the changes of psychologic parameters, such as self-esteem, sensitivity to criticism, and social appearance anxiety, in skeletal Class III patients undergoing orthognathic surgery and to compare the psychologic status of skeletal Class III patients with control subjects.

METHODS

The first group consisted of 60 patients with a mean age of 22.07 ± 1.30 years who did not need orthognathic surgery. The second group comprised 45 patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion (mean age 21.40 ± 2.02 years) who were evaluated in terms of psychologic changes from before to after surgery. A third group consisted of 50 Class III patients (mean age 20.09 ± 2.59 years) who were evaluated before surgery and a different 50 Class III patients (mean age 22.15 ± 2.03 years) who were investigated after surgery. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale were used to evaluate psychologic parameters both before and after surgery. Analysis was carried out with the use of independent- and dependent-sample t tests, 1-way analysis of variance, and post hoc Tukey test.

RESULTS

Self-esteem of the patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion increased, and sensitivity to criticism and social appearance anxiety decreased significantly after the surgery (P <0.001). In the patients with Class III malocclusion, self-esteem was significantly lower and social appearance anxiety significantly higher before orthognathic surgery than in the control group, and at the postoperative evaluation Class III patients had significantly higher self-esteem than the control group (P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Through the improvement in facial appearance after surgery, patients' self-esteem increases and their sensitivity to criticism and social appearance anxiety decrease.