Does Social Media Affect a Patient’s Decision to Undergo Orthognathic Surgery?

Abstract

Orthognathic surgery, also known as corrective jaw surgery, is a procedure that corrects abnormalities of the jaw and face. It is used to treat malocclusions, where the teeth and jaws are misaligned. This surgery can improve the function and appearance of the jaw and face, leading to improved mastication, speech, and quality of life for the patients. To assess if social media had any effect on the patients’ decision to undergo orthognathic surgery, a self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to patients who had undergone orthognathic surgery at the Oral and Maxillofacial department through the health information system (BESTCare, 2.0A) to participate in the study. In total, 111 responses were recorded from the patients, with 107 agreeing to answer the questionnaire and 4 refusing to answer. Twitter was a source of information about orthognathic surgery for 61 patients (57%). When using a social media platform, 3 patients (2.8%) were influenced by an advertisement or an educational post on social media that presented the surgical correction of the jaws, while 15 (14%) believed that they had been somewhat influenced, and 25 (23.4%) picked their surgeon through social media. Fifty-six patients (52.3%) took the neutral position regarding whether information on social media had answered their questions and concerns regarding the surgical procedure. Social media did not influence patients’ decision to undergo the procedure. Surgeons and specialists must utilize their platforms to answer any concerns or questions from any patient undergoing or having undergone this corrective jaw surgery.