Soft Tissue Profile Analysis by Means of Linear and Angular Parameters in Pakistani Population

Abstract

Objective:\xa0The objectives of the study were to determine the soft tissue norms of non-growing adults of Pakistani\xa0origin and to assess any gender dimorphism in the soft tissue proile.\xa0 \nMethods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the lateral cephalograms of esthetically pleasing proiles of 70\xa0undergraduate students aged 19-24 years of Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences. Several soft\xa0tissue linear and angular measurements of upper and lower lips, nose, and chin were carried out on lateral\xa0cephalogram. An independent sample t- test was used to compare cephalometric variables between genders. Results\xa0were taken signiicant at p-value ≤ 0.05.\xa0 \nResults: Among the linear parameters, we found signiicant differences in upper lip length (p <0.001), thickness (p\xa0<0.001), prominence (p= 0.03), strain (p<0.001), sulcus depth (p = 0.01) and S plane to upper lip (p = 0.02). The lower\xa0lip linear parameters showed signiicant differences in E (p = 0.02) and S planes (p = 0.01), and H line (p <0.001).\xa0Among the angular parameters, we found statistically signiicant differences in the Z (p <0.001), H line (p = 0.01),\xa0angle of facial convexity (p<0.001), nasofacial (p= 0.04), nasomental (p= 0.05) and nasolabial angles (p<0.001).\xa0 \nConclusions: Males showed more prominent upper and lower lips, decreased prominence of nasal tip and increased\xa0soft tissue chin thickness as compared to females. Signiicant differences were found in various angular parameters\xa0among males and females.