[Dysmorphic disorder].

The term "dysmorphic disorder" is used in psychiatry to define an obsessive fear of being ugly or deformed. Orthognathic surgery can entail varying degrees of facial change in patients. However, it is widely acknowledged that some patients find it difficult to adjust to the changes, either as a result of what they see in the mirror or of comments from those around them. Occasionally, the psychological impact of the transformation exceeds the extent of the modification itself. The term "dysmorphic disorder" is applied to this type of psychological suffering due to an inability to adapt. It is the duty of practitioners (orthodontists and surgeons) to screen patients who show signs during their first appointments of psychological fragility in order either to dissuade them from choosing a surgical route involving a high potential for transformation or to assist them, with professional support from a psychologist or psychotherapist, towards accepting the change.