Facial Soft Tissue Profile Differences in Various Vertical Facial Patterns: A Cephalometric Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: The orthodontic treatment is aimed at achieving a proper functional occlusion, as well as balanced and aesthetic face. The purpose of this study was to identify how facial soft tissue parameters correlate with the vertical facial pattern that might impact diagnosis and treatment plan construction.

Methodology: A cross-sectional quantitative study involving 265 orthodontic patients was conducted in Islamic International Dental Hospital, Islamabad. Pretreatment lateral cephalograms records were assessed and soft tissue parameters were measured. Statistical comparisons were performed on SPSS v23 using the One-way ANOVA and Post Hoc Scheffe tests.

Results: Dolichofacial individuals had significantly longer upper and lower lips compared with mesofacial and brachyfacial faces, while brachyfacial faces showed the greatest upper lip thickness (p ? 0.05). No significant differences were observed for lower lip thickness, soft tissue chin thickness, nasolabial angle, or nasal height across facial types (p > 0.05). These results indicate that vertical facial pattern mainly influences lip dimensions, whereas other soft tissue parameters remain relatively stable, providing guidance for orthodontic diagnosis and esthetic treatment planning.

Conclusions: While correlating facial soft tissue parameters with the vertical facial patterns it was found out that upper and lower lip lengths and upper lip thickness varied significantly between various facial types. However, Lower lip thickness, Soft Tissue Chin, Nasolabial Angle and Nasal Height didn’t show significant difference among the three facial patterns.