Stomatognathic Functions and Orthognathic Surgery: A Scoping Review and Scientometric Analysis
Dentofacial deformities. Orthognathic Surgery. Stomatognathic System. Review.
The combination of dental and skeletal malocclusion characterises dento-skeletal deformities. The condition is manifested by disharmony between the bone and tooth bases, and its arrangement influences the adjacent soft tissues and can have a significant impact on quality of life and the stomatognathic system. The combination of orthognathic surgery and orthodontic treatment enables effective correction of facial asymmetries, promoting the establishment of a harmonious balance between the facial pattern and adjacent structures. Despite orofacial skeletal balance and the establishment of favourable conditions for the execution of orofacial functions, altered functional patterns persist which can have a negative impact on orofacial myofunctional equilibrium. From this perspective, this dissertation was based on a scoping review and a scientometric review, the objectives of which will be addressed respectively. In order to compose the dissertation, the studies aimed to map the orofacial and cervical myofunctional intervention programmes developed for adults undergoing orthognathic surgery, and to analyse the scientific mapping of orthognathic surgery research patterns and trends related to the functions of the stomatognathic system. To develop the scoping review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist was used, searching the Cochrane, EMBASE, LILACS, LIVIVO, PubMed/Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases, as well as grey literature. The scientific review was carried out using the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases, with no date or language restrictions, and analyses were carried out using the Bibliometrix package and VosViewer software. In order to compose the scoping review, studies were included that addressed therapeutic programmes, myofunctional exercises and their influence on the stomatognathic system of adults undergoing orthognathic surgery, without delimiting time or language, excluding secondary studies, populations under the age of 18 and comorbidities associated with dentofacial deformities. The scientometric analysis selected studies that assessed orofacial functions, excluding systematic reviews, books, book chapters, abstracts and grey literature. In total, four studies were eligible for the scoping review and 223 studies were included in the scientometric review. The four eligible studies were published between 2010 and 2017, with participants with an average age between 21 and 31 years, a predominance of females and the use of post-surgical guidelines and the practice of isometric, isotonic, postural and functional exercises, as well as tactile-kinesthetic and thermal stimulation, with a positive emphasis on the functional improvement of the stomatognathic system. The 223 studies included were analysed from 1981 to 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 2.96%, an average of 18.4 citations, 389 keywords, an average of 4.99 co-authors per document and 2.69% of international co-authorships, highlighting the gradual increase in productions, as well as the global and collaborative nature of scientific research. Thus, after detailed data extraction and analysis according to the methodology of each study, it can be concluded that despite the substantial gap identified in the scoping review, its mapping highlights a significant improvement in the performance of orofacial functions, suggesting an optimization of the functionality of the stomatognathic system, a better perception of oral health and improvements in the tone and mobility of orofacial structures in individuals who underwent orofacial and cervical myofunctional intervention after orthognathic surgery. The scientific analysis reveals a significant increase in the number of publications on orthognathic surgery and stomatognathic functions, emphasizing the relationship and importance between orthognathic surgery and the stomatognathic system.