What Characteristics do Orthodontists Desire in Orthognathic Surgeons

Abstract Background The purpose of our study was to report and rank orthognathic surgeon characteristics as valued by referring orthodontists. Methods This was a cross-sectional study surveying orthodontists registered with the American Academy of Orthodontists Partners in Research Program. Survey items gathered information on both orthodontist characteristics and perceptions across 9 surgeon characteristics. Descriptive statistics were computed for all survey items, and linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between orthodontist characteristics and number of orthognathic cases performed. Results Among 1,300 surveyed orthodontists, there were 172 respondents (13% response rate). The majority of orthodontists (66.9%) practiced for at least 15 years, completed between 1 and 5 surgical cases in the past year (55.6%), and referred their orthognathic cases to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (99.4%). Among orthodontists, only practice experience (p Conclusions Orthodontists’ most desirable characteristic in an orthognathic surgeon is an understanding of both pre-surgical and non-surgical orthodontics. Surgeons seeking to increase orthognathic referrals should work to increase insurance coverage and actively initiate strong personal and relationships with orthodontists.