Background and objectives: Improvement of facial aesthetics is one of the main reasons for orthognathic surgery. In respect of aesthetics and also the assignment of personality traits skeletal dysgnathia patients benefit markedly from orthognathic surgery. Aim of this study was to find out how patients, affected by a skeletal dysgnathia, rate photographs of patients with a skeletal dysgnathia before and after orthognathic surgery in respect of aesthetics and some personality traits, and if there is a difference to a naive control group. Another question was if skeletal Class II and Class III patients differ in their rating.

Methods: 108 patients (61 with a skeletal Class II and 47 with a skeletal Class III) rated 40 profile photographs of women (8 skeletal Class II, pre and post surgery, 8 skeletal Class III, pre and post surgery and 8 skeletal Class I) on a 7-point Likert scale in respect of aesthetics and five personality traits. 92 naive volunteers rating the same photographs served as a control group.

Results: There was found a significant improvement of facial aesthetics and the assignment of personality traits post surgery. Patients with a skeletal dysgnathia rated all preoperative pictures less critical than naive people. In respect to personality traits the differences to naive people were found less pronounced. There was no significant difference between the Class II and Class III patients’ rating.

Conclusions: Patients with a skeletal Class II or Class III seem to be less critical in the assessment of facial aesthetics. In respect of the assignment of personality traits the results were less pronounced and similar to those of a naive control group.

Key words: facial aesthetics; personality traits; orthognathic surgery