Evaluation of soft tissue chin thickness in various skeletal malocclusions
Keywords:
Facial profile, Skeletal malocclusions, CephalometricsAbstract
Introduction: For appropriate diagnosis and treatment planning, cephalometric soft tissue analysis is essential. Such cephalometric variables are population specific and must be ascertained for any given geographical area. Hence this study aimed at soft tissue chin thickness in various skeletal malocclusions for Pakistani population,
Material and Methods: Lateral cephalograms were obtained from the data of 246 patients who were stratified on the basis of ANB into skeletal class I (120), II (82) and III (44). The soft tissue chin thickness was measured at 3 points namely soft tissue to hard tissue Pogonion (Pog-Pog’), soft tissue to hard tissue Gnathion (Gn-Gn’) and soft tissue to hard tissue Menton (Me-Me’). Statistical analysis was applied after data compilation in SPSS 16.
Results: Sagittal class of the sample was significantly correlated to soft tissue thickness at Pogonion, Gnathion but not for Menton.
Conclusions: Soft tissue chin thickness differences among skeletal malocclusions were observed. The differences among different skeletal malocclusions may be taken into account in patients undergoing orthodontics or corrective jaw surgery, both during diagnosis and treatment planning.