Soft-tissue cephalometric norms for the Lambada population in Telangana Region of Andhra Pradesh

Facial contours were traditionally considered to be the result of positioning of underlying hard tissue followed by the soft tissue. However, current trend shows a paradigm shift from the conventional hard tissue analysis to also include both hard- and soft-tissue analysis. The objective of our study was to determine the soft-tissue cephalometric norms for the Lambada population, to define gender differences and to correlate the variables, skeletal convexity (SC), and H angle (HA).

Fifty subjects of Lambada ethnic group between 18 and 26 years old, grouped into 25 males and 25 females were taken. Their lateral cephalograms were obtained and analyzed using Holdaway's analysis. Descriptive statistics and the student's t-test were used.

Soft-tissue facial angle (SFA), superior sulcus depth (SSD), lower lip to H line (LL-H), and soft-tissue subnasale to H line (S-H) were well within the range given by Holdaway. The variable, lip strain showed that the upper denture is protrusive (P<0.001). Skeletal convexity and HA were significantly correlated in the female sample. HA revealed that a slightly more protrusive profile was acceptable for this ethnic group.

Although established Caucasian norms are applicable to the Lambada ethnic tribe, few parameters like basic upper lip thickness (ULT) and upper lip strain (ULS), skeletal convexity, inferior sulcus to H line (LS-H) were significantly different. The male group exhibited straighter profile, thicker lips, prominent nose, deep mentolabial sulcus, and a prominent chin than females. The differences could be considered in diagnosis and treatment planning for orthodontic practice and for orthognathic surgery.