Consent to medical treatment as an ethical and moral principle is probably as old as medical science. It is inconceivable that a medical practitioner at any point in history would have treated or operated on a patient without his or her permission. However, consent to treat as a legally binding entity is of recent origin. Today, it is validated by multiple principles drawn from social and behavioural sciences, moral philosophy, human rights, ethics and laws of a particular country. One of the guiding principles of Informed consent involves the rights of patients to make clear assertions of what can or cannot be done to their bodies based on unbiased and full disclosure of the benefits and risks that will ensue from treatment. While most diagnostic treatment procedures are today performed only with a clear informed consent, there are some which attract particular attention. As an elective procedure with significant cosmetic and functional outcomes, orthognathic surgery is a procedure that needs special mention in the context of informed consent.