Analysis of 300 dentofacial deformities in Hong Kong

The records of 300 consecutive Chinese patients with a dentofacial deformity were reviewed to determine the spectrum and characteristics of deformities presenting to a university joint orthognathic clinic. Twenty-six percent of the patients had cleft lip and palate with maxillary hypoplasia; within this group, 26% had double jaw deformity and 5% had nasomaxillary hypoplasia. Of the noncleft group, 47% were Class III facial types, of which 59% were due to mandibular hyperplasia. Of the noncleft group, facial asymmetry accounted for 21%, long face for 18%, bimaxillary protrusion for 14%, Class II types for 11%, and short face for 4%. Overall, there was a high incidence of two-jaw deformity, suggesting that severity may be a major factor in the decision by patients to seek treatment. Findings from this study are thought to be generally applicable to overseas Chinese.