Change in Taste Sensation After Orthognathic Surgery

Evaluation of Change in Taste Sense After Orthognathic Surgery

Orthognathic surgery refers to jaw operations that can be performed on the upper jaws (Le Fort I osteotomy) and lower jaws (Sagittal Split Ramus osteotomy). In orthognathic surgery practice, taste perception could be affected by potential damage to peripheral nerves that conduct chemosensory information regarding gustation from the palate and tongue. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the sense of taste after Le Fort I osteotomy, Sagittal Split Ramus osteotomy, and bimaxillary surgery.

The subjects were orthognathic surgery patients with facial skeletal deformities who applied to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Thirty-five patients, aged 17-42 years, gustatory functions were evaluated by administering localized taste tests and whole mouth taste tests preoperatively and at postoperative 1st, 3rd, and 6th months. In the tests, solutions containing sucrose for a sweet taste, sodium chloride for a salty taste, citric acid for a sour taste, and quinine hydrochloride for a bitter taste were used. Patients were compared between the operation group they were in and between operation groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• dentofacial deformity
• American Society of Anesthesiologists category 1 or 2

Exclusion Criteria:

• zinc, iron, and/or vitamin deficiencies
• oncological, neurological, endocrinological, and rheumatological diseases
• chronic drug use due to systemic disease
• smokers
• history of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the head and neck region, orthognathic surgery, maxillofacial trauma, and damage to the nerves related to the taste sensation