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Quantitative Assessment Protocol for Facial Soft Tissue Volumetric Changes with Stereophotogrammetry
Published on: December 9, 2025
Facial soft tissue thickness among skeletal malocclusions: is there a difference?
Hasan Kamak1, Mevlut Celikoglu
1Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Turkey.
Korean Journal of Orthodontics
|November 1, 2012
Summary
This study found that male orthodontic patients generally have greater soft tissue thickness than females. Differences in soft tissue depth were observed across different skeletal malocclusions, specifically at the lips and chin.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Cephalometric analysis
- Facial morphology
Background:
- Soft tissue analysis is crucial in orthodontics for predicting treatment outcomes.
- Understanding variations in soft tissue thickness based on skeletal malocclusion is essential for personalized treatment planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify soft tissue thickness in male and female orthodontic patients.
- To analyze how different skeletal malocclusions (Class I, II, III) influence soft tissue thickness.
- To identify specific facial landmarks where these differences are most pronounced.
Main Methods:
- Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 180 orthodontic patients (60 each of Class I, II, and III malocclusions) were analyzed.
- Ten specific soft tissue thickness measurements were taken.
- Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and post hoc tests (LSD, Dunnet T3) to identify significant differences.
Main Results:
- Men exhibited greater soft tissue thickness than women across all measurements.
- Statistically significant differences in soft tissue thickness were found among skeletal groups at the labrale superius, stomion, and labrale inferius.
- Class III malocclusions showed the greatest thickness at the labrale superius and stomion, while Class II showed the greatest at the labrale inferius in both sexes.
Conclusions:
- Significant variations in soft tissue thickness exist among different skeletal malocclusions in both male and female orthodontic patients.
- These differences are particularly notable at the upper lip (labrale superius), mouth opening (stomion), and lower lip (labrale inferius).
- The findings highlight the importance of considering skeletal patterns when assessing soft tissue facial aesthetics and planning orthodontic interventions.
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