Background: Orthognathic surgery is an established intervention for severe dentofacial deformities; however, orthodontic management protocols vary between cleft and non-cleft patients because of differences in skeletal discrepancy, dental compensation, residual alveolar defects, scar-related soft tissue restriction, facial asymmetry, and relapse risk. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesise orthodontic management protocols used in orthognathic surgery for cleft and non-cleft patients and to evaluate reported treatment outcomes.
Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. Advanced searches were performed in Scopus and Web of Science using the keywords “orthodontic management protocols,” “orthognathic surgery,” “cleft,” “non-cleft,” and “treatment outcome.” Studies published between 2020 and 2026 were screened using predefined eligibility criteria. A total of 32 primary studies were included for qualitative synthesis.
Results: Three major themes were identified: orthognathic treatment protocols and sequencing; cleft orthognathic surgery and craniofacial reconstruction; and general orthognathic surgery with technological and diagnostic innovations. Conventional orthodontics-first protocols remained important for dental decompensation, arch coordination, extraction management, and correction of complex transverse, vertical, and asymmetrical discrepancies. Surgery-first protocols demonstrated reduced overall treatment duration, earlier facial improvement, and acceptable skeletal stability in selected skeletal Class III cases. In cleft-related deformities, treatment commonly required staged orthodontic preparation, multidisciplinary planning, careful maxillary movement, and management of residual alveolar defects, scar-related tissue limitations, and relapse risk. Digital planning, three-dimensional imaging, computer-aided simulation, three-dimensional printed splints, and clear aligner systems were increasingly applied to improve diagnostic accuracy and surgical precision.
Conclusion: Orthodontic management for orthognathic surgery should be individualised according to skeletal pattern, dental compensation, cleft-related anatomical complexity, functional requirements, and patient-centred outcomes. Further prospective studies with standardised protocols and long-term follow-up are required to strengthen comparative evidence.