The psychosocial dimensions of oral and maxillofacial surgery: a critical review of the literature.

The validity of the literature on the relationships between psychosocial factors and surgery for facial esthetics is diminished by theoretical bias, changing cultural values, vague measuring criteria, and inadequate experimental designs. Many persons who seek cosmetic surgery have psychiatric diagnoses and may experience postoperative emotional disturbances. Almost all patients report long-term satisfaction postoperatively. Patients who are treated by oral surgeons appear to have fewer emotional problems than those treated by plastic surgeons.