Surgical Manipulation of the Occlusal Plane in Class III Deformities: 5 Features to Help Planning

Class III malocclusion is one of the most common deformities that requires correction through orthodontic-surgical treatment. These patients present different facial patterns depending on the occlusal plane angulation. These patients may benefit from surgical manipulation of the occlusal plane, because only bite correction does not always lead to the improvement of the facial deformity. The purpose of this paper is to show the surgical manipulation of the occlusal plane in Class III patients based on five features: 1) facial type, 2) upper incisor display at rest, 3) dental exposure during smile, 4) soft tissue support, and 5) chin projection. The surgical manipulation of the occlusal plane can improve the esthetic outcome in the treatment of class III deformities, and careful evaluation of the five features described could be a helpful planning method.