Soft tissue changes associated with mandibular subapical osteotomy

Sophisticated treatment planning for those individuals with severe dental and facial disproportions requires accurate prediction of posttreatment results. Preand posttreatment cephalometric X-rays for a group of twelve patients treated by a combined orthodontic-oral surgical approach were evaluated. The surgery was of either the standard mandibular subapical osteotomy or Kole type of procedure. Surgical repositioning of the anterior mandibular alveolus resulted in various changes in hard tissue and soft tissue profile. In summary, these changes were: 1. Decreased lower facial height. 2. More relaxed lip posture as revealed by an increased superior vermilion lip length and decreased inferior vermilion lip length. 3. Stomion moved inferior and posterior relative to the lower facial plane. 4. Superior labial sulcus became less concave. 5. Inferior labial sulcus became more concave. 6. Superior vermilion and inferior vermilion moved posterior relative to the lower facial plane. 7. Chin radius and lip-chin-throat angle decreased. 8. Overbite and overjet increased while Wits analysis decreased. 9. Facial contour angle was unchanged. Changes were similar for both standard subapical and Kole groups with the main difference being a greater reduction in facial height with the Kole group.