Anticipated Benefit: a new protocol for orthognathic surgery treatment that eliminates the need for conventional orthodontic preparation

Introduction: Conventional orthodontic-surgical treatment for the correction of dentofacial deformities takes up a lengthy period of time preparing the patient orthodontically, which sometimes causes a temporary deterioration in the patient’s appearance. This fact has set the stage for the development of a new treatment technique aimed at addressing these issues. Objectives: To introduce a new protocol—named Anticipated Benefit—and to illustrate it with a clinical case. Methods: The planning stages are presented and then illustrated by treating a patient with a Class III deformity. According to this method, after some careful planning the orthodontic appliance is fixed and subsequently orthognathic surgery is performed. Conclusion: Although both the traditional and the Anticipated Benefit techniques provide excellent functional and aesthetic results, the new protocol achieves significant improvements soon after the start of treatment. The new method has proved very convenient, particularly for the patient.