Recognition of profile change after simulated orthognathic surgery.

Fifty-one oral and maxillofacial surgeons, 52 orthodontists, 51 orthognathic surgery patients, and 100 lay persons evaluated life-size lateral photographs of two male and two female subjects that had been altered to simulate varying amounts of surgical correction of mandibular retrognathism and prognathism. A horizontal change at pogonion of less than 4 mm was generally not recognized by more than half of the lay groups. The dental groups were more accurate, but even they did not achieve better than 80% recognition until 6 mm of change. Both the dental and lay groups recognized change more easily in the female and the prognathic subjects. When asked which feature appeared changed, dentists generally indicated the chin and lay groups the lips.